According to a new study from The U.S. Department of Transportation and Consumer Reports, 63% of people under the age of 30 admitted to talking on their cell phones while driving in the past 30 days. Another 30% of them admitted to texting while driving, and just 30% of drivers under 30 thought that was a problem. It's not like their rear view window was blocked by a bunch of cats or anything. more ›

According to Consumer Reports, 60% of Americans qualify as overweight or obese, but only 50% think they are. Based on a survey of 1,234 Americans, a whopping 90% say their diets are anywhere from "somewhat" to "extremely" healthy. However, just 60% said they often choose whole grains over refined carbs, and 53% said they frequently limit their sugar intake. Based on this data, New York is right in line with the rest of America in terms of obesity. But do New Yorkers share the same misconceptions? more ›

Chuck Schumer may be onto something. According to a new survey from Consumer Reports, luggage fees topped the list of complaints Americans have about air travel, followed by added ticket fees and rude staff. Luggage fees scored an average of 8.4 on a scale of 1 to 10 on annoyance, with 10 being the most annoying thing imaginable. So what else do Americans think about air travel? more ›

Consumerist, a Gawker Media blog about consumer tips, was purchased by the Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports. CU president and CEO Jim Guest said, "We're delighted to add this vibrant site to our portfolio of information products. The Consumerist community is passionate about fair retail practices, truth in advertising, product safety, and other topics that Consumer Reports has championed for more than 70 years. The site is a perfect fit for advancing our mission of creating a fair, safe, and just marketplace." Consumerist editor Ben Popken will stay on as co-executive editor, and he said, "Consumerist.com is now assured of a strong, healthy future." The NY Times reports that the next Gawker Media blog for sale is Defamer, which covers Hollywood gossip (Gawker Media honcho Nick Denton thinks online advertising declines will be steep in 2009!). more ›

New Year's resolutions probably started out as some sort of gym propaganda to up membership. Every new year, fitness centers worldwide bulk up their ad campaigns, promote "deals" and promise a better body in just months. With so many options, how does one choose a suitable establishment in which to "get physical"? more ›

It’s that time of year again when New Yorkers debate how much to tip the – deep breath – doorman, super, handyman, locker room attendant, trainer, baby sitter, dog walker, beauty salon, cleaning person, day care center, garbage collector, mail carrier, paperboy and parking attendant(s). Sewell Chan, the Times’s Man on the Web, has tied himself to the tipping post with a 1,780 word monograph on the subject, largely sourced from Doorman, a book by Professor Peter Bearman, statistician and sociology professor at Columbia University. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on East Tremont Ave. in the Bronx, two pedestrians struck on 42nd St. and 11th Ave. in Manhattan and one is likely dead, and another bank robbery on Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn.
• A Queens car thief's plan of taking a dealer's SUV for a test drive and kicking the salesman out of the car would have worked beautifully if he hadn't surrendered his actual driver's license at the dealership before taking the car for a ride. He was arrested when he returned to the Potamkin dealership to collect his license. Two dozen police were involved in the ensuing foot chase.
• The M.T.A. is shockingly behind schedule on its anti-terrorism project schedule. No really, it's only completed two out of six scheduled "high priority" projects.
• A Park Ave. church is suing Con Ed for damage to its nearly century-old pipe organ after the utility allegedly let a damaged steam pipe vent damaging moisture into the instrument's fixtures for weeks.
• If you're a food blogger, there's a good chance that Mario Batali hates you. Just mentioning Batali yesterday was enough to evince criticism from some of our readers, so the NYC restaurant scene is apparently a contentious place.
• A Consumer Reports test named Hebrew National the #1-tasting dog in the land. Nathan's came in second with Boar's Head in third place.
• Any dual Sopranos-Lost fans should be reassured that the latter's shows don't intend to leave them hanging like David Chase. "Mobisodes" will be broadcast over Verizon's wireless network.
• Despite an approval vote by regulatory members last week, more than 100 neighbors packed into a Williamsburg Community Board meeting last night, halting the approval process of construction of a 24-story tower just off Bedford Ave.