Popular Mechanics articles from August 2007

Popular Mechanics archives from August 2007

Survival 1900-style.(EDITOR'S NOTE)(Editorial)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... MODERN LIFE HAS much to recommend it--air conditioning, cellphones, antibiotics. But sometimes the intricate webs of commerce and technology that sustain our way of life go dead. The cause could be a blackout, hurricane or tornado, but the...

Hot air.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... The article about the compressed-air car ("Driving on Thin Air," June '07) was so amazing and revolutionary that I can't believe you didn't feature it on your cover. A car with a range of 125 miles, up to 68 mph, using nothing but air as its...

Profit motive.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I found the article "Re-Engineering the Planet" (June '07) disturbing at best, especially the for-profit firm Planktos. We need to beware of "solutions" to environmental problems that could end up being worse in the long run, especially when...

Hometown hero.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I noticed that in the article "6 Mega Engineering Projects" (June '07) you included the number of floors for Taipei 101 (101) and Petronas Towers (88), but failed to indicate the number for our domestic skyscraper champ, Sears Tower. At 110...

Road trip memories.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I loved the article "Kicking Up Dust" (June '07). I spent the first 25 years of life navigating the charted and uncharted roads of Arizona--first with my dad at the wheel, then with me at the helm. The article reminded me of days and trips gone...

Style and substance.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I have been reading PM for several years now and am still amazed at how much is offered each month. layout is set up so that it makes reading easy and relaxed. I'd like to thank all the people who make this magazine a success. JOE...

Correction.(LETTERS)(Correction notice)
August 1, 2007... June's cover story, "6 Mega Engineering Projects" (page 86), incorrectly described the complex cable geometry of the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, which is currently under construction. For an updated and detailed description, check out...

Martian invader.(TECH WATCH)(Phoenix Mars Lander)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Spirit and Opportunity were part of the first wave--the robot invasion of Mars will continue when the unmanned Phoenix Mars Lander touches down in the planet's northern polar region next year. Its mission is to follow up on evidence of water...

Bots vs. bugs.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... It's the world's first robotic termite killer. The 8-in.-tall, remote controlled TermiBot uses thermal imaging to track bugs behind walls and under floors, and a front-mounted probe to inject pesticide into nests. No word yet on price, but the...

Tsunami sensor.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... An undersea seismometer allows for real-time monitoring of tsunami risk from a volcano in the Caribbean Sea. The seismometer is attached to the volcano some 820 ft. down and, using a solar-powered transmitter buoy (left), sends observations to...

Raising the shred.(destroyed Cold War documents)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... To solve the ultimate jigsaw puzzle--45 million Cold War documents shredded by the East German secret police--researchers have created software that digitally reassembles scanned fragments. The scraps fill 16,250 bags, and a pilot project to...

Wall power.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... If you're sick of power cables cluttering your home, researchers at the University of Tokyo have a solution: wireless power-transmitting sheets of flexible plastic. Intended to cover floors, walls and furniture, the plastic "carpet" has...

Hybrids go to the war.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Army has awarded a contract for a new hybrid off-road automobile, ditching a fuel-cell hybrid design (left) in favor of a diesel-electric vehicle called the Aggressor. Testing hasn't started yet, but the Aggressor will be able to switch to a...

Space dance.(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... A pair of DARPA-funded satellites have taken a giant leap for satellite-kind, autonomously docking with each other while 300 miles above Earth. The linked satellites were launched earlier this year to test satellite-repair techniques. They...

Beading the odds: to qualify for duty in Iraq, a proven surgical tool gets a battlefield makeover.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... SINCE THEY WERE INTRODUCED IN THE 1970s, antibiotic beads have been an ER standby. Massive trauma caused by a motorcycle accident, for example, can lodge rocks and dirt in compound fractures, leading to infections. When severely damaged blood...

Neighborhood watcher: Britain's first police drone--a tiny helicopter with a camera--is ready for your closeup.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... AS IF THERE WEREN'T enough cameras trained on Britain's population, police in Merseyside County are field-testing a flying drone equipped with closed-circuit TV cameras. The 3-ft.-wide, German-built MD4-200 chopper has four whisper-quiet rotors...

Time machine: June, 1959.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... TODAY'S MINERS MIGHT BE churning out more than twice as much coal as their predecessors were in 1960, but our reliance on the black rock has been consistent. Coal accounted for 53 percent of electricity production back then, compared to 49.7...

Followup///rocket racing league: a promising new aerial sport struggles to get off the ground.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... THERE ARE GOOD IDEAS, there are bad ideas, and then there's the Rocket Racing League (RRL). When we first reported on the ambitious plan to send rocket-powered planes roaring through an aerial racecourse at up to 300 mph, organizers had...

Explosive development: to build a better bomb, scientists have pulled off a new magic trick--metal that explodes on impact.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... WHEN MOST BOMBS GO OFF, THEY release a spray of deadly shards of steel. Now, imagine that those shards were themselves explosive, detonating in a massive chain reaction. It's for real: Defense contractors are harnessing the strange alchemy of...

Screen savior.(UPGRADE)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) haven't killed the traditional light bulb yet, but they just made your laptop obsolete. Everything that makes Toshiba's Portege R500 ($2000 to $2150) so impressive, from its 1-in.-thick profile and 2.4-pound weight...

Versa-Pro Z-Mower.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The Versa-Pro Z-Mower ($5995 to $6995) lets you have your zero-turn, ride-on mower and walk behind it, too. When you hit a dangerously steep slope or low-hanging branches, you can hop off, quickly_ pull the controls to the back of the mower and...

Card-carrying USB drive.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... In an act of design alchemy, Kingston's MOBILELITE 9-IN-1 CARD READER ($9) whips two handy devices--a USB thumb drive and a memory card reader--into an even more useful concoction. You can slot three cards at once into the tiny reader, connect...

Test drive: Braun Pulsonic.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... We thought vibrating blades were a fad, a sign of desperation, for razor makers. But according to Braun, which is releasing Pulsonic shavers ($239 to $269) in September, vibrations are the new state of the shaving art. Along with high-end...

A lighter slicer.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Thanks to power-dense lithium-ion batteries, the cordless tools of the world are on a weight-toss streak. The latest success story is Makita's pricey-but-powerful 18V LXT LITHIUM-ION CORDLESS JIGSAW ($299), At 6.1 pounds, Makita claims it's the...

DraughtKeg.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Heineken has stuffed a bio-claim into its 5-liter DraughtKeg ($20). It's the world's first draft mini keg--instead of working a pump or using a gravity tap at the keg's base, you pull a lever, and a C[O.sub.2] compressor pushes beer through the...

Clash of the 1080p titans.(UPGRADE: ABUSIVE LAB TEST)
August 1, 2007... When it comes to 1080p HDTVs, do you really get what you pay for? To find out, we stuck three testers in a room with three new LCD sets and showed them scenes from an old movie (The Road Warrior, on a Blu-ray and an HD DVD player), a newer...

Test drive: "YouTube" camcorders.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The latest attempt to cash in on YouTube is the Flip Video, an easy-to-use, dirt-cheap camcorder ($150 for the 1-hour model). A modified version of Pure Digital's previous point-and-shoot camcorders, it captures 640 x 480-resolution...

Cycle analysis.(UPGRADE: TEST DRIVE)(Buyers guide)
August 1, 2007... "It's not about the bike," Lance Armstrong proclaimed in the title to his 2000 autobiography. Easy for him to say: The bicycles ridden by Tour de France competitors bear about as much resemblance to the bike in your garage as a NASCAR "Ford"...

Pack leader: the gutsy 270-HP V6 provides surprising thrust for a pedestrian family wagon.(NEW CARS)(Toyota Highlander)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Crossovers that can haul at least seven and all their gear are quickly becoming the gold standard for family transport. Say adios to the minivan, kids. The all-new 2008 Highlander benefits from being the second generation of this breed. We like...

Naked gun: Ducati Hypermotard 1100.(NEW CARS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... If something is worth doing, it's worth doing to excess. And Ducati's $11,495 Hypermotard is the most radical motard-style bike ever. The 90-hp, air-cooled L-twin is set in the frame from the Multistrada adventure tourer. But without bodywork,...

Velvet hammer: Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series.(NEW CARS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... We need this car--though at $138,000 it's sadly out of reach. The Black Series is a track car for the street. Imagine a regular 475-hp CLK63 AMG that graduated as valedictorian from a Formula One racing school. It's the best-handling AMG...

Sensuous: Infiniti G37.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Hot on the heels of last year's new G35 Sedan comes the Coupe. Only it's not a G35 anymore. By dint of a stroke increase, the DOHC V6 engine now displaces 3.7 liters, increasing horsepower to 330. Remember four-wheel steering? It's back....

Muscled up: Audi TT.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The original TT, with its iconoclastic looks, was an immediate head-turner. But genuinely sporty? Nope. After a drive, it's clear that Audi has given the TT a new personality. The stiff aluminum-and-steel-flame structure plus a firm suspension...

Nip, tuck: Subaru Tribeca.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The Subaru Tribeca never got a fair shake. Folks took one look at the funky front-end styling and went shopping elsewhere, Well, Subaru's stylists have swung the opposite way this time--toward conservatism. But this redesign is more than...

Bargain luxe: Nissan Altima Coupe.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... In Los Angeles, natives can tell the difference between a Gucci and a "Goochy" from 50 ft. away--most knockoffs don't stand a chance. But a week with the $21,615 Altima Coupe proved even L.A.'s design cognoscenti can be fooled. Our humble...

Bigger box: Scion xB.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... So how, exactly, do you remodel an icon? Well, if you're Scion you go big. The all-new $17,180 Scion xB is certainly reminiscent of the original--only a little smoother around the corners and much larger. It's a full foot longer; that...

Spy reports.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Super Corvette Chevrolet is working hard on a $100,000 ultra-Vette to be dubbed either Z07 or SS. This Vette is rumored to be the swan song for the C6 generation, before the C7 debuts late in the decade. Caught here testing in Detroit, this...

Ford's future hopefuls.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Ford's turnaround will likely depend on the success of these two products. The Ford Flex is a minivan replacement we've already seen at the NY auto show. This prototype illustrates just how long the wagon will really be. The Flex, set for...

Li-ion for hybrid buses.(news)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Next year, hybrid-electric diesel buses will get a boost from lithium-ion battery packs. BAE Systems, in a partnership with A123Systems, will launch the technology on 2008 buses. The improvements are impressive. BAE claims the new packs will...

Saving the new Chrysler.(news)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The $7.4 billion Chrysler buyout by private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management means you'll be seeing some changes soon. But the question is, exactly which changes will make Chrysler great again? We suggest: + Make Chrysler a true luxury...

Busting sky gridlock: tired of flight delays? Good news: the FAA is ready for the big fix--and upgrade to GPS-based air traffic control.(AVIATION)
August 1, 2007... ALASKA AIRLINES Flight 75 from Seattle was about 30 minutes from Juneau when the pilots heard from the control tower: The airport was fogged in, and visibility was less than 400 ft. In that kind of late February weather, the crew normally would...

Rocketeers get real.(THINKING AHEAD)
August 1, 2007... ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, I got a glimpse of something new--the beginning of a new kind of Space Age. For the first time in more than a decade, I attended the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference, which was...

Facing down disaster: one hundred years of technological progress can be erased in minutes by nature's fury. The right tools, skills and mind-set will help you survive.
August 1, 2007... ON MAY 4, 2007, the town of Greensburg, Kan., disappeared. Scott Reinecke, a 45-year-old who ran an auto-repair shop in town, got home from work a few hours before it happened. According to the TV news, there were thunderstorms accompanied by...

Backyard fliers: new regulations and hot aircraft make it easy to fly your own two-seater--one that fits in the garage and costs the same as a base-model SUV.(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... The world floats sideways as I press on the steering pedal. A mirror-smooth lake wheels beneath a dimming orange sky. A warm breeze rushes over my cheeks. It's twilight, and the Florida air is still warm. I ease off the pedal and the craft...

Dark energy: colossal new mining machines are keeping superabundant coal king of America's fossil fuels. The next big challenge: finding ways to use it cleanly.
August 1, 2007... IT'S 10 AM ON A WEDNESDAY in February and the eastern United States is covered with snow and ice. Schools are closed, flights delayed interstates barely open. But light bulbs need to be lit and laptops need powering. So Frank Dankovich and Doug...

How it works: open ocean lab flip vessel: a carefully choreographed sequence of flooded ballast tanks turns this craft from a boat to a buoy--in under 30 minutes.
August 1, 2007... SHAPED LIKE A GIANT BASEBALL BAT, the 700-ton FLIP, or Floating Instrument Platform, is a Navy barge operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Once towed to a site, the vessel flips to vertical. "It was built in 1962 to...

Spin master: throwing a boomerang is part science, part magic--and, as Eric Darnell knows, so is making one.
August 1, 2007... At the preseason tryouts for the U.S. Boomerang Team in Greenfield, Mass., one figure stands out among the hacky sack players and pizza delivery guys gathering in the soccer fields, limbering up their throwing arms. Eric Darnell, a...

Smart garage door fix.(DIY HOME: CLASSIC WOODWORKING BENCH SCAM ALERT + COOL PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q I had just settled onto my living room couch when I heard a loud bang, like a muffled gunshot, from the garage. When I investigated, I found that the extension spring for the garage door had snapped, and a piece of it had flown through the...

GFCI receptacles.(DIY HOME: HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(ground fault circuit interrupter )(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q I recently moved from an apartment in an older building to a new house. I noticed that there are GFCI outlet receptacles in the kitchen, bathrooms and garage. How do they work, and what's with those Test buttons? A Ground fault circuit...

And the winners are ...(EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARDS: BEST MACHINES, TOOLS AND MORE)(National Hardware Show)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... From hundreds of new products at the 2007 National Hardware Show held this spring we picked 13 Editor's Choice Award winners. Four of them are shown here, and we'll cover more in the months ahead. PM editors will also present some of the...

Forcing the trap.(NOW YOU KNOW)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... It seems counterintuitive to pour water into a toilet to remove water from it, but the method works. It's called forcing the trap, and it comes in handy when you need to remove the fixture for repairs or replacement. HERE'S HOW: STEP...

Flex-tube skylight fix.(DIY HOME: HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... O I have a reflective tube skylight in my upstairs bathroom. While working in my attic, I accidentally tore its flex tube. Can the tube be repaired, or will it need to be replaced? A If it were my skylight, I'd try to repair it using...

Cleaning vinyl siding.(DIY HOME: HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q The vinyl siding on my house is dirty and mildewed. What's the best way to clean the siding without damaging it? A You can rent or buy a pressure washer to clean the house's siding, but it's important not to push water under the siding or...

3 scams to avoid this summer ('cause hot days bring out parasites).(DIY HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)
August 1, 2007... Good contractors get busy in the warm months. So do the bad ones--just when you are ready to get the house spruced up. Here are three times to say no. 1 SPEEDY TREE TOPPING You find a flier stuck in your door advertising a service to...

Air that's cool--and clammy.(DIY HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q Our new central air conditioning cycles every few minutes. The house is cool, but the air feels damp. Do you have any thoughts on how to fix this? A You're right to suspect a problem if the air is cool and damp. It should be cool and...

4 steps to a better summer lawn.(DIY HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Summer slams your lawn. These simple steps will see it through. 1 HIT THE DECK Move your mower's deck up, to leave cut grass at least 2 in. high. Taller grass is more stress-resistant The extra height keeps soil cooler and shades out...

Shop class: build our basic workbench with a single trip to the lumberyard.(CLASSICS: Simple Do-It-Yourself Projects)
August 1, 2007... The most important took in any shop doesn't have a motor, a battery or a cutting edge, and it has remained largely unchanged for centuries. A traditional woodworking bench, at its most elaborate, was a virtual showpiece, bristling with vises,...

Replacing an oxygen sensor.(DIY AUTO: SATURDAY MECHANIC)
August 1, 2007... Twelve years and more than 100,000 miles have passed under your trusty commuter and the Check Engine light has never, ever, winked at you... until yesterday, when it coincidentally anticipated your state inspection appointment at the end of...

Wobbler.(CAR CLINIC Q + a)
August 1, 2007... Q When I brake, the pedal bounces up and down. The bouncing slows and then stops as the car comes to a complete halt. So I think it's safe to say it's a bad brake disc. I've jacked the car up and inspected the brakes on all four comers, and...

Hidden plugs.(CAR CLINIC Q + a)(Kia Sportage)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q I have a 2001 Kia Sportage. The gas mileage was dropping, so I thought it best to put in new spark plugs and plug wires. This was the first time since buying the car that I opened the hood for something other than checking the oil or...

Round is not the perfect shape.(CAR CARE TIP)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Tough nuts can make what would normally be a simple project into an afternoon's penance. The culprit is usually corrosion sneaking onto the threaded joint. Iron oxide is larger than the iron it's oxidized from, making it difficult to turn the...

Wet intrusion.(CAR CLINIC Q + a)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q We have a 2000 Dodge Intrepid R/T. Water is leaking onto the passenger front floor from a small hole on the side of the floorboard. We are assuming that, somehow, the water is coming in from the sunroof. A If the water only comes in when...

Crude response.(CAR CLINIC Q + a)(recycled motor oil)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q Can you tell me what happens to recycled motor oil? I know that some garages use it to heat their work areas. Someone told me that it ends up (after being recycled) back in oil bottles on the shelf, labeled "recycled oil." I can't say I've...

Knowledge gap.(CAR CLINIC Q + a)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q I own a 2003 Mercedes E-Class. Is it still necessary to verify the plug gap or even to correct the gap on today's cars with on-board computers? If the plug is beyond the gap specifications, won't the on-board computer compensate/correct for...

Grounded boat.(CAR CLINIC Q + a)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q I'm installing a radio intended for a car in my boat. On the instructions it shows one red wire (hot) going to the positive side of the battery. How do I complete the circuit without a ground wire? A You're right: A radio, or any other...

Power in numbers.(DIY TECH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q I've heard about programs that can use the processing power of your computer for scientific research. How does this work, and will it slow down my PC? A You're thinking of "distributed computing," which combines the unused processing...

Screen sickness.(DIY TECH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q Occasionally, when I play video games, I get motion sickness. Why is that? A The accepted term for that particular variety of motion sickness has been called "simulator sickness," and despite a few studies to determine its cause, nobody...

iPod plead bargain.(DIY TECH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q Recently my house got robbed and someone stole both my computer and my iPod. I had over $1000 of iTunes music on those machines. Is there any way to get it back? A According to the iTunes Terms of Service: "Apple does not represent or...

What's an LED DLP?(KNOW YOUR STUFF)(light-emitting diode digital light processing)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... IN THE OLD DAYS, a decision on television technology was simple: Color or black-and-white? Shopping for an HDTV is more complicated. You may have a good handle on resolution (720p or 1080p?) and form factor (fiat-panel or microdisplay...

Internet eyeball.(DIY TECH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Q I have a webcam on my PC. Is it possible for a hacker to hijack it and see me? A I hate to be the bearer of creepy tidings, but it is possible. Anything that is connected to a computer on the Internet is at risk of being compromised,...

Mesh networking.(EMERGING TECH)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Most Wi-Fi hot spots work by taking a hardwired Internet connection and distributing it over a 300-ft. radius from a wireless hub. This worksfine for a single location, but what if you want to blanket a large area with wireless access?...

This is my job: surfboard designer.(DAN MANN)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... DAN MANN CARDIFF, CALIF. YEARS ON JOB: 11 DAN MANN IS RIDING a surfing sea change. Two years ago, Australia's Firewire Surfboards saw the chance to expand when the company that made 90 percent of the world's board blanks shut...