Popular Mechanics articles from April 2007

Popular Mechanics archives from April 2007

This is only a test.(Editorial)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... CAN YOU SAY "HANDS-ON"? POPULAR MECHANICS has always taken an up-close approach when it comes to technology. We started thrashing cars through gantlets of yellow cones before most of our readers were born. Lawnmowers, snowblowers, power tools,...

Scene of the crash.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I was impressed with your article "Crash Detectives" (Feb. '07). As a private pilot, I found this article accurate and informative. Many of us fixed-gear pilots are envious of those who fly Mooney-type aircraft, but when you see the results of...

Football physics.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I'm the mom of a high-school freshman football player. My husband and I have been talking to him about how you apply physics to the game. Your article "Anatomy of a Hit" (Feb. '07) was perfect for reaffirming what we have been telling him. Your...

Hot stuff.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... Regarding your article "How to Absolutely, Positively Destroy Your Data" (Feb. '07), forget the power tools. Once the case is opened and the platters are exposed, turn on a propane torch and cook the platters. Neat, clean, and no chips. ...

Name that chemical.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I enjoyed (if that's the correct word) your detailed article on the frightening subject of biological weapons ("North Korea's Deadly Harvest," Feb. '07). I did want to point out one small error. On page 52, mustard gas is described as...

Water wars.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... There should be a federal law prohibiting new construction in areas like Las Vegas that do not have sufficient water resources to support their populations ("Watering Holes," Feb. '07). It makes absolutely no sense to build a house where there...

So crazy it might work!(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... I enjoyed your article on Canadian ice roads ("Thin Ice," Feb. '07). Here's a possible solution to the problem. Several months ago you ran a story about designs for airships ("Just Don't Call It a Blimp," Oct. '06). Why not attach airships to...

A family affair.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... Regarding your article "A Few Good Mechanics" (Feb. '07), my father started out as an electrician in the Canal Zone and retired as lockmaster. My husband went through the apprentice program and was a master mechanic working at the Miraflores...

SWAT Team feedback.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... As a 30-year career police officer, I thoroughly enjoyed Glenn Harlan Reynolds's "SWAT Team Overkill" in the Feb. '07 issue. While many officers would take issue with Reynolds's conclusions, I find him to be pretty much on target. LT. JOHN...

Rocket plan.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The list of billionaires with spaceships just got longer. After six years of rumors and speculation, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos has unveiled his design for a single-stage suborbital spacecraft that burns hydrogen peroxide and kerosene....

Gliding high in the saddle.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Skimming along the surface of San Francisco Bay like the vanguard of an alien invasion, this 100-ft.-long prototype catamaran made few waves when it was unveiled in January (left). That's because the flexible legs articulate to absorb impact...

That'll do, blob.(healing cuts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Instead of using expensive sensor-equipped "pigs" to find and fix pipeline leaks, a British company has developed a technique based on the human body's ability to heal cuts. Pipelines are injected with blobs of polymer, which are carried by the...

The printed world.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Engineers from Cornell University are trying to convince people to build their own "rapid prototyping machine"--essentially a 3D printer that can print objects, such as bottles or watchbands. The scientists hope their Fab@Home design (left),...

Advertising gets personal.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Mini Cooper drivers can get RFID key fobs that trigger personalized messages--such as, "David, your hair looks great today"--displayed on interactive billboards in Chicago, Miami, New York and San Francisco. Right now it's just for fun, but...

Inspector robot.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... In more good news for damaged infrastructure, a robot crawler (left)designed to detect wear and tear in powerlines had its first field test at a NASA facility in New Orleans, where Katrina after effects may have corroded electrical insulation....

Mapping matter.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The first 3D map of dark matter (left), the invisible substance that scientists believe makes up about 85 percent of all matter in the universe, shows that large clumps of dark and normal matter tend Ito be found in the same places. The study,...

The wind down there: a new approach to renewable energy could harvest clean electric power from rivers.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... UNDERWATER WIND TURBINES--IT'S AN IDEA SO simple you wish you'd patented it. Actually, they're called tidal turbines, and their rotors are propelled by tidal currents instead of wind. The largest test of this new type of power production is...

Time machine: April 1928.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Wal-Mart's request for bids to install solar panels on store roofs around the country, a first step toward running solely on renewable energy, could revolutionize the photovoltaic industry. Seventy-nine years ago, the possibility of turning the...

Followup: Next-Gen small arms: are we any closer to a replacement for the M-16 assault rifle?(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... In February 2006, we reported on the complex, decades-long campaign to find a new general-issue rifle to replace the aging M-16--and the two related weapon programs that showed promise. More than a year later, where are these guns? XM-25...

Multitouch computing: the future of computers is literally at your fingertips.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... THE TOUCHSCREEN, that humble interface of ATMs and information kiosks, is on the verge of greatness. A new technology called multitouch, which responds to multiple inputs by multiple fingers--even multiple users--at the same time, could...

Resident roboticist: a new robot servant takes its marching orders directly from your brain.(TECH WATCH)
April 1, 2007... I ONCE SPENT MONTHS TRAINING a stubborn computer to recognize both my American-accented speech and that of my Australian housemate. The computer always failed because our speech patterns were so different. Clearly, speech isn't the most...

Midair missile defense: Northrop Grumman's antimissile system for commercial jets finally takes aim.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... IN 2002, AN ISRAELI JETLINER taking off from Kenya narrowly avoided being hit by two shoulder-launched SA-7 missiles. Over the span of a few seconds, a once-remote threat became very real. This past January, Northrop Grumman began flying its...

Nav unit, will travel.(EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... * EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD With thousands of products debuting at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, selecting our yearly Editor's Choice Award winners wasn't easy. Okay, in some cases it was easy, like when we found the AVN2210p ($900) from...

Deskstar 7K1000.(EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(one terabyte hard drive)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... * PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD Hitachi's Deskstar 7K1000 ($400) is the world's first hard drive with a full terabyte (TB) of memory. It uses a technique called perpendicular magnetic storage, which stacks bits of memory upright on the platter...

USB goes wireless.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Belkin's Cable-Free USB Hub ($200) is another small step toward a completely wireless world, allowing connected printers, cameras and, in our test, external hard drives to communicate with a PC from up to 30 ft, away via a USB receiver. The...

Best lawn chair ever.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Absurd? Sure--but who wouldn't want La-Z-Boy's outdoor Whitley Recliner ($600), with its rustproof aluminum frame and fast-drying cushions? You can buy it as part of a six-piece set, but we think this recliner should stand alone, as a role...

Passport 9500i.(EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... * PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD We're not advocating speeding, but if you're going to use a radar/laser detector, you might as well have the best. For now, that's the Passport 9500i ($450) from Escort, which employs GPS to let you save the...

Fake, flexible wood.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... What surprised us most about these Traffic-Master Allure ($51 for 20.77 sq. ft.) flexible vinyl planks, which come in a variety of colors and wood types, was the convincing hardwood look and feel, complete with simulated grain and knots. And...

That's not a utility knife ...(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... It's the Bowie of box cutters, with a handle so long (8 in.) you can grip it with both hands. And, the ultraheavy-duty Stanley FatMax XTreme 25mm Snap-Off Knife ($15), shown here at actual size, has a trick up its sleeve--it holds four blades,...

The hole truth.(UPGRADE: ABUSIVE LAB TEST)(bits drilling)
April 1, 2007... To find out how two new wood-boring drill bits--both with self-feeding features that pull the bits through the hole as they spin--stack up against an old-fashioned spade bit, we decided to abuse a pallet that's been taking up space in our lab....

Masher.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... We didn't expect much from this fancy Masher ($25 for zinc, $40 for titanium), one of 49 AR+COOK utensils with air-infused handles. But, tested against a standard masher, this tools handle was easier to grip and the honeycombed headcut work...

Space shuttle.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... It's almost impossible to explain why the SpaceNavigator ($59) controller from 3Dconnexion is so addictive. Marketed as a tool for effortless navigation through the 3D-modeled mountain ranges and urban canyons in the free-to-download Google...

Make hi-def discs, not war.(EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... * PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD LG is either the Switzerland of the high-definition disc format war or a ruthless double agent. Its Super Multi Blue Player ($1200) plays both HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs at up to 1080p resolution, with a price...

Create.(EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... * PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD The Create ($130 is iRobot's ingenious response to widespread Roomba-hacking. This vacuumless version of the popular cleaning bot is a platform for anyone's own DIY robot design, with all of the Roomba's sensors...

King of all media.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The Neuros OSD ($230) is a digital media fixer, smoothing the process of, say, getting TV shows onto a PC, iPod or even a smartphone. The list of compatible formats and devices is huge--the OSD handles everything from streaming MP3s to a...

Handi-Straps.(Test Drive)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... It sounds like a scam--a harness that attaches to your wrists and "makes loads feel up to 50 percent lighter." We can't vouch for that number, but Handi-Straps ($60) definitely work. When we tried carrying boxes, buckets and even a co-worker,...

Fun at work: cautious signs of life during a period of upheaval mark the Detroit show.(NEW CARS: AUTO SHOW SPECIAL)(North American International Auto Show)
April 1, 2007... AUTO SHOW SPECIAL: DETROIT Officially known as the North American International Auto Show, the Detroit auto show is more than this continent's prime venue for major introductions and announcements from carmakers. The show is a window into...

Having fun under pressure: a MythBusters primer on turning plumbing and high-psi tanks into things that go boom. As always, don't try this at home.(MYTHBUSTERS WORKSHOP)
April 1, 2007... Let's talk about plumbing--and I don't mean how to unclog your toilet. I mean plumbing that can handle high-pressure gases and liquids. On MythBusters, Adam Savage and I often build scary rigs out of pressure tanks, pipes and fittings. When we...

Here today, NASCAR's controversial Car of Tomorrow.(MOTORSPORTS)
April 1, 2007... THIS SEASON, astute race fans are noticing something different about champion Jimmie Johnson's Nextel Cup car. Aside from the paint, headlights, grille and number decals, his Chevy looks exactly the same as Matt Kenseth's Ford, Juan Pablo...

No pilot, no problem: unmanned planes--already critical to the military--are poised to soar in civilian skies.(Cover story)
April 1, 2007... AT TWILIGHT ON A CLEAR NOVEMBER EVENING, CBP-104 rolls onto the tarmac at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., revs its 900-hp turboprop engine and takes off into the ruby desert sky. Banking left, it straightens and climbs on a southerly heading, leveling...

Timber! Who needs nails? The ancient art of framing a house with huge beams, chisels, mallets and pegs is being revived with a high-tech twist. The results: a timeless house--built in record time.
April 1, 2007... A timber-frame home is a celebration of wood on a massive scale. Tall posts grow from the floor and connect overhead in a soaring network of beams, rafters and braces joined with glovetike precision. And the entire structure--which can last for...

Crunch time: where your car goes to die.
April 1, 2007... THE CRUSHER IS HUNGRY; it must be fed. Its hardened steel maw opens to accommodate an American sedan. The jaws begin to close, and the crusher rocks softly side to side as it brings its full force to bear. The car emits high-pitched rending...

What's that wobble?(Diagnosis)
April 1, 2007... Cars, like animals, can communicate with people when something's wrong. Often it's through a really annoying, odd noise. Sometimes, though, it's a feeling--perhaps a subtle one. But if there's a worn or unbalanced component, the most...

North by Northwest: to reach the Arctic, a Canadian coast guard icebreaker needs 17,000 horsepower, six diesel/electric engines and one slippery coat of paint.
April 1, 2007... You never forget the first time your ship strikes a slab of ice 6 ft. thick: The jolt rips me out of a dead sleep at 1 am and sends me scrambling from my bunk. As the vessel shudders and the ice scrapes and moans along the hull, I grab my...

Cutting in double time: new mowers leave old machines (and some testers) in the dust.(DIY HOME: WALK-BEHIND MOWERS)
April 1, 2007... Mowers have come a long way. At least, that was our take after three days spent trotting behind six high-end, self-propelled mowers at our test grounds in upstate New York. What prompted this leap in mower improvement? Well, approximately 6...

Fire and water: preparation, not the flame, is the key to sweating a watertight joint.(DIY HOME: PLUMBING BASICS)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... As a mechanical contractor, I sweat a lot of copper pipe, yet people don't believe me when I say the preparation is more important than the torch work. Even the experienced tend to rush the job--maybe a 3650 F flame is just more fun to handle...

The rumble in the basement.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q Our two-year-old gas-fired water heater knocks and rumbles while we use the hot water, and just afterward. Should we buy a new one? A Don't give up so easily--this problem is simple to fix. Sediment has built up at the bottom of your...

Summer home septic.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I have a summer home that's used by two to five people, for 30 to 40 days a year. We may have up to 10 people using the house on holiday weekends. In 14 years of use we have never had a problem with the septic system and the septic tank has...

Handling a dirty job.(PRO TIP)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... FEW JOBS ARE as messy and nasty as applying roof cement to chimney or roof flashing, but there is a faster and nearer way of handling this job than the traditional tar brush or trowel dipped in a bucket. Here's what to do. Along with the...

Roofing decision.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q My roof shingles were recently damaged by hail. My insurance company will pay only for replacing the damaged shingles, not the entire three-year-old roof. Can I just put a second layer on top of the shingles, or must they be removed first?...

Deck protection.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q Several years ago my husband built us a very nice two-level deck using pressure-treated lumber. I sealed it the first year with a product guaranteed to last 10 years. It didn't. More like one. Since then I have applied a clear water repellent...

Reader feedback.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2007... In October, PM told how to fix waterlogged tanks in houses with well-water systems. Readers had their own practical tips. Dwight Baker Graham, WA I had a leaking bladder on a brand-new tank replaced under warranty. Now, I check...

Lost connection.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q The ceiling fan and light in my dining room suddenly quit. There is power coming to the switch that controls the fan, and the switch itself seems okay. How do I diagnose the problem? I would think that at least the fan's light would work. ...

Knockdown repair.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I have some knockdown furniture and one piece has a top that was ripped right off the uprights. I still have the fittings and screws that connect the uprights to the top, but the underside of the particleboard top is cratered where the...

Dry-rot repair.((HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a))(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I was using a steel brush to prepare garage door trim for painting when the brush opened up a rotted section about 6 in. long at the trim's base. How do I repair it? A First, be sure that it's rot and not damage from termites or...

Bleeding your brakes.(DIY AUTO: SATURDAY MECHANIC)
April 1, 2007... Your elderly car has required little in the way of episodic repair. for which you're glad. But al your last scheduled maintenance, the service manager advised you that you would need to replace the brake pads, front and rear. before too long....

Shocking solution.(CAR CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q Every time I get in and out of my new car, I get a giant electrical shock. Since the car is under warranty, I took it back to the dealer, who treated the seats with some potion, which was very effective. But a month later, the shocks came...

Snake oil salesmen.(CAR CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q After a recent trip to two major auto parts dealers for oil (SW 30), I realized synthetic oil is slowly replacing nonsynthetic on the display shelves. The problem is, I'm getting conflicting information about synthetic oil. One store...

Down in the pits.(CAR CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I live in an area where they use a lot of chemicals on the roads in winter. I have noticed the alloy wheels on both my Jeep and my truck are getting pit marks on the rims, and there are more severe marks where there used to be wheel weights....

Water cooling: if your computer's CPU runs hot and heavy, it may be time to give it a bath.(DIY TECH)
April 1, 2007... Computers get hot, and they must be cooled. Your average store-bought PC uses a system of fans to pull heat off major components such as the CPU (central processing unit), graphics processor and hard drives. Then the hot air is blown out the...

Power networking.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I want to use power-line networking to link my computers. But how do I avoid interference from my appliances that use the powerlines? Also, I live in an apartment. Will other people in my building be able to tap into my network? A...

Wiring in wireless.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q Can I wire Bluetooth into my existing car stereo? A Definitely--but make sure it's worth your time and money. Several companies, such as Motorola and Parrot, make aftermarket Bluetooth car kits that wire into your stereo. The Parrot 3200...

Glossed over.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... Q I've noticed that some flat-panel LCDs have glossy screens, while others have matte screens. Is there any advantage to one versus the other? A Each screen has its advantages and disadvantages, which is why manufacturers waver between the...

This is my job: pediatric transport doctor.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... DAVID WANDERMAN SAN FRANCISCO YEARS ON JOB: 2 BEFORE THE ARMY of specialists at the University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital can save kids awaiting liver transplants or battling cancer, the patients must get to...