Popular Mechanics articles from April 2006

Popular Mechanics archives from April 2006

Deep-fried NASCAR tour.(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... West Coast editor Ben Stewart toured storied NASCAR tracks in a brand-new Dodge Charger SRTH, He also hung with Ray Evernham and learned to run the high line with the Richard Petty Experience, Read his daily reports, watch video and see all the...

Extreme treehouses.(out-of-control Do It Youself nuts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Some people build treehouses. Then there are out-of-control DIY nuts who build complete living quarters. You can read about some of them starting on page 84 of our March issue. For lots more photos, go to poputarmechanics.com/tree.

1946 PM pump car plans.(1946 Popular Mechanics)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... In our January Homeowners Clinic, we ran a Reader Project from Dick Anderson, who built our kids' car from a 1946 Popular Mechanics book called What to Make. We got such a strong response, we've made the plans available to everyone:...

Watch a building going up.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... PM's parent company, The Hearst Corp., built a new headquarters above its historic art deco offices in Manhattan, Go to popularmech anics.com/hearsttower to watch an animation of the 46-story build.

On the military beat.(Editor's Notes)(military technology updates)(Editorial)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... NOAH SHACHTMAN WAS already an established technology writer when his lower Manhattan neighborhood was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. "I was in Chicago at the time, visiting my grandparents. I took an overnight train to get home as fast as I could....

Virtually unsafe.(LETTER OF THE MONTH)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... Thank you for your article, "It's 10 PM. Do You Know Where Your Identity Is?" (Feb. 2006). I, too, was the victim of an eBay phishing scheme. I followed your article's advice and had a temporary hold put on my credit card. Had I not read your...

Hybrid hopes.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I enjoyed your article on the Honda and Toyota hybrids ("Hybrids at the Crossroads," Feb. 2006). Hybrids' gas engines turn off when the car is idling--such as when stopped at a traffic light--which helps their city gas mileage. This isn't a new...

Nerves of steel.(Sands Missile Range)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The situation at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico wasn't dire. but it wasn't good. For more than two weeks a salt-shaker-size cylinder of cobalt-60 had been irradiating a 3000-sq.-ft. testing facility with enough gamma rays to kill a...

Mind over very cold matter.(Speedo for warmth)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... With only a Speedo for warmth, British swimmer Lewis Pugh set two new records for the most southerly swim--at 65 degrees south latitude, off the Antarctic coast--and for the longest polar swim, covering a mile in 30 minutes, 30 seconds in water...

Fuel rushes in.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The first scramjet to run on jet fuel--as opposed to hydrogen--took off from Virginia's Wallops Island, reaching 5.5 times the speed of sound. Since jet fuel is easier to store and handle than hydrogen, the new system, developed by the U.S....

Front-fin drive.(Panderichthys)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The first fish that crawled--or slithered--onto dry land were "front-wheel drive," supporting their body weight with their front fins, according to a fossil analysis of Panderichthys, a rare transitional species from 370 million years ago. Like...

Seeds of doom.(mountain vault )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Norwegian government plans to build a $3 million mountain vault on a remote Arctic island to safeguard 2 million seeds representing nearly all varieties of world crops. Designed to protect against global catastrophes and decreasing genetic...

Celestial storm.(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Spitzer Space Telescope captured the result of a gas jet from a newly formed star hitting a cloud of interstellar dust. The jet traveled at over 100 miles per second, heating the dust until it glowed infrared. Astronomers aren't sure what...

Green pigs and ham.(jellyfish DNA injected into pig embryos)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Taiwanese scientists injected jellyfish DNA into pig embryos to produce three fluorescent green, glow-in-the-dark piglets. Claiming that all of the pigs' cells are green, the scientists argue that the pigs are useful: When their stem cells are...

Knife in the water: faster, lighter and more agile than other special ops vessels, the radically designed Stiletto isn't making waves--and that's the point.(Stiletto)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The newest vessel in the special ops arsenal looks more like a stealth bomber than a boat. But the lethal appearance of the 88.6-ft. all-carbon-fiber Stiletto--which is faceted to deflect radar--actually arose from a need for a gentler craft....

July 1986.(TIME MACHINE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... TWENTY YEARS AGO this month a meltdown at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear plant left not only a radioactive cloud over Eastern Europe, but also a shadow of fear over the safety of U.S. reactors. To address public concerns, PM detailed major design...

Number theory.(cheetah should be preserved)
April 1, 2006... A new study reports teat roughly one in 12 Irish men are descendants of fifth-century Irish king NIALL OF THE NINE HOSTAGES. But political dominance isn't the only way to impact genetic diversity. MORE THAN 99 PERCENT of all cheetahs...

Reverse drive: for golf pros, the drives get longer every year. Now, their golfballs may have to take the fall.(Augusta National Golf Club )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Augusta National Golf Club is fond of tradition, but renovating its golf course to accommodate increasingly longer drives is a custom the club has wearied of. The course has seen a 6.6 percent yardage increase over seven years (7445 yards for...

Where to drill for oil?(geologists looking for underground oil reservoirs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... AFTER IDENTIFYING a potentially oil-rich region by its geological features, like a raised mound on a flat prairie or old-fashioned oil seep, geologists begin looking for underground oil reservoirs. Reservoirs develop under special...

Earth's distant, icy cousin.(use microlensing to locate potentially habitable planets)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Using a technique called gravitational microlensing, astronomers have discovered what the National Science Foundation is calling "the most Earthlike planet yet" outside our solar system. Then again, Earthlike is a relative term--the planet...

For diabetics, a bloodless coup?(Exubera)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Exubera, the first inhaled form of insulin to get FDA approval, is expected to be available by midyear. But for many of the 21 million diabetics in the United States, daily injections will remain a fact of life. The 1- or 3-milligram doses,...

Disc is the end.(dics life)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Bad news for anyone who backs up data to CD-Rs: According to an expert at IBM Germany, burned discs have a life span of just two to five years. CD-R makers typically claim a shelf life of five to 10 years for unburned discs, but burning...

Safer by design: as contractors finalize their design bids for the CEV, the space shuttle's successor, our resident astronaut weighs in on how safe the new craft will really be.(Crew Exploration Vehicle)
April 1, 2006... Every time I strapped into the shuttle, I knew that the escape system--essentially the parachute I was sitting on--would work only if we could get the vehicle into a controlled glide. For me, the risk was worth it. But it's a relief to know...

Sweet release.(Vise-Grip Pilers and Clamps)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Notice something missing on this pair of 10-in. Fast Release locking pliers? The release lever on the lower handle is gone. To open the locking mechanism on this and other Vise-Grip Fast Release pliers and clamps ($14 to $25), just nudge the...

Juice box.(Universal Power Bank)(lithium ion battery)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... You can recharge virtually any battery-powered electronic device with the Universal Power Bank ($400), a portable lithium ion battery. Actually, you can recharge two devices at once--the 1.78-pound unit has a high-power output for laptops, and...

The SafeGuard Child Seat ($429) is by no means cheap, but it's arguably the safest seat on the market.(SafeGuard Child Seat )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The SafeGuard Child Seat ($429) is by no means cheap, but it's arguably the safest seat on the market. It offers more adjustments for a secure fit, and reduces injuries due to misuse with user-friendly features. One example: You can change the...

A smarter SLR.(Olympus America EVOLT E-330 Single Lens Reflex)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The EVOLT E-330 ($1000, body only) is the first digital SLR that doesn't force you to squint through the optical viewfinder for every shot. A dedicated sensor displays a live preview on a 2.5-in. LCD screen for framing shots with...

Have memory, will shoot.(Gigashot GSC-R60 )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The Gigashot GSC-R60 ($999) has a 60GB hard drive, but it's as compact as most digital camcorders that use tapes or cards. You can take up to 55 hours of footage without juggling storage media, until it's time to upload everything or burn...

Robosapien reborn.(Robosapien V2)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Part toy, part robotics break through, the original Robosapien paved the way for Roboraptor and now Robosapien V2 ($230). Nearly twice the size of its predecessor, the 24 in.-high V2 has IR and color recognition sensors to help it walk, dance,...

The X3 Laser Level ($40) has all the angles covered.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)
April 1, 2006... The X3 Laser Level ($40) has all the angles covered. The head Divots 360 degrees and tilts side to side as well as tip and down. A micro adjustment knob allows you to tweak the line position even after the level is mounted onto a wall or other...

You make the call: from bells and whistles to just plain bells, the best new cellphones for every budget.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... MOTOROLA Q Price: Not yet announced Carrier: Verizon Wireless (pending approval) Thinner than the Treo, and with better voice quality than a BlackBerry, the Q is the smartest smart phone yet. It has a bright, crisp screen for Web...

The view from Windows Vista.(UPDATE: PM TEST DRIVE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Every so often, with a little more frequency than leap years, a new version of Microsoft Windows is released. By the end of 2006 the venerable operating system will be born anew, and all indications are that Vista will be a major overhaul....

Lithium-ion in action.(UPGADE: PM TEST DRIVE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... More power in a smaller package made lithium-ion batteries the choice for laptops and cellphones. Once engineers figured out how to run power-hungry cordless tools with them, all the major brands got into the act. So are the new tools really...

Fire in ice: natural gas locked up in methane hydrates could be the world's next great energy source--if engineers can figure out how to extract it safely.(ENERGY: METHANE HYDRATES)
April 1, 2006... The dark surface of the Pacific spreads calmly beneath the derrick of the JOIDES Resolution. On the brightly lit rig deck, the night shift is hard at work. Twelve thrusters maintain position over the Cascadia Continental Margin, 40 miles west...

Glues clues: our favorite science skeptics share their hard-won knowledge on the wonders--and unorthodox uses--of adhesives.(usage of glue)
April 1, 2006... In our work, making stuff usually means cutting large things into successively smaller things, and then attaching those small parts to each other to create something completely new. The process can involve welding, mechanical fasteners...

Collecting star dust: after seven years and 2.9 billion miles, the Stardust spacecraft sent back to Earth the oldest material ever collected--from before the dawn of our solar system.(SCIENCE)
April 1, 2006... I'm in the cockpit of a modified DC-8 cruising 39,000 ft. above Nevada in the early hours of 3an. 15, 2006. The plane, which is owned by NASA and operated jointly with the University of North Dakota, is on an intercept course with the fastest...

New cars: retro and futuristic, sport coupes and sedate family haulers, microcars and maxitrucks. A report from the auto show trenches.(Detroit auto shows ready to unevil)
April 1, 2006... It's the time of year when carmakers roll out their biggest guns. In back-to-back Los Angeles and Detroit auto shows, manufacturers unveil everything from gonzo concept cars that will never see a highway to polished production models almost...

Roots.(toyota FJ Cruiser)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The first really successful Toyota sold in the States was the FJ. It was a rough-and-tumble--spell that "crude"--four-wheel drive that's still coveted for its off-roading abilities. For '07, Toyota has brought back the FJ name, along with a...

Lustworthy.(Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... With a 520-hp 5.0-liter V10 and all-wheel drive, the Gallardo Spyder catapults past 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. Triple digits come mere seconds later. Luckily, we drove it at Homestead Miami Speedway in Florida. Mechanically identical to the '06...

Long-term test cars: two awd people carriers leave, replaced by two PM Automotive Excellence Award winners.(buyers guide)(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2006... first report INFINITI M35 After attending the press preview of Infiniti's M35 and M45 several months ago, we were so smitten with the M duo that we named it the Luxury Category winner for our inaugural Automotive Excellence Awards...

The great weapons debate: the Pentagon wants to deploy a host of exotic new weapons systems. Critics say too much of this costly hardware is designed to fight the wrong war.(getting ready to war)(Cover story)
April 1, 2006... THE ATTACK WOULD COME QUICKLY, and it would be awful. Cruising far offshore, the U.S. Navy's DD(X) destroyer launches 20 artillery shells in less than a minute. As the satellite-guided weapons fall back to Earth at 830 mph, computer algorithms...

Re-inventing the skyscraper: the 46-story Hearst Tower is an energy-efficient, structurally strong, environmentally sound addition to New York City's skyline. And if we may say so ourselves, it looks pretty cool, too.(building of a tower again)
April 1, 2006... RISING AMONG THE STAID RECTANGULAR buildings of midtown Manhattan is an anomaly in the urban landscape: a sleek, faceted skyscraper glittering above a squat, ornate plinth. Architecture critic Paul Goldberger calls the new Hearst Tower the most...

How I learned to fly (in a week *): a PM staffer takes up the challenge of the FAA's new sport pilot initiative.(Popular Mechanics)(to get pilot license)(Cover story)
April 1, 2006... AS A 26-YEAR-OLD LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY, there are few things I need less than a pilot's license. But in November 2005, PM ran a cover story about the Federal Aviation Administration's sport pilot initiative, which makes it easier than ever...

The hi-def gold standard: 1080p displays are introducing a new level of detail to the world of HDTV. Is everything else obsolete?(high-definition television)(about 1080p technology)
April 1, 2006... When did buying a TV set get so complicated? Understanding the difference between plasma, LCD and DLP technologies is tricky enough. Explaining the distinction between 1080i and 720p HDTV picture formats already leaves the average electronics...

4-step pruning plan: it's easy--and your trees and shrubs will thank you.(HOME JOURNAL)
April 1, 2006... Taking care of small trees and shrubs by pruning is pretty simple if you follow a few time-tested rules and take advantage of new tools that cut quickly and cleanly. If only all home improvement projects were as straightforward. 1. Get...

Adding a second chime.(Homeowners Clinic)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q The chimes for my house are located in the front foyer, which makes it hard to hear them when we are in the back of the house, especially in the den. Can I attach another set of chimes to the existing system and install them in the rear...

Removing creosote buildup.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(suggestions for chimney maintenance)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q With spring coming, I'm thinking about removing the creosote from two chimney caps. In the past, I've soaked the caps in solvent and then scraped off the residue, but that doesn't fully remove the creosote. Is there a better way? DONALD...

Sheet-metal work done right: sheetmetal is light, strong, and it can be worked readily with a relatively small number of the right tools. The handful here will take you through most projects.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)
April 1, 2006... MARKING An indelible marker, such as a Sharpie, is handy for quick and general marking, but a carbide-tip scriber is better for drawing lines through rust, paint and greasy areas (generaltools.com). These scribers cost $2 to $7 at hardware...

Wood against rough sandstone.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(interior architecture)
April 1, 2006... Q I am planning to install some interior wood trim in my home and would like to know how to deal with the areas where the wood will come up against some very rough sandstone. I'm considering grinding down the sandstone in some places. LEE...

Solar hot-water system.(READER PROJECT)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... While I was brushing my teeth one day, it occurred to me that I could save energy by using solar power to heat the water before it got to my hot-water tank. Rather than buy a solar hot-water system, I designed and built one based on the...

Wood isolation joints.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(suggestions to fill open isolation and expansion joints)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q I have open isolation and expansion joints in the concrete surrounding my home. Some of the joints are I in. wide. I would like to fill the open joints with wood. What kind of wood is best for this? DON BAIRD Tulsa, OK A Since...

Eyelets from scratch.(NOW YOU KNOW)(making hardware equipment)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... My kids laugh when I tell them that I'm reluctant to run to the hardware store for every little part, bracket or whatever. They say I remind them of my father, who keeps on hand a huge supply of odds and ends. "You never know when you're going...

Water heater wears out.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(suggestions to prevent turquoise-colored deposits )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q I've had to replace three water heaters in three years. Every time the water heater goes out, the plumbers empty it and it has quite a few turquoise-colored deposits in it. These look like stones but are soft and spongy when wet, and powdery...

Troubleshooting distributorless ignition.(CAR CARE)
April 1, 2006... Today is the worst day for your Check Engine light to come on. And this time it's not just because a careless gas station attendant failed to tighten the gas cap. (Yes, gentle reader, a loose gas cap can make your engine think there's a leak in...

Into the noid.(Auto Clinic)(automobile maintenance)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q My car won't start. I can't figure out why. I think it has spark. The fuel pump is making its customary whirring noise when I turn the key. I pulled out the spark plugs, but they don't look wet or even smell of gasoline. Is there some way to...

Fountain of youth.(Auto Clinic)(Nissan Altima's airconditioning maintenance)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q Our 2005 Nissan Altima has a more than noticeable leak after being driven for a period of time. I put the car on jackstands and the clear fluid collects on the passenger side near the firewall. The dealership says it's water from the...

Premature graying.(Auto Clinic)(suggestions for painting automobiles)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q There is some gray plastic trim on the side of my car and it has become badly faded. The discoloration is very noticeable. I've tried wax and Armor All, but nothing seems to brighten the color. Is there any product to perk this up, or do I...

Highlights from Tech Service Bulletins.(SERVICE TIPS)(heater temperature control in automobiles)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Is the heater temperature control knob on the dash of your 2002-current Mitsubishi Lancer or Outlander really hard to turn? Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 05-55-003 says a blend-air door link or gear track is preventing the door from moving...

Let the sun shine.(YOU NEED THIS)
April 1, 2006... Walk through the parking lot and check out how many cars have clouded-over headlamp lenses, their plastic surface sandblasted and degraded by the sun. Obviously there's not a lot of light illuminating the road in front of these cars at night....

Go-go logo.(removing advertising logo on Ford Explorer)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q The dealer from whom I purchased my 2005 Ford Explorer attached a chromed advertising logo on the rear of my vehicle. I'd like to remove it, but it's attached very firmly with double-sided tape. Is there a way to do this without causing...

Knock three times.(Auto Clinic)(automotive fuels use to prevent knocking and engine damage)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q My father has a 2003 VW Passat with the W8 engine, and he uses 89 octane fuel instead of the 91 recommended. He says the knock sensor will adjust the engine timing to prevent knocking and engine damage. I contend that even if the driver...

Flash frozen.(Tech Clinic)(flash memory cards)
April 1, 2006... Q When I bought my digital camera, I saw a variety of memory cards advertised as "high-speed" and "high-performance." Are they really any faster? A Flash memory cards do vary in performance. The first flash memory cards could record data...

Operation A/V shield.(suggestions for telecommunications cable shielding)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q I know that standard analog stereo cables need to be shielded from interference to keep the signal clear, but with today's digital cables (digital coaxial audio, DVI, HDMI and fiberoptic digital audio], does shielding matter? A While...

Understanding RSS.(Really Simple Syndication)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... If you regularly surf news sites on the Web, you've probably encountered the little RSS and XML icons by now. That's RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, a technology that uses the XML (Extensible Markup Language) format to bring the headlines...

Spy satellites.(Bluetooth (Wireless communications))(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q I use a Bluetooth headset for my cellphone, and I've been wondering: Can anyone else listen in? A It's possible, although unlikely. John Hering, a wireless security research consultant for Flexilis, told us that Bluetooth data traffic...

Hands on: Linksys Wireless-G Music Bridge.(computer to music system bridge)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Now that many of us have gone to the trouble of ripping all of our CDs onto our computers, it's fascinating to see how much time, effort and expense can be involved in getting that music back to our stereos. Over the past few years, a number of...

TiVo phone home.(Tech Clinic)(set top box use)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Q I own a TiVo. It works well, but I'm considering getting rid of my landline telephone. Is there any way for my TWo to download programming information without a phone line? A According to Jim Denney, vice president of product marketing...

A closer look: skype.(telephone management software)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2006... Okay, Skype is technically VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), but this particular flavor of telephony has some distinct advantages (and disadvantages) when compared to the established Internet phone services we've come to know and love.--C.F....

Automotive designer.(This Is My Job)(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Mark S. Kim Cypress, Calif. Years on Job: 2 UNVEILED AT THE 2006 Detroit auto show, Mitsubishi's Concept CT started off a year ago as a "blank-canvas project" for designer Mark Kim. A graduate of the Art Center College of Design in...