Eu extends RoHS coverage

BRUSSELS -- The Council of the European Union revised the directive on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, extending protection from dangerous chemicals to more electrical appliances, and improving the safety of products such as mobile phones, refrigerators and electronic toys.

The revised act will enter into force shortly after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU and must be transposed into national law within 18 months. - CDFirst adopted in 2003, the law bans six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, including lead, mercury and cadmium.The new law obliges the commission to regularly review and adapt the list of restricted substances according to a number of criteria; further substances in electrical and electronic equipment may be banned in the future.EDITED BY MIKE BUETOW

EDITED BY MIKE BUETOW

Reviewed.com Launches VacuumCleanerInfo.com

Features reviews of upright, canister, bagless and bagged vacuum cleaners.

The new website is being launched in conjunction with USA TODAY. Friday's newspaper will feature an article about the things to look for when purchasing a vacuum cleaner, written by the Reviewed.com editorial staff. The site will be promoted across USATODAY.com and other Gannett properties.SOURCE Reviewed.com"Our first two home appliance sites in refrigerators and washers/dryers were incredibly well received by consumers and the industry," stated Robin Liss, publisher of Reviewed.com. "We're really excited today to announce the launch of VacuumCleanerInfo.com and to continue this expansion into floor-care product reviews and recommendations for the home consumer."The Reviewed.com network of technology review publications includes: DigitalCameraInfo.com, TelevisionInfo.com, WasherDryerInfo.com, RefrigeratorInfo.com, CamcorderInfo.com, PrinterInfo.com, HeadphoneInfo.com,as well as international editions. The network reaches an average of 1,000,000 monthly unique readers.CONTACT: Steve Kelley of Reviewed.com, 1-617-848-9008, SKelley@reviewed.comBOSTON, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Following the momentum from its rapid growth into home appliances, Reviewed.com today announced the launch of VacuumCleanerInfo.com. The new site features reviews of vacuums and floor-care solutions for the home.The new site features reviews of both upright and canister style vacuum cleaners. They offer direct comparisons between the popular bagless vacuums as well as the more traditional bagged vacuums. The products are tested in Reviewed.com's 5,000 square foot test labs under the Reviewed.com methods of comprehensive scientific product testing.Founded in 1997, Reviewed.com was acquired by USA TODAY in early 2011. Reviewed.com provides market-leading, comprehensive reviews in multiple categories. Each site features standardized, lab-tested, scientific reviews and comparison tools that empower consumers with all the information they need before making a purchase. Reviewed.com conducts its testing in dedicated facilities that feature lab-quality testing equipment. These objective, proprietary testing methods give Reviewed.com a competitive edge with easy to understand reviews that compare products side-by-side.

SOURCE Reviewed.com