. >> and michael finney explains what to look out for when you use plastic. back in a moment. >>> newly reab yachted credit kaurdz reforms were supposed to protect use michael finney warns plastic can still be careless. >> amy is carrying less debt these day autos i pay off bills immediately. i can't stand paying interest. >> and there is a sur say saying balance is down to $38001100 lower than in 2009 but this doesn't mean people are happier with the companies. >> in fact, it's one of the lowest-rated service s we've analyzed down there with computer tech support. >> federal reforms require a mandatory minimum payment warning that spells out consequences of making only the minimum payment. in this case a $4,000 debt taking 24 years to pay off and end up costing $8,000. >> 23% of the people we surveyed said it's encouraged them to pay off balances quickler. -- quicker. >> consumer reports says there are still gotchas. >> interest rates are the highest they've been in almost 10 years and fees climbed. >> this first premier bank charging 59.9% interest, on top

it's friday, good weather and... >> michael finney comes bearing gifts. >> i do. pureology.they have items. there is a new color stylist line. and this is high end stuff worth $150. everyone uses this stuff everybody loved it. so this is a first 1,000 people. so, six color style products. then, we'll have wucca di beppo. you're going get a $10 bucca buck. it serves family-style italian made food like this, taking a look at chicken breast and sun dried tomatoes and peas. and if you're in smell-a-vision you'd be in heaven. >> oh. yes. and you can go to abc 7 news.com. >> home run for that tonight.@ñç >>> coming up, a 30-year cost sharing agreement that isn't working out. a city disbanded and wants a fire department again. a new reading on the local kme. a bay area greeting card company where businesses better than ever this year. and underwater sanctuaries off the coast and last ditch effort in washington to expand them. those stories and more at 6:00. >> and now, many local celebrities took nart a tradition starting here in san francisco. and there is don sanchez encouraged s

michael finney looks at very michael finney looks at very expensive credit cards and ["knock on wood"omeone's eligible credit or debit card purchase. [beep] chase picks up the tab. it could be you. chase picks up the tab. it's another great reason to bank with chase. chase what matters. sign up at a branch today. ♪ just love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love [ femalthe moisturizeran your body in other body washeseply? sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. >>> there's a new push to help volunteers that want to mentor young people. it kicked off in oakland where the response was overwhelming. as amy reports, the work can be really tough and this new program will attempt to keep volunteers from getting discouraged. ♪ >> they're celebrating but being a mentor in oakland isn't always a smooth experience. >> i have one teen that i mentor personal one-on-one. >> she often finds herself surprised

call or click today. >>> let's back to michael finney on credit card practices.his report. >> amy is carrying less debt these days. >> i pay my bills immediately. >> the survey of americans by consumer reports says the average credit card balance is down to about $3800. that is $1100 lower than in 2009. but it doesn't mean that people are happier with credit card companies. >> in fact, it's one of the lowest rated services we've analyzed. >> federal reforms now require a mandatory minimum payment warning on all bills. it spells out the consequences of making only the minimum payment. in this case, a $4,000 debt will take 24 years to pay off and end up costing more than $8,000. >> 23% of the people we surveyed said it encouraged to pay off their balances quicker. >> they say there is still credit card gotchas. >> interest rates are the highest they have been in ten years. fees have also climbed. >> first premiere bank is one of the worst, charging as much at 59% interest. that is on top of the $75 fee and processing fee that can be as high at $95. two cards worth

. >> and i'm michael finney. coming up, how 7 on yourrrrrrrrr >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >>> most of the 40 evacuees of a huge fire just about a month ago are still in temporary housing. they're looking for permanent homes but noft have special needs making it more challenging in this tough housing market. vic lee with the story. >> the fire swept through the apartment building on november 4th. >> the firemen broke down by mi door, just wrapped in a sheet took me out at 3:00 a.m. >> the 73-year-old was one of 40 tenants evacuate that had morning this, apartment house was a special kind of place for the 40 tenants. most have disabilities. they built relationships. it was like a family home. all were placed in temporary housing. most are still there. dollmat lives at days inn, in a wheelchair since surviving a stroke, then a bad accident. >> the places i've called are either taken or they're upstairs. you know? i can't manage steps. >> dollmat is eligible for section 8 but many land

the story from michael finney. >> in the end zone! >> the 49ers online video is big and bold.king back on an incredible past and forwar to a bright future in new stadium. it's enoug to give any long time fan goosebumps. he a long time fan and it gives him something else. >> and all you 49er fan, look what they are trying to do to us. >> the office is packed with 49er memorabia and he and his associates and tickets go all the way back to kezar stadium. he has never paid a seat license fee, never planned to until he read the latest paperwork that came with his season ticket. >> even though all these promise to buy your season tickets the same seats. but this year they are tellg us that we have no expectation that we're going to have any seats. we have no equitable right. >> welcome to the economics of professional sports. >> sports director larry beil says he is not a defender or detractor of the practice but points out it's widesprea in today's world. >> if they are going to put down a billion dollars to build a stadium, they to have finance it. the raw numbers there is certain

michael finney will let it's in on the best >>> we have winning numbers from super lotto plus draw. 3, 4, 22, 32, 44 and mega number is 8. nobody got all six numbers right. so $11 million jackpot will go to $12 million for wednesday's drawing. >> once upon a time, you regularly heard the shouts of lights, camera and action in san francisco neighborhoods. the film production have become few and far between in this economy. now, they shoot in canada and other places where it costs less, but that may change. here is don sanchez. >> the film going the distance, he is new york and she is san francisco. >> there is a center to shoot in new york. so for budget reasons. >> she wanted to shoot here. >> it's expensive to film here, that is the bottom line. i think with the economy the way it is today, it's about money. >> they say san francisco has to be competitive. >> new york is a city that gets it. >> musical set in new york was shot in san francisco. seven years ago, matrix and made $10 million in income but that the past. >> we had a dry spell for six or seven years. we invested the only

into future fights and be for republicans when they go into negotiations with democrats. >> karen finney, what do you make of that strategy? >> you and i have both been in the room when these deals get cut. i don't like the way it went down. but he did not have the votes. we are where we are. that's the practical reality. at the end of the day, you got to get something done. i actually agree with the president that sitting back and playing political games for two more weeks as much as we might have liked that, i have family members of my own who cannot wait two more weeks. it is not just about the unemployment snsinsurance. it is easy to sit here and say that. the guy didn't have the votes. where i'd like to see him fight harder and play the game getting to that point, absolutely, but we are where we are. i hope what we take from this is one favor that obama has done for us is that the republicans cannot say that they care at all about deficit reduction or responsible budget because what they've shown is at the end of the day they will throw all of that out the window when it means prote

today we're talking about financial literacy and michael finney from 7 side your side is with us. i want to talk about financial predators. >> i tell you, unemployment, that is growth area. people are desperate. they are willing to take measures but they are desperate and the bad guys go where the money is. they are stealing identities and talking people out of their credit card numbers. if you are looking for a job you need to put up a barrier. >> so how can we protect ourselves? >> you don't pay to get a job. you never pay to get a job. you don't pay to get a job list. you don't have to do all of this so don't do that. if they start asking you for private information, don't give it to them. when you post your resume, be careful. so many will put their social security on it. you have to be very careful and don't give up information that you wouldn't give up to a job to any other stranger. you don't know these people. >> if you are a victim of a scam you are there to help everybody you but you can't help the thousands. what can we do as individuals? >> we're a good starting point.

there are web-only finney free stuff offerings. a "new york times" best selling book called four-hour work week, electronic edition and something might come in handy in this season of overeating. heart burn medicine. you don't call to get these. you go to our web site. and look under the blog on 7 on your side fchl you want to make sure you left you something today. okay. straight ahead tonight tracking santa claus and are going to show you where old stststststststststststststststst you can see >> coming up we'll take to you san bruno so see how a neighborhood is dealing with its first christmas since a pipeline exploded and why pregnant women give birth one week earlier than they did nearly 20 years ago. and finally we're tracking santa's journey around the world tonight. right now. just off the coast of south america he's been to australia, asia and europe. norad has been tracking over 50 years now this, started because of a typo in a series ad for santa claus hot line in the newspaper. the number was wrong. and children instead

michael finney has the story. >> obviously we apologize to the customer. >> it's been long ordeal forice of san jose. >> i'm just tired. i'm just tired. >> she first noticed the problem when she received this bill back in january for 255, that is nearly three times more than the previous month. >> so when i saw that. >> she made severa calls to pg&e before getting an explanation. they than h underbilled her the prior month and added it to next month's bill. >> it's too much. this bill is not correct. >> she was right. by putting both bills on to one month, utility put her into a higher paying tier. pg&e eventually adjusted her bill by $177. >> we wanted to obviously, as we've done with this customer. we did make an err. >> this is one of many apologies pg&e has issued of late. >> when some customercall with us questions we weren't as responsive as we should have been. that is unacceptable. >> so we have reached out and apologized to them. >> we certainly want to apologize to the custome >> a doctor is a business professor at golden gate university. pg&e gets good marks for offering a

seven or your side's michael finney warns that despite the regulations, plastic can still have peril.>> amy greenside is carrying less debt. >> i pay my bill immediately because i can't stand playing the extra interest. >> a poll says the average credit card balance is down to $3,800, $1,100 lower than in 2009. this doesn't mean people are happier with credit card companies. in fact, it's one of the lowest rated services we ever analyzed rg right down there with computer tech support. >> reporter: federal reforms require mandatory manipulate payment on all bills and spells out the consequences of making only the minimum payment in this case, $4,000 debt will take 24 years to pay off and cost more than $8,000. >> 23% of the people we surveyed said it has encouraged them to pay off their balances quicker. >> consumer reports said there's still credit card gotchas. >> interest rates are the highest in ten years and fees have climbed. >> reporter: frirt premiere bank master card is one of the worst offenders, charges as much as 59.9% interest on top of the $75 annual fee, and a processing

not that simple. 7 on your side's michael finney shows how spending with plastic can still be perilous>> amy is carrying less debt these days. >> i pay off my bills immediately because i can't stand paying the extra interest. >> the survey of americans by "consumer reports" national research center says the average credit card balance is down to about $3800. that's $1100 lower than in 2009. this doesn't mean people are happier with credit card companies. >> in fact, it's one of the lowest-rated services we've ever analyzed right down there with computer tech support. >> federal reforms now requires a mandatory minimum payment warning on all bills. it spells out the consequences of making only the minimum payment. in this case a $4,000 debt will take 24 years to pay off and end up costing more than $8,000. >> 23% of the people we surveyed said it has encouraged them to pay off their balances quicker. >> the consumer report says there are still credit card gotcha as banks try to make up for lost revenue. >> interest rates are the highest they've been in almost ten years and fees also cli

don't go away. "7 on your side" is next and michael finney will let us [ older brother ] hey, that'sescent. [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light... ...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents? with cinnabon cinnamon have such a sweet and delicious aroma that my family can't wait to get their hands on them. enjoy cinnabon cinnamon... now in all pillsbury cinnamon rolls. >> welcome back, everybody. again looking out towards the bay bridge. gorgeous morning out there if you like nice and still me fog around. got some rain on the way. heavy coming up. not today but soon. lisa will explain it all in just a couple minutes. the reviews are out on the best and the worst cellphone service providers. 60,000 subscribers to "consumer reports" weighed in to help determine the best services and the money savers. michael finney has the good, the bad and the ugly. >> we're so confident in the improvements we've made to our network, our phones, our pla

. >> and giving the gift of giving. 7 on your side's michael finney shows us a new twist on the giftard. but first a service member from overseas. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread grands! flaky layers biscuits? the warm, light delicate layers are like nothing else. add a layer of excitement to your next meal. ♪ start with cookie dough. ♪ add frosting. [ giggles ] [ female announcer ] then sprinkles. [ both giggle ] [ female announcer ] fun. easy. [ child ] wow. [ female announcer ] at pillsbury.com. >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >> good morning. we begin your "moneyscope" report with gas prices going up. the average $3.01. gas prices usual fall this time of year. analysts are blaming rising oil prices. toyota agreed to spend $10 million to settle a lawsuit. three family members were killed and the accelerator of their lexus apparently jammed last year. the car sped up, crashed and burst into flames. a new sign the economy could be picking up. the "wall street journal" reports 4.7 million jobs posted online in the u.s. december 1st and that'

i'm michael finney, "7 on your side." >> here's a twist on the line we'll work for food. a bay area company offering food for people that want to go to work for money. yesterday they started up free tacoless outside an industry convention at san francisco's center. apiro has some 40 openings including ten engineering jobs. it's been tough finding people. >> we're kind of competing with the twitters and the facebook.coms and the googles of the world so it's kind of hard to get attention. we have cool things with technology. so it's hard to compete. >> it currently has a staff of about 200 employees. it plans to continue to use a taco-truck concept to try to find perspective employees in the coming weeks and months. >> do you think -- i'm sorry, go ahead. >> by the way, if you're looking for work, you want to check out our next hire event job fair. it takes place today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the windham hotel in san jose. don't think it's a taco truck but jobs that are hiring. >> do you think people are stopping, getting a taco and going over to interview where they real

. >> plus michael finney and "consumer reports" clear up the picture when it comes to the best and worst-d tv's. >> santa, send >>> students protesting steep tuition hikes at british universities attacked a car carrying prince charles and his wife yesterday. neither was hurt. it happened during a day of violent demonstrations against plans to triple tuition from 5,000 to $15,000 a year. the proposal passed. until 1997, tuition at british universities was free. 22 people were arrested include two for arson. 12 police officers and 43 protestors were injured. here in the bay area, the man many came to know as santa john begins his new gig today at an old san francisco bar. john toomey played santa at the union square macy's the last 20 years but was fired last week after an older couple complained about a risque joke he told him while sitting on his alap. the owners of lefty's offered a new gig and a pay increase. he even appeared on the tonight show last night. he told jay leno of a letter he got from state senator mark leno asking for $25.4 billion for christmas to balance the state budge

and michael finney is here to help. >> and you've put together five different transcripts.atural to have glitches and as we've reported many card customers have complained about card reading errors and billing errors. one woman so frustrated she came to me for help. nancy rides a san francisco muni bus to work every day helping to have this card that let's her swipe and go. this card supposed to make life easier letting passengers use a pass to ride on many transit systems. and like other passengers nancy says there are glitches. >> i got charged twice. for the clipper card. that shouldn't be happening. >> troubles start aid yearing ayochl she bought a $70 pass to ride muni in january. then arranged payments to renew each month. when auto payments start shed was charged again. >> she said it couldn't possibly be that you purchased two passes. she said koit carry over chirkts didn't. it's like that is $70 lost somewhere. >> she sent in documents and was charged for it again on her card. trance link said she'd get money back but that didn't happen. spring came, and went. her

. >> and from 7 on your side's michael finney a hot video game gets a cold reception. fans find out it doesn't work. >> and later tonight behind the scenes at dream works. and the bay area animators gave birth to shrek.k.k.k.k.k.k. >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >>> after more than a year of deebit san jose has taken action to regulate medical marijuana december pensries. council voted to tax medical marijuana sales at 7%. and that is after voters passed a measure allowing tax of up to 10%. counsel decided to let the december pensries stay open. this after an emotional debate. >> don't make me get medicine of my choice illegally on street. >> i can only speak to the personal costs to my family which has been too great to tolerate any longer. every child should be safe. >> this counsel voted not to allow any new dispensery autos a fremont man devastated by his vision loss credits the gift of silgt with saving his life. and today he got to thank the family of the young man who donated his cornea. and their meeting and their call for help. >> l

when we come back, michael finney follows up on a family and a christmas surprise that will change theirlives. >> 7 yn >>> a soldier is home for the holidays in a place he can call home. >> and this is a story michael finney brought new april. >> this is a wonderful story. this family faced a fact of lose thirg home of so years, tonight it's a much different story. carl decorated a family tree back in mid december, going to be a special christmas. >> i was so at peace and so excited. >> she prepared for home coming of her husband and he reenlisted to fight in iraq following september 11th and has been in the army ever since. and based in fort bliss, texas. she can't wait to give him a surprise. >> and thank you. >> it was another surprise that changed the family life. >> this feels good. >> revealing a secret she'd kept for several weeks. >> every time i talked to him i wanted to say it. saying no. it's going to be a surprise. >> surprising with the news the family now has a loan modification that will keep them in the home. >> and this is a different feeling coming home. and you're goin

i'm michael finney >> closed captioning brought to you by mancini sleepworld. >>> the city is ready for plans to build the america's cup back to san francisco. now, it's up to the current cup holder larry ellison to decide if the terms are good enough. >> a source close to the negotiations tells me race officials are already on their way to rhode island to start shopping so competition is on. the mayor signed a bid and says he feels confident this will be the winning bid. supervisor chris daily supports it he says he believes gain outweighs cost of having this race. this is projected to bring $1.2 billion into the economy. >> this is support by the board of supervisors. amendments made up until the last minute... and long negotiations through the evening last night. and early this morning. and brought us too-to-this point. we feel we have an exorde exorder -- extraordinary bid. by bid rewe believe will allow us ability to secure this cup. >> now, race officials are playing it close to the vest. only saying they'll review the bid, quote, we continue to be focused on responsibility to sec

how to beat airline baggage fee autos michael finney weighs value of several luggage scales now on thehat is were you make money. have you ever seen people repacking in the middle of a terminal? they're probably trying to avoid an overweight bag fee. you can be charged up to $100 extra for a bag qaeing more than 50 pounds so. we tested out some new scales saying they can help you avoid an unwelcome fee when karen flew from australia to the united states they brought empty bags now they're heading home those bags are bulging. >> we went shopping in new york and brought back 10 pairs of shoe autos those spree nouz might cost them more by paying for overweight luggage fees. if the bag exceeds 50 pounds air lines charge a fee. $60 here at american airlines. here margo and karen are trying to guess the waste of the bags before checking. so 7 on your side figures this is the perfect time to tryout these portable scales. >> really? good. normally have you to stand them on weighing scales. >> across the terminal hazel's aunt's bulging suitcase appears close to the weight limit. >> she packed a

michael finney examines a proposal is that would make it tougher for companies to raise your rates. >> and she makes the celebrities look good on "dancing with the stars". sharon burke hassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

i'm michael finney, "7 on your side." >> when you watch tv, there's often a noticeable difference whenhe commercials come on. they're louder. >> yesterday congress passed a bill to ensure the commercials are the same volume as the program you're watching. it was retire by a palo alto congresswoman. it's expected to be signed into law by president obama. >> it's 6:26 now. still ahead at 6:30. back in court. this afternoon former bart police officer johannes mehserle will try to get release on bail while he appeals his manslaughter conviction. >> a loaded gun left in an unlocked drawer leads to the death of a two-year-old boy. >> i'm terry mcsweeney live in fremont where a convicted sex offender is going to be back in court today accused of sexually assaulting a two-year-old girl. a crime that has police at a loss for words. parents wonder where is it that your children are safe. >> since we last talked, sfo's reporting 35-minute flight arrival delays. and atlanta is reporting flight departure delays. we'll check our flight save $523! 16 minutes could save you 16%! come on... isn't it ti

. >> and coming up next, finney's friday free stuff includes a contribution on the bay. >> one of the life long dreams. >> and this is a lucky day. >> there is only something messy z interest tl could be if you're making a molten chocolate chip cookies. check these, you're supposed to be over eating. this is safeway select there. is a free box of these. there are two giants once in a box. you can eat it yourself. >> only two? in this box? >> and they are. >> look at that. >> okay. >> someone wants a day. >> yes. there is a $5 value. you can get them free. then have you ever been on those paddle wheel boats up in lake tahoe? have you been on one of those? >> yes. >> and it's cool. there is one right there. you're going to get a free ticket to go on this. it's out of zephyr cove. it's a cruise around tahoe going into the bay. and there is emerald bay. a $39 value. you can't rush. >> yes. >> and relax. >> it's nice. >> i'm wishing you would have baked these for us. >> and let me show you real quick. there is at any time, you can log on to abc 7 news.com. perfect. >> thank you. >> and you

scheduled to be arraigned next week in contra costa county superior court. 7 on your side's michael finneye story. >> these court documents outline the charges filed against monte slavens. 11 criminal misdemeanor counts, ten for failing to transfer the registration of cars sold to new owners. now, we've heard complaints about that a lot, including from stand and natalie austria. >> my wife received a ticket from the martinez police department for no registration and no plates because we are sold a car with a salvage title that we didn't know about. >> they bought a cadillac seville like this one from elite. the dmv confirm the the couple still doesn't have the car's registration. >> i'm really upset that it had to come to this point. i'm really upset. >> william knows what the austrians are going through. he bought an infinity similar to this one in 2009 from elite. eight months later he still had no registration papers, no license plate, and the car was repossessed. >> i went to work, had my briefcase, walked out to my carport and there was no car. >> william says he made $4300 in payment

i'm michael finney, "7 on your i have fallen in love with making bird houses. caw caw! director ]what is that? that's a horrible crow. here are some things that i'll make as little portals. honestly, i'd love to do this for the rest of my life so i've got to take care of my heart. for me, cheerios is a good place to start. [ male announcer ] got something you'll love to keep doing? take care of your heart. you can start with cheerios. the natural whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. brrrbb... makes you feel ageless. [ male announcer ] it's time. love your heart so you can do what you love. cheerios. [ bob ] squak. [ female announcer ] yoplait's real fruit and the goodness of dairy... gives you a little slice of happy. and happiness comes in 25 delicious flavors. explore them all. yoplait. it is so good. now the yoplait you love in a new four pack. try it today. >> a san francisco knob hill landmark is home to what could be a hidden treasure. this is the grace cathedral choir of men and boys. don sanchez brings us their incredible sound. ♪ >> music has always bee

michael finney shows us a few last-minute gift ideas for the people still on your christmas shopping list. sapphire preferred are worth 25% more on travel. we're like forget florida, we're going on a safari. so we're on the serengeti, and seth finds a really big bone. we're talking huge. they dig it up, put it in the natural history museum and we get to name it. raus. sethasauraus. really. your points from chase sapphire preferred are worth 25% more on travel? means better vacations. that's incredible. believe it...with chase sapphire preferred your points are worth 25% more on travel when booked through ultimate rewards. download a song in 4 seconds. rule the air on the fastest 4g network iamica. come on... isn't it time an auto insurer gave it to you straight? that's why you should talk to state farm. but not yet. first, talk to any one of the 40 million drivers who already have state farm. 40 million. yeah, that's more than geico and progressive combined. by a lot. 40 million drivers. more savings. and discounts up to 40%. where else you gonna get discounts like that? call an agen

michael finney sizes up the commission. >> he bought an i-pad as soon as it came out. >> i have the i-phone, a mac book pro, i love it. >> for a while the i-pad stood alone in the tablet computer arena but now other companies are starting to offer tablets, too. "consumer reports" tested several including one from walgreens. the i-pad is the most expensive tablet computer ranging in price from 500 to more than 800. you get a lot of bang for your buck. you can create documents, browse the web, play plenty of games. the less expensive tablets cost about $100. the consumer report finds you get what you pay for. with the less expensive tablets you don't get access to android market. that's a pretty big problem. >> the touch screens are some are lessenstive so it's hard to get where you want to go. the samsung galaxy tab has less to offer. it's smaller and lighter, too. it's easier to hold while reading bookses and consumer report tests so the screen quality is comparable to the i-pad. the small screen might make it less appealing, but it definitely gives the i-pad some competition. >> if you're

"consumer reports" just tested more than 50 and 7 on your side's michael finney shows the results. >> for many of us grabbing a cup of coffee is part of our daily routine. it can add up. "consumer reports" had 50 coffee makers to see which one can give you a delicious cup of coffee at home. they cost anywhere from $20 all the way up to $265. >> even the most expensive coffee maker is going to save you money instead of buying your coffee every day. >> first testers looked at brew. >> you want the coffee maker to get the water hot enough so that it's going to extract the most flavors from your coffee. >> all the coffee makers rated at least good but that might not cut it for some. >> good brewing performance is fine if you're not that fussy about your coffee. but if you're a coffee connoisseur, you want to stick with a machine that rated excellent for brewing. >> features another consideration and coffee makers are offering more than ever. this hamilton beach. it has voice-activated programming that proved frustrating for some. >> would you like to set it. >> auto-start. >> would you li

michael finney on the new privacy concern. >> so if i go to google i can find this? >> right. you can find all of it on google. >> i've done plenty of internet searches but i've never seen anything quite like this. it all starts with your printer scanner. here is best buy display, most of them are wi-fi enabled. it can leave your system open to snoops. >> you click to see if there is anything there. >> we are looking at a list of hue elector wi-fi enabled scanners. we click on one and then we click again. if anything is on the scanner we get to see what it is. here a photograph. we are blurring it out. here a document, again we can read it but we're blurring it so you can't. computer security firm z-scaler figured this out. >> any xp scanner that is connected in the room could be wide open and any document they are pulling out there could be scanned by others. >> reporter: jay is ceo and president and he says companies like hp ship the printers with a default settings that makes it access easy. we asked hp about that and we're told on a secured network the likelihood of a web

michael finney takes a look. >> the traditional method of dry-cleaning is petroleum based and could harm the environment. researchers say there are alternatives. >> we researched the full cleaning. and which one is recommended by epa. >> wet cleaning is considered safely. it's water and detergent based and did well in the tests for getting out coffee and wine stains. it had a tough time with lipstick, oil and ink. >> the other process is considered safer. in our tests, they did a good job in getting coffee but less effective in getting out ink. liquid silicone is a cleaning process is process under the brand name of green earth. epa has not taken a stand on it. >> good housekeeping says it removes coffee and lipstick but left inch. >> this is like perk but they are designed to biodegrade more quickly. in our tests they had hard time with certain things. >> it's important to remember claims or organ i can dye cleaning is not regulated so buyer beware. >> under a new law, california will create an internet based insurance exchange. it's designed to create a more organized and competitive m

michael finney explains. >> jack and arlene were enjoying their big screen tv when they heard a groand it on again and it went like that. >> second time it was a bang, actually. >> the screen went black. it had happened before. the projection lamp of their rear projection lcd had burned out. no problem, the tv was still d under andd under extended warranty with a company. so they made a claim. >> what do you mean it's not covered. you covered it two years ago. >> we don't cover that lamp. i said, well, according to my contract, it doesn't say it doesn't cover it. >> the warranty company had been sold to new owners who called the prior coverage a gift. so they faced $314 for a new lamp called 7 on your side. we contacted the company and sure enough it pointed to the clause saying the warranty doesn't cover consumer replaceable items. to double check we looked at toshiba's owner's manual, right there, the lamp is replaceable and shows how to do it. >> this is tv repair expert richard wong of art's tv service in san francisco. many projection tv owners are surprised to learn that the lam

and buying an extended warranty on electronics. 7 yn your side's michael finney examines options and how you might be able to get one free. >> and world news is next.

and michael finney is here with the report on that. >> this has been a long time coming. how long have we been reporting on this? as of next june there will no longer be sales or resales of drop-sided cribs. the cribs have a side rail moving up and down. however, the rails can often detach and babies can become trapped. cribs are blamed for 32 deaths. 11 million cribs have been recalled and if you're using a drop-side crib check out hardware, making sure it isn't on recall list. day care centers and hotels will have a year to replace them with cribs that have fixed sides f you have direct tv you may have money coming. the company agreed to pay a fine to settle charges it tricked consumers out of money. attorney generals from around the company district tv of offering a two year deal for $29.99 a month, then charging full price the second year saying the company extended contracts without telling them and failed to deliver promised tchl v channels. whened asking a spokesman to respond, he said he was working on a statement and the hung up the phone. consumers believe they

inspired efforts for a new crack down z reforms supposed to protect credit card users but michael finneyhows us gotchas some banks are still using and why oakland has to thank for a boost in its economy. now back to dan and shairld. >> thank you very much. >> and listen to this. your world champion giants are back in business tonight. >> yes. dozens of fans descended on the dugout store for the first opportunity to purchase single game tickets. >> and they're available at giants dugout stores and keep in mind the team will stop selling tickets december 12th and not start again until february 5th. nothing like a world series win to boost ticket sales. >> get them while they're hot. >> that is go to do

. >> michael finney investigates a transfer service accused of bulling people out of thousands up anddown the state. >> and that is

. >> and michael finney reveals a secret. christmas surprise that would change this family's live those stories and more for you tonight at 6:00. >> and the annual beta breakers race is celebrating a major milestone. >> the run includes both serious runners turns 100 years old. >> organizers will be holding a run on new year's day. runner goesing to take off at 10:00 a.m. >> the run serves as a chance for general registration for the real race scheduled in may. >> yeah this, year the race is going to be limited to 50,000 entrants. >> and that is many runner autos yes. >> dogs strutted their stuff in the fair grounds today for the annual kennel club show. >> 163 breeds are represented. the grand prize is a trophy for best in show and bragging rights until next year. >> organizers say top five are in town. >> we have a pekinese here, irish setter, heavy competition vying for the number one spot. >> next big event is westminister dog show in new york in february. >> that is the big one. if you want to see the dogs, admission is

michael finney will let us know if they work. we'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l'l >>> an exclusive shopping spree took place today in san francisco. more than 200 children from glide's family services program each received a $100 gift card from gap, which owns old navy. the kids had the store to themselves and told to pick out whatever they wanted. gap volunteers served as their personal shoppers. >> these kids are part of a group we support. they deserve to be here. >> and frosty the snow man showed up looking cute there. they range from 4-12 years old. >> one nonprofit is making an urgent plea for toys. volunteers are collecting and sorting toys in its san mateo facility. health and human services agency says toy donations dropped and the need increased. so they're asking anyone who can help to drop off new, unwrapped toys including bikes or gift cards. if you'd like to help out or one of the other drives please go to abc 7 news.com. click on see it on tv. you'll find one in your area. they make a difference for kids. >> this is a

and michael finney has more on why. >> i wish i wasn't delivering this news. most middle class americans say they won't have enough money to retire when the time comes, wells fargo surveyed workers found most expected to keep working well into their golden years. 72% of the middle class americans expected to keep working beyond retirement age. and this included workers aged 25-69 and found average 50-year-old had saved just $29,000 for retirement. as for younger workers, they're doubtful they'll ever receive social security. >> you've heard concerns about possible dangers of the chemical bpa. well, now there is word the chemical may be tucked inside of your wallet. an environmental group tested 42 bills and found 21 of them carried small amounts of bpa. there have been efforts to ban bpa in baby bottles and it is used to make cash register receipts. there is concern those receipts touching dollar bills is why they're finding it there. the environmental groups say for chemicals healthy families says chemicals from the receipts, as i said, may be leeching on to

michael finney explains why it's tricky for the unemployed. >> and want to appear younger without plastic surgery? yes? how stem cells being used to improve your looks. all coming up and more. >> and one of us -- how do they do that? amazing. >> that is going to do it for us, for now. world news is coming up next. >> and from all of us here, thanks for watching. hope to see you again here in half an hour at 6:00. >> buy for now.

i'm michael finney, "7 on your side." >> up next why a man mmmm.cholesterol... and live with yourself. right. mmm, i worry about your mother. cry herself to sleep every night over my arteries but have yourself a bowl. good speech dad. [ whimper ] [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios tastes great and its whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. a new york university professor implanted a camera in his head for the sake of art. once his head is a little lessor he'll attach a camera to the plate bolted to his head. that will take one picture every minute for a year and streaming the images live to the arab music of modern art in qatar. he said he's interesting in documenting what he's left behind the back of the head idea. we are looking for a little rain right, lisa? >> thank you for joining us this start morning. our next newscast starts at 8 a.m.. join us for more news. i'm theresa garcia.

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michael finney explains what went wrong. it's coming up at 6:00. back to dan and cheryl. >> thank you. >> and there is a holiday tradition that continued today at the state capitol. governor schwartzeneggar and a group of rabbies gathered to celebrate hanukkah. >> it commemorates a small jewish army's victory over the greeks. >> world

tonight michael finney is here to size up that competition. >> it's nom nailted conversations. isn't it amaze something consumer reports is tested several new tablets to see if they'll be able to give the ipad a run for its money. here is what consumer reports found out. liz bought an ipad as soon as it came out there is a i love it. i wanted it. >> the ipad stood alone, but now, other companies are starting to offer tab lits lets, too. consumer reports tested several including galaxy tab and one sold at wa walgreens. ipad is the most expensive, ranging from 500ses today more than $800. you can get a lot of bang for the buck on the ipad. less expensive tab blets cost about $100. consumer reports finds you get what you pay for. >> there is some less expensive tab bletss you don't get apps. >> and it's hard to get where you want to go. this samsung galaxy tab costs less from 400ses today $600 and consumer reports shows screen quality is comparable to the ipad. and this gives competition. >> your choices are galaxy tab and apple ipad. >> and consumer reports shows the ipad has mor