Popular Mechanics articles from April 2008

Popular Mechanics archives from April 2008

Calling all inventors!(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We were so impressed by last year's DIY Rally ("Out of the Workshop," July '07) that we decided to showcase our readers' ingenuity again. If you want to see your creation in an upcoming issue, enter it at...

Energy alternatives.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... Congratulations on "Alaska's Energy Surprise" (Feb. '08). I hope that through your article more of the overlooked sources of energy will get a second chance and that some of them can be brought on line to help solve the world's energy problems....

More annoying tech.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... I really enjoyed "Technology Run Amok" (Feb. '08). The thing that really bugs me is the heater controls on most cars and trucks today. Whenever the defroster position is selected, the air conditioner turns on. I live where the temperature gets...

Clarification.(LETTERS)(Correction notice)
April 1, 2008... In "The City of the Future" (Jan. '08), we referred to the wastewater treatment system on page 81 as a Living Machine. However, we did not explain that Living Machines are a technology developed and trademarked by Worrell Water Technologies,...

Lighter than cold air.(TECH WATCH)(astronomical research, cyclones and atmospheric temperature)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCIENTISTS EAGER TO avoid hefty costs and waiting list to launch instruments on satellites are turning to h altitude balloons to find elusive particles zooming: through space. The downside is that they have to travel...

Renewable bridge.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Drivers in the Chinese city of Leiyang are now using a newly opened bridge built primarily from bamboo. Nine girders made of the material support the bridge, which was designed by University of Southern California...

Freeing the photons.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Light-emitting diodes are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, but generally aren't bright enough to use indoors. Scientists at the University of Glasgow have increased brightness by punching nanoscale holes into an LED's surface, allowing...

Bugged to extinction?(TECH WATCH)(dinosaurs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Climate chang from a catastrophic asteroid impact may have pushed dinosaurs to the brink, but it was emerging and evolving insects that helped finish them off, researchers at Oregon State University hypothesize....

Hot-running magnets.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The magnets in motors of electric, hybrid and experimental fuel cell cars lose about half of their power when they're heated to 250 E Scientists at the Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory in Iowa have developed a...

Round-trip moonbeam.(TECH WATCH)(High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program facility)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From the wilds of Alaska to the New Mexico desert, via the moon, in 2.4 seconds: Air Force and Navy scientists bounced a 3.6-million-watt radar signal off the moon at 7.4 MHz, producing the lowest frequency lunar...

New fuel from old tires? An innovative system promises to convert trash into biofuel.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] MOST ETHANOL FUEL in the United States currently is derived from corn, in a process that is Frequently criticized as inefficient (see "The Ethanol Fallacy," Feb. '08). Recently, researchers have been hard at work...

Time machine: May 1924.(TECH WATCH)(on petroleum)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PETROLEUM IS one of today's most prized commodities, and companies search the seas to locate promising drilling sites, But 80 years ago, offshore oil deposits were just oddities that occasionally produced a fiery...

Sci-fi-eyes: night vision zooming and screens in your skull: souped up contact lenses promise on demand bionic eyesight.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MOST ADVANCES in retinal implants concentrate on restoring, not enhancing, sight. But there's hope yet for superhuman vision, and without surgery: A team at the University of Washington has created a contact lens...

Street fighter: reborn as urban warriors, army tanks get new equipment to survive combat in cities.(TECH WATCH)(Tank Urban Survivability Kit)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... U.S. ARMY TANKS were made to fight the armored columns of the Soviet bloc, not to take on shadowy urban guerrillas. However, in 2004, as violence escalated in Iraqi cities, MIA1 and MIA2 Abrams tanks--the bedrock of the Army's armored...

Charge cycle.(UP GRADE)(Giant Twist Freedom )(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... While electric bikes have been growing in popularity, they are typically hampered by paltry ranges resulting from limited battery life. Because the Giant Twist Freedom DX ($2000) runs on a cyborglike mix of muscle and machine power, it can...

Unlocking your camera's potential: new digital cameras may pack in more advanced features, but many amateurs never bother to switch from the "Auto" setting. Here are five ways to go beyond the point-and-shoot plateau, plus the cams that will help you do it.(UP GRADE: USE IT BETTER)(digital cameras)(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1 PHOTOGRAPH KIDS AND PETS Uneven lighting and quickmoving bodies can make shooting skittish subjects tricky. So select a high ISO (or light sensitivity) and take a knee--getting down to Junior's level makes for...

Test drive Dyson ball vacuum cleaner.(UP GRADE: WISH LIST)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many vacuums have the turning radius of a Mack truck. The ball-shaped pivot on the Dysen DC-24 Vacuum ($400) purports to bring effortless zigzagging. In tests, we maneuvered it around furniture and accessed tight...

Pipe dreams.(UP GRADE: WISH LIST)(Pipe Cutter)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cutting pvc pipes typically requires grabbing a hacksaw. Not only is this time-consuming and imprecise, but it leaves an unsightly trail of plastic stubble shavings. The Ridgid RC-1625 Ratcheting Plastic Pipe Cutter...

PM editor's choice award.(UP GRADE: WISH LIST)(Popular Mechanics)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Most wireless headphones rely on Bluetooth, which is built for transferring high-speed data, not high-quality audio. The cable-free Sennheiser MX W1 Headphones ($600) use a wireless transmitter that plugs directly...

MacBook Air ($1800).(UP GRADE: WISH LIST)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] So, what do you need to sacrifice in order to squeeze a fullpowered laptop into a shell that tapers down to just 0.16 in. in depth? If the waifish new MacBook Air ($1800)is any indication, quite a bit. While we re...

Test drive: Kawasaki recreational utility vehicle.(UP GRADE: WISH LIST)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Kawasaki Teryx 750 Recreational Utility Vehicle ($9800) is powered by a category-first liquid-cooled V-twin engine, which offers about 50 cc more displacement (for a total of 749 cc) than the single-cylinder...

Mighty morpher.(PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Motorola ROKR 118)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Press one button and the touchscreen on the Motorola ROKR 118 (price not set) transforms from a music player into a phone. The best part: The screen responds with tactile feedback that makes it feel like you're...

Samsung SyncMaster 2263DX Dual Display Monitor ($550).(PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Giving your workstation a second screen is a quick way to boost productivity (it yields an efficiency jump of up to 50 percent, according to a Microsoft-funded study). Still, multiple monitors take up serious space...

Electric warrior.(PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Klein OTR-Turn NM Cable Stripper/ Cutter)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The unique diamond-shaped notch on the Klein OTR-Turn NM Cable Stripper/ Cutter ($35) makes stripping sheath from bulky cables a cinch. Simply close it around a wire, make a quarter turn and pull. The wire's coating...

Montgomery 48-In. Degree Level ($80).(PM EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Any level can tell you if something is vertical or horizontal. But sometimes hitting those axes isn't the goal, as with plumbing or carpentry jobs where drain pipes or roof rafters require precise slopes. The...

American hero.(PM TEST DRIVEN + +)(Dodge Challenger)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new Dodge Challenger takes a storied icon into an altogether modern realm. Under the new coupe's timeless form is a shortened Charger platform and suspension. All 2008 models will come as SRT8s with the 6.1-liter...

Taking care of business: 1 2008 Suzuki B-King.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like the King himself in his later years, Suzuki's new $12,899 B-King is boldly styled. But unlike Elvis circa 1977, beneath the B-King's clothes lies a powerhouse of muscle. This beast packs a 181-hp 1340-cc inline...

Party trip: 2 2009 Dodge Journey.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dodge is finally crashing the raging crossover party with the all-new Journey. SE models come standard with a 173-hp 2.4-liter Four, while the other versions pack a 235-hp 3.5-liter V6 with optional all-wheel drive....

Eco tourer: 1 2008 Mercedes-Benz C 220 Diesel.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Clean diesel is coming soon. So after landing in France and grabbing the keys to a Euro-spec 2008 Mercedes-Benz C 220 CDI, we decided to see what a diesel could do on its home turf. This model, which is not yet...

Clean boxer: 2 2008 Subaru legacy diesel.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Subaru, maker of boxer (horizontally opposed) four-cylinder hot rods, is next to launch diesel. Though it won't be coming to the U.S. for at least a couple of years, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder is rated for 150 hp...

Corner carver: 2008 Honda CBR1000RR.(NEW CARS: TECH BREAKOUT)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Honda's top $11,599 sportbike has undergone a fierce protein diet for 2008, trimming 17 pounds and adding 10 hp, for a total of 178. Clad with short overhangs and clean lines, the CBR's mass is more centralized for...

Safe bet: 2009 Honda Pilot.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Back in 2003, the Honda Pilot was the largest crossover on the market. It's been a big hit. So how does Honda remake an original? Conservatively. This Pilot prototype is very close to the production version we'll...

BMW slayer: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cadillac is taking direct aim at BMW's 500-hp V10-powered M5. The new top performance Caddy will get a version of the Corvette ZRI's 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 powerplant rated to deliver an estimated 550 hp and 550...

Son of Evo: 2009 MITSUBISHI LANCER RALLIART.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Until now, Mitsubishi has never had a car to hit the performance sweet spot betwen the Lancer and the Evo. The new Ralliart splits the difference by using the same 2.0-liter turbo Four found in the Evo, detuned to...

Midsize brawler: 2009 Hummer H3T.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hummer is going big with its smallest truck, the H3, by adding a pickup version. The H3T pickup truck, which was shown at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, has a 5-ft. pickup bed behind a four-door cab. Unlike the H2...

Behind the lens of a master spy.(NEW CARS: TRIBUTE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PM'S LEGENDARY DETROIT EDITOR, JIM DUNNE, RETIRES THIS MONTH FROM THE BUSINESS HE CREATED--AUTOMOTIVE SPY PHOTOGRAPHY. WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT HIS STORIED 40-PLUS-YEAR CAREER WITH SOME TALES TOLD BY THE MAN HIMSELF....

The '84 C4 Corvette was one of the most anticipated designs of the 1980s.(NEW CARS: TRIBUTE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The '84 C4 Corvette was one of the most anticipated designs of the 1980s. The C3 Vette had been in production since '68 and the automotive press was hungry. Cot and Driver editor Don Sherman told Dunne, "We'd kill...

Dunne's most recent Corvette encounter was with a slew of prototypes for the 2009 ZR1 Corvette.(NEW CARS: TRIBUTE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dunne's most recent Corvette encounter was with a slew of prototypes for the 2009 ZR1 Corvette. We published this shot online in May. But his earliest ZR1 shots hit our site in March--nine months before the official...

"This shot was taken inside Pontiac's engineering center, where 'bucks' of future vehicles were assembled.(NEW CARS: TRIBUTE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "This shot was taken inside Pontiac's engineering center, where 'bucks' of future vehicles were assembled. It was the mother lode. So I snapped each buck with an eye out for security. My mission complete, I then saw...

"After I published this shot of the 1980 Seville with the funky 'bustle back' trunk, Ford displayed the photo at a top-level styling review.(NEW CARS: TRIBUTE)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... "After I published this shot of the 1980 Seville with the funky 'bustle back' trunk, Ford displayed the photo at a top-level styling review. Henry Ford II took one look at the Seville and declared it the design of the future. He mandated that...

Long-term test cars: who needs minivans? We add an impressive new crossover to the fleet.(Hyundai Veracruz, Wrangler Rubicon, Infiniti G35 and Mazda CX-7)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FIRST REPORT HYUNDAI VERACRUZ LIMITED Crossover vehicles let a lot of drivers off the hook. Even in this enlightened age, many people find it hard to square their hip self-image with the purchase of a...

The manchurian chip: experts worry that counterfeit chips could be used to steal data--or crash a network.(DIGITAL SECURITY)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS PAST JANUARY, two brothers from Texas, Michael and Robert Edman, appeared in court to face federal charges of selling counterfeit computer equipment to, among others, the Air Force, Marine Corps, Federal...

Who'll start the rain? Armed with new tech, cloud seeders fly to the rescue of drough-plagued states.(SCIENCE)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FROM THE: COCKPIT of a Cessna 340 A 10,000 ft. over North Dakota, I watch a bucolic conveyor belt of farming towns scroll below. Then, the whole world goes grayish-white. "We're just popping through the edge of...

Dispatch from the oil frontier: to reach America's most promising oil patch since Alaska's North Slope, contributing editor Carl Hoffman flew 200 miles south of Galveston, Texas, by helicopter, deep into the Gulf of Mexico. There, roughnecks on the latest high-tech drilling rig accomplish daily what was considered to be impossible just a decade ago: Tap potentially vast petroleum reserves that lie beneath 8000 ft. of water.(THE FUTURE OF OIL)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] In the oil patch, the roughnecks say, it doesn't rain and it doesn't get dark; might as well be Vegas. I'm in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico's Alaminos Canyon, on a giant piece of floating steel and aluminum...

So you want to buy a ... personal watercraft.(buyers' guide)(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... THE PAST DECADE HAS SEEN a radical change in the typical personal watercraft enthusiast--and the machine he or she rides. Once driven by athletic action-sport nuts looking for a challenge, PWCs are now a toy for the entire family. Comfort and...

Southern exposure: rising from a low-slung island in South Carolina, this sprawling cottage exudes coastal charm--but underneath those graceful lines lies clever engineering, here's how it all goes together.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Deer Island, in Beaufort, S.C., is classic low country. Spanish moss drapes the gnarled limbs of live oaks. A woodpecker hammers at a tall pine. At the end of a curving drive, where woods meet salt marsh, an inviting...

Haptics--the technology of touch: force-feedback exoskeleton gloves, remote-control surgical robots and touchscreens that touch back--tactile technology is taking off. Popular mechanism's resident roboticist shakes hands with a virtual world.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE TERM "JOYSTICK" seems a bit frivolous for the device in front of me, but there it is, an interface that hearkens back to the days of Poc Mon and Donkey Kong. Yet this joystick is special--a highly evolved example...

Inferno on the I-5.(What Went Wrong)
April 1, 2008... WHERE: NEWHALL PASS, INTERSTATE 5, SANTA CLARITA, CALIF. WHEN: OCT. 12, 2007 [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Just after 10:45 pm on Oct. 12, Los Angeles County fire inspector Ron Haralson received a call alerting him to a multivehicle...

Brush busters.(DIY HOME)(chippers)(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] No one likes dealing with brush piles. Ideally, you could leave cut branches and shrubs as wildlife habitat--but that assumes you have enough woods to tuck it all out of sight. For typical homeowners, it makes sense...

The roof over your head: how smart construction and low-tech materials keep the weather out.(How Your House Works)
April 1, 2008... One of the earliest roofing materials was thatch, bundled reeds attached to rafters. Surprisingly weathertight, it is incredibly labor intensive, taking even a skilled thatcher weeks to complete. Later came roofs protected by overlapping...

Your best lawn ever: never fails. Every year I'm disappointed by the way my lawn looks. Whar should I do?(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC Q + A)
April 1, 2008... Think of your law as a crop that's harvested once a week. It takes a lot of nutrition, water and care to keep it growing. Here's the action plan. Begin in early spring with a soil pH test to determine the acidity or alkalinity of the...

Selecting an opener.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC Q + A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... I'm going to replace the openers for both of my garage doors. I use one of the doors constantly. In fact, it's the most used door in the house. What type of openers should I buy? Regardless of the opener type, buy a product with clear...

Removing radon.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC Q + A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Testing has revealed that our house has high levels of radon gas (7.2 picocuries per liter of air). What should we do? You're right to be concerned: The Environmental Protection Agency recommends radon mitigation at 4 pCi/L and above. But...

Recycled Mahogany flooring.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC Q + A)
April 1, 2008... I just got a great deal on some recycled mahogany. It has random widths and a variety of small blemishes. It's not quite nice enough for furniture, but it would look great as flooring for my front foyer. How do I convert the material into...

Chisels.(KNOW YOUR STUFF)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Used wisely, these tools will cut, shape and pare just about anything.--Roy Berendsohn Wood [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOW TO USE Place bevel up or down and push or tap to make thin paring cuts. Place bevel up and strike firmly...

Nuisance trip.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC Q + A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... I've got a 20-amp circuit breaker that trips every time I run my vacuum cleaner. What's up? What's up is that you've overloaded the breaker. Large vacuum cleaners draw 12 amps when they run, but their startup amperage is much higher. Plus,...

The clinic torch is passed.(NORMAN RETIRES)(Norman Becker)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Our long-time clinic columnist Norman Becker retired recently, and as I've taken over writing the column myself, I have a new appreciation for the expertise and dedication he brought to it. The clinic was Norm's baby. He authored his first...

Pump up the volume: upgrade your electrical system for bright lights and steady tunes.(DIY AUTO: SATURDAY MECHANIC)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED You're driving home from work with the headlights blazing, the wipers and defroster singing and the heated seats and mirrors trying to burn away the chill. Led Zeppelin is thundering on your aftermarket high-wattage...

How to harpoon a key.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I broke the key off in my car door yesterday-the lock was jammed and i twisted it too hard. The local locksmith wants $100 to fix the lock if the cylinder remains in the door, or $28 if I can bring the lock itself...

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... I just bought a supercharged 2000 Buick Regal, and I'd love to find out how hard I can push down with my right foot when I go driving. Is it bad to floor it every once in a while, like when merging onto the freeway? What parts of the engine and...

Tired.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... I have a 2005 Volvo XC70. When it was approaching 20,000 miles, I thought I should have the tires rotated. My husband told me his BMW dealership warned him that a car with all-wheel drive should not have its tires rotated or it will lose awd...

Sticky caliper pistons.(CAR CARE TIP)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rebuilding disc brake calipers is remarkably easy. Though most calipers today are available as inexpensive rebuilt units, when I'm working on a rare car it is sometimes necessary to do it myself. The hardest part is...

Caps for Sale.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... I recently bought a Saturn Outlook, and I want to buy a locking gas cap for it. Nobody seems to have one for sale, and a dealership mechanic suggested that using one would possibly set off the engine warning light. He said it was better not to...

Sound off.(DIY TECH)(iPhone's management)
April 1, 2008... My iPhone's earpiece no longer works. I can only hear conversations over the speakerphone and through earphones. When I called customer service they said I need to bring it in to diagnose the problem. Is there anything else I can do? ...

Sound effects.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... My equalizer has separate settings for rock, jazz and classical. Who decides on these settings and why do they make a difference? "Audio is subjective," says Alan Kraemet, chief technology officer at SRS Labs, one of the companies behind these...

Should you buy organic? OLED TVS have arrived here's what you need to know about the new technology.
April 1, 2008... While organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens have been popping up in cellphones and MP3 players for a couple of years, the technology is only now finding its way into TVs with the introduction of the new Sony XEL-1. While the set is small...

Sky-high Wi-Fi.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... I've heard that some airlines are rolling out Wi-Fi on their planes. How does this work, and wouldn't the radio interfere with the navigation equipment? There are two ways an Internet connection can be beamed to a moving airplane, neither of...

The dawn of digital rentals: apple wowed fans when it stetted renting movies through iTunes, but It wasn 't a new idea. Here s how the Apple service compares to competitors that let you downlood movies for your TV. With all three, films work for 24 hours after you hit play.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VUDU Box Price: $295 (250 GB), $999 (1 TB) Rental Price: $1 to $6 Rental Library: 5000+ 70+ in high definition Able to store a terabyte, Vudu's high-end box has the most space for dataheavy HD. And its use...

Another dimension.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... My Samsung DLP TV is supposed to be 3D-capable, but I can't find any DVDs that are in 3D. Is there any 3D content out there, and how can I get it? Most of Samsung's latest DLP HDTVs (and a few of the company's plasmas) are "3D-capable"-albeit...

Bar tending.(CAR CLINIC Q+A)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... I want to avoid cluttering my living room with speakers. I love the idea of these new sound bars, but have no idea how they sound or where to place them. While no sound bar can perfectly emulate a properly tuned 5.1channel surround-sound...

This is my job.(FOLEY ARTIST)(Dan O'Connell)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Dan O'Connell deals with broken bones on a regular basis. Explosions, too. As a foley artist at One Step Up, his studio in Burbank, Calif., O'Connell creates the sounds that make films like Glodiotor and The Bourne Ultimatum feel like real life...

New Home: new vision.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... "My first priority is to clean up the backyard, We love to entertain, but at the moment I our guests would not be too impressed," Evan, 27 New homeowner and recently inaugurated DIY guy Is having a new home what you expected? ...

New outlook: new look.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... "My youngest daughter gives me the tilted-head once-over before I leave in the morning." Franci, 47 Just-back-to-work mother of three Describe what it's like being a working mother. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is extremely...

New beginning: new closet.(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... "Every season I buy a handful of clothes and new jewelry to freshen up my wardrobe," Liz, 30 Self-described fashion enthusiast Okay, confess. You're fashion-obsessed? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sure, maybe just a little. I think...

Rethink your kitchen.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Country Living kitchen functions as an efficient, comfortable work space--an inviting place where friends and family can gather. After all, it is often the heart of your home, buzzing with activity and a place...

Reinvent yourself.(Reimagineyourself.com)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Redbook woman may constantly juggle family, career and her own needs, but she always does it with confident style. She knows who she is and what looks good on her. But best of all she loves her life. That is why...

Revisit your media room.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... O at Home understands that the best interior design sets the stage for that most personal of dramas--your everyday life. Stylish and tech-savvy, the O at Home media room creates a comfortable haven for relaxing, entertaining, and reconnecting...

Love list: every season, there are those few must-haves that make life easier, sexier, or simply more fun. Here are our favorites, sure to find a place in your heart--and home--this spring.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This White Embossed Porcelain Dinnerware Set from Lands' End is designed to impress, and we love that it's dishwasher-safe. We admire easy-to-use, everyday style. That's why we were thrilled to discover this...

Get up and go style.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For a fun evening out, go for these Cotton Striped Dress Shirts from Structure. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] FOR DAD: Dad won't mind asking for directions dressed in this crisp, military-style white linen shirt...

In for outdoor.(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We think this trendsetting Kenmore Hammertone Grill will add style and beauty to your backyard grilling. We admire this Craftsman 5-Piece Barbecue Set for its toughness and durability. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...