Popular Mechanics articles from February 2003

Popular Mechanics archives from February 2003

Faces behind the news. (Editor's Notes).(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... It's confirmed. Contributing editor Cliff Gromer is a bad influence on managing editor Sarah Deem. With annoying regularity, Gromer will pitch Deem on some of the most harebrained, foolhardy, madcap, wild, reckless, rash, precipitous,...

Jesus's face. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2003... The real face of Jesus from data taken from three Semite skulls found in the area? One line of the Bible from Paul about hair? Calling the Shroud of Turin a fraud? One artist's rendition of a fearful-looking man? All hogwash. Leave this type of...

Wheels of fortune. (Time Machine).(February 1953 article)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... 100 Years Ago: February 1953 Future of the Automobile Soon Its Position Will Be Reversed and it Will be the Conveyance of the Laborer In less than fifty years from now the working man, the mechanic and the laborer will go to their...

Back to the future. (Time Machine).(motorcycle speed record)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... 50 Years Ago: February 1953 Floyd Clymer, PM motorcycle and auto road tester, set two world speed records in 1916 aboard a 61-cu.-in. Harley. Here, while providing a roundup of all the 1953 motorcycles, he demonstrated his unique riding...

Ultimate high. (Time Machine).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... 75 Years Ago: February 1928 In one of the strangest accidents in flying history, Capt. Hawthorne C. Gray died at the moment he successfully met his previous altitude record of 42,470 ft. With his mind dazed and body weakened by the...

Motion detector. (Time Machine).(digital speedometer.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... 25 Years Ago: February 1978 How fast could you pedal? You could find out by building this inexpensive digital speedometer. With an attractive case made from a tuna fish can, the device used spoke-mounted magnets to provide speed input....

Lighting the way to space. (Technology Watch).(International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Albert Einstein struck upon relativity after imagining what it would be like to travel on the front of a beam of light. While moving at the speed of light remains science fiction, replacing chemical rocket fuels with light and other forms...

Best public spy photos ever. (Technology Watch).(QuickBird satellite)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... As the resolution of intelligence-gathering satellites increases, the quality of images available for sale to the public steadily improves. The sharpest images now come from the QuickBird satellite, which is operated by DigitalGlobe of...

Electric motors for aircraft. (Technology Watch).(Advanced Technology Products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Several teams in the United States and Europe are attempting to adapt small, single-engine planes for battery or fuel cell powered flight. Furthest along in development is the E-Plane, an effort led by Advanced Technology Products of Worcester,...

Roaring success for Boeing. (Technology Watch).(Delta 4 rocket launched)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Boeing has successfully launched its first Delta 4 rocket, orbiting a European communications satellite in late November. Fueled by hydrogen, the rocket's RS-68 engine produces more than 650,000 pounds of thrust. Delta 4s will come in five...

Airborne eyes. (Technology Watch).(Northrop Grumman Fire Scout)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... An unmanned helicopter will serve as the lookout for U.S. Marines storming foreign shores. The Northrop Grumman Fire Scout, shown here, recently completed flight tests in which it proved it can identify targets and communicate over an existing...

Sweeter dreams for road warriors. (Technology Watch).(PowerCold Corp. Ultimate Comfort System)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Road warriors for whom a hotel is a second home will find traveling more comfortable. PowerCold of Wood-Ridge, N.J., has found a refreshing new way to retrofit heating and cooling systems. Its Ultimate Comfort System replaces noisy...

Windows made from trash. (Technology Watch).(Royal Group Technologies Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Plastic-rich city trash is a valuable raw material, say executives for Royal Group Technologies (RGT). The Toronto-based company turns urban waste into feedstock for molding machines. When the trash is shredded, the plastic uniformly disperses....

Earth becomes a giant telescope. (Technology Watch).(High Frequency Very Long Baseline Array Interferometry project)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... By connecting five observatories in four countries, astronomers have produced a "virtual telescope" that can see features 3000 times smaller than those visible with the Hubble Space Telescope. An international collaboration created the...

New marine landing ship. (Technology Watch).(San Antonio class amphibious assault ships)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... A new type of warship will carry U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary forces into combat. Designated San Antonio class amphibious assault ships, the vessels will be 684 ft. long, have a 105-ft. beam and displace 25,000 tons. Each can carry...

Buried fortification. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Anthropologists using ground-penetrating radar have discovered an unusual multitrench fortification at the Double Ditch State Historic Site in North Dakota. Dating to the 1400s, it consists of a series of four 3- to 7-ft.-high earthen walls,...

Planet watch. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... AUSTRIA Freak 100-mph winds derailed a train engine near Salzburg, killing one person. The storm, which uprooted trees and damaged 100 houses, struck on Nov. 16. PAKISTAN More than 20 people were killed and as many as 100 injured when an...

Internet gets passing grade. (Technology Watch).(National Academy of Sciences report)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... A National Academy of Sciences (NAS) analysis of how the Internet weathered the September 11 terrorist attacks reports that the system demonstrated its resilience and its importance in disaster recovery. However, the attack also identified weak...

Shaking hands across the sea. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Researchers at University College London (UCL) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took part in the first long-distance "handshake." Using a device called PHANToM that sends and receives "touch signals," and software developed...

Stretching a Boeing 777. (Technology Watch).(Boeing 777-300ER jumbo jet )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The production line for this Boeing 777-300ER jumbo jet is stretched so long it is measured in time zones. The forward section was made by Boeing in Wichita, Kan. It was then shipped to Everett, Wash., where it is shown here being mated to body...

Bugging bad bugs. (Technology Watch).(termite control sensors)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Termites have expensive tastes, leaving building owners with a $3 billion annual tab. To curb the insects' appetite, the University of Florida has developed a termite "bugging" system. An electronic circuit is sandwiched inside wood near a...

More protection for mobile troops. (Technology Watch).(M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The Army wants eyeballs out of its turrets. The new M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle will use a Kongsberg remote weapons station (above) to aim and fire either the M2.50-caliber machine gun or the Mk 19 40mm grenade launcher. Another...

Aerobatic robot. (Technology Watch).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... For the first time, a robot has performed an aerial maneuver that previously could be flown only by a skilled pilot. The Split-S, illustrated here, was flown by a model helicopter under the command of an autonomous flight control program. It...

Sound chills ice cream. (Technology Watch).(Ben and Jerry's Homemade Inc. research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Having expanded America's taste for ice cream beyond chocolate and vanilla, Ben & Jerry's wants to change the way stores refrigerate their products--by chilling them with sound. Sound waves consist of small, rapid changes in temperature as...

Electric drive without batteries. (Technology Watch).(Oshkosh Truck Corp.)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... The military's newest cargo-hauling hybrid-electric behemoth may be electric, but it doesn't use batteries. Developed by Oshkosh Truck, the 8x8 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck with ProPulse hybrid-electric-drive technology uses a...

All-seeing eye for Uncle Sam. (Following Up ...).(Department of Defense launches Total Information Awareness System)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Stung by the National Security Agency's failure to rapidly translate September 11 terrorist messages intercepted by the Echelon listening system, the Department of Defense has launched the Total Information Awareness System. It not only will be...

Cloudy skies for Sonic Cruiser. (Following Up ...).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Boeing's Sonic Cruiser is facing an unexpected delay. After warmly greeting the idea of a 0.98-Mach airliner, major carriers are now giving it the cold shoulder. The problem, aviation experts tell PM, is that the plane is too fast for the "hub...

Voice over IP. (Computers).(Vonage Inc.)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Imagine an end to long-distance charges. Call anywhere, nationwide, and talk as long as you want for $40 a month. Just a single payment every month to a single company that gives you all the phone services you currently enjoy. Sound like a...

Media PC looms large. (Computers).(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... It's likely that every digital product you could ever want will one day be available in a single package. Microsoft's new PC concept--the Windows XP Media Center Edition--is a step in this direction, bringing the worlds of entertainment and...

High anxiety. (Gear).(trapeze flying)
February 1, 2003... So, you want to run away and joint the circus. You have the hair but not the temperament to be a clown. Not a problem. There's always the flying trapeze. Even if you don't make the big time under the big top, a trapeze workout will build you up...

Attacking cancer. (Biology).
February 1, 2003... Every army has a doctrine, a core belief that guides the way everyone from generals down to privates fights. In World War II that doctrine was unconditional surrender. During the Cold War it was containing communism. The war on cancer also has...

The world's most powerful sedan. (Cars).(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Longest, fastest, most powerful and most expensive--on all four counts, the new Maybachs make the grade as extreme machines. As the newest sedans from DaimlerChrysler, the Maybachs give Bentley and Rolls-Royce owners a car to which they can...

Winston Churchill. (PM People).(article in Popular mechanics)
February 1, 2003... Four decades have passed since his death, but the mention of Winston Churchill still conjures up an image of the waistcoated, cigar-chewing British bulldog who guided Great Britain through the darkest hours of World War II. However, there...

It worked for me. (Tips And Hints).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Extending Your Grip Moving bulky plywood panels around the job site isn't a problem as long as your crew shows up for work. But if you're like most other weekend builders--you're both foreman and hired hand--the task becomes a bit more...

Nail guns for all. (Tips And Hints).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... These days you can hardly be a carpenter without an assortment of nail guns. They speed up just about every task and take a lot of the drudgery out of the process. A framing nailer, a roofing nailer and a finish nailer are the three basic...

Clamp sense. (Tips And Hints).(woodworking)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... They say you can never have enough clamps. And among the wide variety that are available, many woodworkers agree that the most useful type is the hand screw clamp. With its two wooden jaws, it can handle parallel and angled clamping, and it's...

2004 Lexus RX 330. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Lexus is introducing its second-generation RX. Now called the RX 330 to reflect the increased displacement of its V6 engine, the $35,000 RX 330 rides on a new platform that is larger and stiffer than the RX 300 it replaces. Wheelbase has grown...

2003 Raytheon First Responder. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... One of the most critical difficulties for those who responded to the unfolding tragedies at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11 was the inability to communicate. Incompatible and ineffective radios and cellphones prevented...

2003 Mazda RX-8. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... `It's nice to see that Mazda continues to march to the beat of the same unique drummer that it did before it was controlled by Ford. The newest product from the Japanese automotive maverick is the RX-8. This is a rotary-engine-powered,...

2003 Volvo S60 R and V70 R. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Volvo's $60 sedan and V70 wagon embody all that Volvoites revere Volvos for. Trouble is, nonconverts may not want to be perceived as a tweed-jacketed college professor or a soccer mom. So Volvo has graced us with the R versions of these...

2004 Porsche Cayenne. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... You need a sport utility vehicle with 450 hp and the ability to climb tall hills and pull a 7720-pound trailer? Looking for a go-anywhere vehicle that will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 5.6 seconds and top off at 165 mph? Then you may...

2003 Maybach. (New Cars).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Punch the throttle wide-open on a car with 550 hp and things happen. Fast. If you happen to already be doing 120 mph on the autobahn between Hamburg and Frankfurt, you'll be going 160 just 3 seconds later. We know. We tried it recently in a...

2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Having two crossover SUVs in your lineup has to be twice as good as having just one, right? The folks at Mitsubishi apparently think so and are introducing their second crossover in less than a year. The all-new Endeavor joins the smaller...

2003 Maserati Coupe and Spyder. (New Cars).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... In case you haven't heard, Maserati is back, with the help of new owner and former archrival Ferrari. The first fruits from this marriage are the Maserati Coupe and Spyder. Underneath the ItalDesign bodywork is an all-aluminum 32-valve 4.2...

2004 Ford Freestyle. (Detroit Spy Report).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Here comes another crossover, a sport utility vehicle based on a passenger car. This one is the Freestyle, and though Ford has no problems with the concept behind this type of vehicle, the company seems to have run into trouble with the...

2005 Ford small SUV. (Detroit Spy Report).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Look for Ford to proceed with an SUV smaller than Escape in its lineup for 2005. The vehicle shown here in elaborate disguise is a Brazilian Ford, a peewee version of the Escape. It appears identical to the Escape in photos, but on close...

2004 Mini. (Europe Spy Report).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Despite strong sales, BMW is preparing to bring out a droptop version of the Mini Cooper. Expect this convertible to be powered by the same engines and transmissions as the current car. European drivers may see this car on the road as soon as...

2004 Audi A4 coupe. (Europe Spy Report).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Appearing in late 2003, the new coupe version of Audi's A4 will share all of its lower bodywork with the convertible that will follow. Designers nearly gave the coupe backward-hinged suicide doors, like a Saturn, for easier ingress and egress...

2005 Mercedes-Benz GST. (Europe Spy Report).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... Decidedly upscale and far larger than the M-Class, Mercedes-Benz's new SUV is patterned after the Vision GST concept. At 202 in. overall for the long-wheelbase version, the Alabama-built truck should handily replace the Gelaendewagen at the top...

Science does the impossible: colonizing Mars, reviving extinct dinosaurs and discovering Earth's twin planet are only some of the feats within our scientific grasp. (Futures).
February 1, 2003... In their day, the world's most respected scientists insisted men would never fly, never break the sound barrier and never set foot on the moon. They were equally adamant that surgery could never be made painless and that decoding the secrets of...

Audio as art: new art deco systems add visual appeal to everything you listen to. (Audio).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Today's stylized audio systems bear little resemblance to the boxy minisystems of the past. Cutting-edge technologies combined with fashion flair have made high-end music systems as much design statements as audio gear. You can credit a...

100 years of Ford: the Ford Motor Company enters its second century. (Honored Marque).(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... It's a stunning achievement for any business to celebrate its centennial, as we at POPULAR MECHANICS know well. Having just celebrated our 100th anniversary, we understand what it takes to overcome a century of challenges to survive and thrive...

Powder toughs: snowmobiles go 4-stroke for quiet, smokefree riding--at speeds up to 137 mph. (Snowmobiles).(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... As we leave base camp in central Idaho's Payette National Forest, we're riding into the teeth of a young blizzard. But the weather unexpectedly clears when we reach the top of the rise, and suddenly, gloriously, we're breaking trail through 8...

Chronicling a rebirth: six cameras running nonstop for seven years will record the resurrection of Ground Zero. (Architecture).(Project Rebirth)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... No one knows what will replace the twin towers destroyed in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. Ideas range from replicating the original buildings to planting an urban forest with a tree memorializing each of the murder victims....

Pontiac Aztek: forget the bizarre styling. It's what's inside that counts. (Owners Report).(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... People who buy an Aztek want something different: a look, different features, a different sort of versatility. And that's what most of the owners we surveyed felt they got. You may smile, but when telling us what led them to buy an Aztek,...

High class: an elegant stool that's just right for your kitchen. (Shop Project).
February 1, 2003... Today's kitchen, is more than just a room for cooking. These days it's more of a geographical region, less defined by walls than by what it contains--its appliances, cabinets and, of course, the kitchen counter. In a way, the counter really...

Great expectations: new appliances deliver the goods. (Product).(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... We expect more of our appliances today. They have to adapt to a family's changing schedule, different patterns of use, and they even have to look good as they go about their work. We want our appliances to perform well, and do maximum work with...

Power conference: new tools from Sears Craftsman mark the brand's 75th birthday. (New Products).(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... We've been attending the annual Sears Craftsman Editor's Conference for years, but we've never seen a batch of new tools like this before. To mark the brand's 75th anniversary, Sears pulled out all the stops and introduced approximately 75 new...

Homeowners clinic. (Home Journal).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Whistling Duct I recently moved into a new condominium consisting of a street-level apartment and an unfinished walk-out basement. The condo is heated by a forced warm-air furnace. After having the basement finished and heated by a second...

Review: help with inspection. (Home Journal).(Complete Book Of Home Inspection)(Book Review)
February 1, 2003... The Complete Book Of Home Inspection has entered its third edition, making this pioneering work not only the definitive look at the subject, but also one of the most durable. Readers of the Homeowners Clinic know the book is the product of our...

Cutting bolts and threaded rod. (Service tip: metalworking).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... I learned this trick from my father. Although he's a metallurgical engineer who specializes in aerospace work, he descends from a long line of tradesmen, among them two generations of blacksmiths. The trick is to cut a bolt to length without...

Car care: auto clinic. (Automotive).
February 1, 2003... The Iceman Cometh My pickup had a really bad vibration in the steering wheel when I would first start out in the morning on cold days. I had the tires balanced, and the tire buster said there was over a quart of water in one of my front...

Fixing a dead horn. (Saturday Mechanic).
February 1, 2003... A flash of yellow whips through your peripheral field of vision, as a taxicab screeches into a downshift in front of you. The driver flips you a hand signal rooted in antiquity as he blithely makes a right turn from the third lane, forcing you...

Hot spot: the inside story on a healthy love life. (Advertisement).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Learning "The Ropes"... This month I got a letter from a reader in Texas, about a "little secret" that has made her love life with her husband absolutely explosive. (Those Texans know their stuff, let me tell you.) Tina writes: ...

Greatstuff: from home improvement to outdoors, automotive to electronics, here's the newest gear you'll want to own.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2003... 1. The Dark Side Night Owl's new Discovery Titanium night vision scope uses a powerful infrared illuminator and includes a tripod mount in the body frame. The 16-ounce unit's ergonomic design fits comfortably in one hand. The unit works by...

How to escape from a car hanging over the edge of a cliff. (Worst-Case Scenarios).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Say your car goes out of control and it comes to a stop hanging over a cliff. What should you do? Do not shift your weight or make any sudden movements. Determine how much time you have to get out of the car. If the vehicle is like...