Popular Mechanics articles from February 2008

Popular Mechanics archives from February 2008

Off the rails.(PM LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I enjoyed the article on the development of a maglev train here in the States ("Fast Track," Dec. '07). This seems like a step in the right direction if we are to fix our failing infrastructure. With gas prices and...

Battle of the vans.(PM LETTERS)
February 1, 2008... I always look forward to your car reviews. However, I must correct an error you made in the "Automotive Excellence Awards 2008" (Dec. '07). Although I like Chrysler's vans, they didn't "invent the minivan," as you phrase it. Volkswagen did,...

Wolf bait.(PM LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2008... In "Wildlife Forensics" (Dec. '07), you state that the reintroduction of wolves in the West "enjoys wide public support." Among whom? High-rise liberals? Wolves kill domestic animals and have been known to kill people. For those who want to go...

Star power.(TECH WATCH)(stellarator)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FUSION REACTORS--THE NEAR-MYTHIC energy sources that have been on the horizon for half a century--may be coming one step closer. The U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory has begun building...

Man stings bug.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bathing mosquitoes in radiation is the key to a new malaria vaccine in development by Sanaria of Maryland. Scientists feed mosquitoes malaria-tainted blood, irradiate them to weaken the malarial parasites, then...

Going up, just not far enough.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Space elevator fans, take heart. In the NASA-sponsored Spaceward Games 2007 in Utah, a laser-powered elevator designed at the University of Saskatchewan climbed a 102-yard tether in 54 seconds, 7 seconds shy of...

My other car is flatable.(TECH WATCH)(XP Vehicles)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bay Area startup XP Vehicles is pitching for a proposed ultralight, ultra-efficient car powered by fuel cells and batteries. The body will be made of preinflated airbags, which the company claims will be so safe that...

Beijing's moonshot lifts off.(TECH WATCH)(China's satellite Chang'e-1)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] China's space agency successfully launched the first stage of its lunar exploration program, a 5000-pound satellite called Chang'e-1 that is orbiting the moon and already taking pictures and measuring the chemical...

Minibake oven cooks DNA.(TECH WATCH)(deoxyribonucleic acid)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A prototype microwave-oven-on-a-chip has proved its ability to heat tiny amounts of liquid, a crucial step toward producing microchips that can process very small samples of DNA. Developed at George Mason University...

Hot times deep under iceland.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A group of Icelandic power companies will drill three 13,000-ft.- to 16,000-ft.-deep wells this year to explore the potential of geothermal energy from 1000-degree F reservoirs of steam. The new wells will be twice as deep as the ones now used...

Lasers get a shot at IEDs: Boeing makes its pitch for battlefield lasers by blowing up bombs and UAVS.(TECH WATCH)(improvised explosive device, unmanned aerial vehicle )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] DEFUSING ROADSIDE BOMBS WITH robots is fine, if you don't mind occasionally blowing up a $125,000 piece of equipment. No matter who or what is on the job, the best way to deal with an explosive is to stay away from...

Paintbull gun or 12-gauge?(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System is a 12-gauge that can be used alone or attached to an M4 carbine with a clamp (1). The clip holds five lethal (2) or nonlethal rounds. The barrel is 7 3/4-in.-long alloy...

Floating future: can new designs deliver the long-awaited return of airships?(TECH WATCH)(Aeros Aeronautical Systems)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALWAYS ON THE VERGE of a seeming comeback, airships are back in the spotlight, touting new technologies. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency recently announced funding for an innovative, ballast-free airship...

Seep impact: even the smallest holes can become large threats to spacecraft, but new sensors can help find them before disaster strikes.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... MICROMETEORITES and undetectable bits of space junk as small as 0.4 mm pose a serious threat to every current and future manned space mission. These dust-size particles travel as fast as 12 miles per second, packing enough momentum to melt...

Time machine: July 1989.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some ideas are just too obsession-inducing for their inventors to abandon. German designer Hanno Fischer began chasing the ultimate airplane-boat hybrid design more than 40 years ago--and he's still at it. PM first...

Clean delivery: UPS leases a fleet of new electric cars to take the strain off its bottom line--and the environment.(TECH WATCH)(United Parcel Service)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN A U.S. company makes a conspicuously environmentally friendly investment, it is easy to dismiss it as public relations. But when UPS leased a fleet of 42 electric vehicles to operate in Petaluma, Calif., the...

Under the border: researchers devise new tricks to unearth hidden smuggling tunnels.(TECH WATCH)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Department of Homeland Security says tunnels under the U.S.-Mexico border are proliferating as security is tightened aboveground. The solution? A sensor network that peers through dirt and rock. The technologies...

Exide NASCAR[R] Extreme" batteries winning performance in any climate.(THE goods)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Exide NASCAR Extreme is the newest addition to Exide Technologies' premium performance Line of batteries. The battery's advanced engineering delivers optimal performance in even the harshest operating conditions, and is backed by a 40-month...

WIX Cabin Air Filters with Bioshield 75.(THE goods)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The air inside your vehicle has significantly higher concentrations of pollutants such as soot, dirt and pollen than the outside air, which can cause a variety of problems, ranging from foul odors, to headaches and...

Vegas[R] Movie Studio[TM]+DVD.(THE goods)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Turn your digital video and pictures into stunning movies and slideshows, and create professional looking DVDs with Vegas [R] Movie Studio[TM]+DVD software. Drag and drop to add transitions, effects, titles, and more. Exclusive Show Me How...

DRYLOK Extreme, the next generation.(THE goods)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... DRYLOK Extreme Masonry Waterproofer has been tested by independent tabs to hold back 12 psi of water pressure [a wall of water 26 ft high]. It is a latex base, low odor voc compliant formula, which comes with a 15 year--fully transferable...

Arrow CT50[TM] = the elite cordless staple gun.(THE goods)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The ergonomically designed Arrow[R] CT50[TM] Professional Cordless Staple Gun features a 10.8v Lithium-ion battery pack and shoots up to 1500 staples per charge. The battery pack is integrated into the CT50[TM]'s sleek profile, making for a...

Automatic for the people.(UPGRADE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... In the eight decades since the birth of the electric guitar, the tuning mechanism has been left largely untouched--players still must carefully turn each peg to achieve the right pitch. Tedious? Absolutely. But what's worse is that it doesn't...

Rumble six-pack.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(TN Games)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As the popularity of Nintendo's motion-sensing Wii has proved, many gamers want to be more than passive button-pushers. Enter the TN Games 3rdSpace Vest ($189). Strap it on and a built-in air compressor controls...

Ridgid R4330 Planer ($370).(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While a board-leveling planer is a must-have for any serious woodworker, most flop at thin cuts--they simply can't pare planks to less than 1/4 in., forcing craftsmen into work-arounds when creating items like...

Disc repair gadgets go head to head.(Show-Down)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... A nasty scratch used to be a death sentence for CDs, DVDs and other discs. Now, gadgets like the VenMill Skip-Away and the Disc-Go-Pod Plus claim to save your media library from nicks and scars. To test the devices, we used a key and a knife to...

Amazon Kindle e-book reader.(Test Drive)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... While Amazon may now sell everything from songs to groceries, the Web retailer was built on the backs of books, making it a fitting purveyor of the most ambitious electronic book reader yet, E-books have existed since the '90s, but the Amazon...

BernzOmatic TS8000 Torch ($50).(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAPP gas bums hotter than propane, making" it an essential for swift soldering. Unfortunately, the mercury-bursting heat is more than most trigger-start hand torches can take--which is why homeowners tend to stick...

Drive a compact.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(DeWalt Compact 3/8-in. 12V Cordless Drill Driver)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Power-hungry tool owners may gobble up the latest 36-volt salvos in the cordless drill arms race, but for many jobs such tools are overkill. The DeWalt Compact 3/8-in. 12V Cordless Drill Driver ($139) can handle most household tasks--and it's...

Feature-filled vacuums.(Is It Worth It?)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Today's high-powered vacuums claim to do a lot more than just suck dust. We put the latest batch of feature-filled vacs to the test to see if they really beat the competition on germs, dog dander and nasty smells. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Lumencraft Gatlight V3 Titaniun Flashlight ($395).(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... What does the Lumencraft Gatlight V3 Titaniun Flashlight ($395) do that a 10-buck unit can't? Both illuminate dark hallways, but only one is designed by aerospace engineers, hand-assembled from more than 80 parts, housed in a nearly...

Cowon Q5W Portable Media Player/GPS.(Test Drive)(Cowon America)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gadget convergence is hit or miss. We may barely remember a world without camera phones, but how many people do you know who wear MP3-playing sunglasses? The 60 GB Cowon Q5W Portable Media Player ($599) is an...

Make waves.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(DP200A Projection Alarm Clock )(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Wake up an under-rested deep sleeper enough times, and the gentle push needed to activate a snooze button is apt to escalate to an ill-advised arm flail or clock-throw across the room. The atomic-clock-enabled Oregon Scientific DP200A...

Vaughan S2 Framing Hammer ($50).(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hours of banging nails with a framing hammer is likely to leave your arm feeling like mush. The split head on the Vaughan S2 Framing Hammer ($50) allows for a longer stretch of shock-absorbing wood, saving your limbs...

Electronics extravaganza.(UPGRADE: 2008 DIGITAL PREVIEW)
February 1, 2008... Each January, the technology industry convenes in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show--the Super Bowl of gadgets, and a thrum for the biggest names in tech to show off their latest and greatest inventions. Here's a look at some of the...

Style leader: refinement defines the '09 Murano.(NEW CARS: PM AUTO SHOW SPECIAL)(Nissan Murano)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PM TEST DRIVEN ++ The 2004 Nissan Murano set a benchmark for crossover SUV design. The '09 unveiled at the recent L.A. Auto Show may be less edgy-looking, but underneath, this is a much more substantial vehicle....

Los Angeles: concepts: L.A.'s concepts were far from typical auto show fantasy. All these rides have a shot at the showroom.(AUTO SHOW SPECIAL: PM NEW CARS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The Kia and Audi are not only visions of the future in terms of style, they both drive home the point that clean diesel is fast becoming a viable, attractive fuel. 1 VW SPACE UP BLUE * With former NBA player John Salley by his side,...

Los Angeles: green machines: who says big riggs can't be green? Saving fuel in your thirstiest vehicles makes sense--proved by the production prototypes shown at the L.A. auto show.(AUTO SHOW SPECIAL: PM NEW CARS)
February 1, 2008... Alternative fuel vehicles were once again big news at the show. And these "green" concepts had firm roots in reality. Some very promising vehicles are just 24 months away. 1 PORSCHE CAYENNE HYBRID * Porsche's prototype may wear...

Detroit: preview.(AUTO SHOW SPECIAL: PM NEW CARS)(Michigan )
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The A-BAT is smart concept that combines the utility of a compact pickup with the smooth ride and fuel economy of a hybrid SUV. Let's hope Toyota brings it to market. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOYOTA A-BAT...

Warp speed.(PORSCHE 911 GT2)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You're looking at the first 911 that will top 200 mph right off the showroom floor. It goes 204 mph to be exact. It's faster than the Turbo, quicker than the GT3 and bristles with Porsche's best tech. We kept the...

Wise man.(SMART FOR TWO)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Smart has the kind of enviro-eonscious image other automakers would kill for. It hacks the image up with 40-mpg highway fuel economy. The $12,200 Fortwo is more than 2 ft. shorter than a Mini yet it feels spacious. Power comes from a...

Honor roll.(CHEVY MALIBU)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Chevy would like the Malibu to lead the midsize sedan class. Tall order, right? Well, after a weekend test drive we can say the Malibu is now one of the top players. It's good--very good, considering the $19,995 base price. The chassis is...

Stealth.(LAMBORGHINI REVENTON)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... It's named after a deadly bull, looks like something dreamed up by a skunk-works team and costs $1.4 million. Gulp. For that sum, you get stunning composite carbon-fiber panels glued to a steel and carbon-fiber chassis. Huge vents and scoops...

Hottest hatch.(SUBARU WRX STI)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Flared fenders make any car look way toughen And it certainly works on the new STI. Those flares house big tires and help cool the turbo-stressed boxer Four. The 2.5-liter makes :305 hp thanks to variable valve...

Horsepower wars: get ready for an American supercar showdown soon. ultimate performance editions of the Vette and Viper will hit the streets ready to brawl.(FIRST LOOK: PM NEW CARS)(Dodge Viper, Chevrolet Corvette)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] DODGE VIPER SRT10 ACR King Snake Track Day junkies can finally get their hands on a street-legal racing version of the Viper to drive to the course--because trailering is just so uncool. The ACR's...

Technology run amok.(MYTHBUSTERS WORKSHOP)
February 1, 2008... THE MYTHBUSTERS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT the crazy stuff that happens when technology meets man. In fact, we go out of our way to think of creative ways to play with technology. My MythBuster partner, Adam Savage, has just about every kind of iPod,...

Wilderness survival: how hard is it to last 72 hours in the wild without food, water or shelter? We're about to find out.(I'LL TRY ANYTHING)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NIGHT IS FALLING, AND WE'RE LOST. Somewhere in the canyon lands of southern Utah, I'm trudging across a seemingly endless sagebrush plain, and the twilight gloom is thick. My group of 14 hikers has been on the trail...

The ethanol fallacy: America needs smart alternatives to oil. it's too bad politicians are pushing the wrong alternative.(EDITOR'S LETTER)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE IDEA IS SO APPEALING: WE CAN reduce our dependence on oil--stop sending U.S. dollars to corrupt petro-dictators, stop spewing megatons of carbon into the atmosphere--by replacing it with clean, homegrown,...

New wave boats: revolutionary watercraft skim, bounce, leap and even fly across the surface, as man's quest for the perfect vessel lives on.(Cover story)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SO here we are, skimming over the bright blue Mississippi on a flawless summer afternoon--the river broad, the sun taking on a tinge of gold as it settles toward the green canopy of the Iowa shore. We're doing about...

Alaska's energy surprise *: how a backcountry resort learned to give up its $1000 a-day habit by tapping into one of the worlds most overlooked resources.(Chena Hot Springs Resort)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The whine of the power plant sounds like a jet engine as refrigerant blasts through the turbine at 1000 mph. Though the equipment is compact, the din fills the vast hangar, and mechanical engineer Gwen Holdmann has...

The fire birds: when big burns blaze out of control, it's time to call in America's frontline aerial firefighters.
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's early afternoon on the slopes of Palomar Mountain in Cleveland National Forest, 70 miles northeast of San Diego, and California is at war. The steep hillsides are thick with fuel--which is what firefighters call...

Anatomy of a NASCAR crash.(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
February 1, 2008... SPECTACULAR WRECKS ARE ROUTINE IN AUTO RACING, BUT NOWADAYS FATALITIES ARE RARE. DRIVERS CAN THANK SOPHISTICATED NEW SAFETY GEAR--AND, ONCE IN A WHILE, SOME HELP FROM SIMPLE PHYSICS. 1. A Bad Day at the Office [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Restoring rusty classics: I want to bring back a beautiful old metal chair that I bought at a garage sale. How can I remove the rust, retain the character?(DIY HOME)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Your first goal in working on an old object, metal or wood, is to intervene as gently as possible and as little as you can to make the object serviceable. Don't make changes that can't be reversed, such as...

Table stakes: how to build the PM Poker table.(PM DIY HOME: HOME JOURNAL)(Popular Mechanics)
February 1, 2008... Used to be, if you wanted to find a poker game, you'd have to fly to Vegas or wait for the next steamboat to churn upstream, Today, the game is everywhere, bankrupting online hold 'em addicts and keeping eyes glued to the plasma. Still, nothing...

Replacing tie rod ends.(DIY AUTO: SATURDAY MECHANIC)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Parking is such sweet sorrow. The front end of your car used to be dead silent--as it should be--when you spun the steering wheel back and forth. But now, pops and groans emanate from the steering column when you...

Misdirection.(CAR CLINIC: Q & A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... I was standing next to my car when my wife hit the windshield washer button and sprayed smelly, slippery blue stuff onto my best suit. And most of the fluid went over the top of the window and wet down the roof. I tried to use a pair of...

An III wind blows cold.(CAR CLINIC: Q & A)(automobile air conditioning)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... When I accelerate, the air conditioner stops blowing through the vents. When I brake or simply coast, the air starts to blow again. What's going on here? Many cars use engine vacuum to operate the blend-air doors in the underdash plenum....

Drive it like ya stole it?(CAR CLINIC: Q & A)
February 1, 2008... WHY IS IT WE DON'T HAVE TO BREAK IN NEW ENGINES ANYMORE? I HEAR IT'S DONE AT THE FACTORY; HOW DO THEY BREAK THEM IN? DO THEY ACTUALLY MOCK-RUN A NEW ENGINE FOR 1000 MILES? In the past, breaking in a new motor was a lengthy and arduous...

Slow down!(CAR CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... I changed my brakes about six months back and noticed that both front inside pads were worn pretty badly but the outer pads were fine. I changed the pads and I now have the same uneven wear. Could this be something other than two bad calipers?...

Tire change runaround.(Car care tip)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some tire stores insist on installing two new tires on the rear wheels of vehicles when the fronts are worn, and moving the old rear tires to the front--much to the dismay of many customers who want the new tires on...

Fill 'er up with ...(CAR CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... I own a supercharged '92 Buick Park Avenue Ultra that I bought about four years ago. The manual says to use premium gasoline, but the dealer says they never put premium in these cars and it isn't necessary if the engine doesn't ping. Do you...

Out of index.(CAR CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... My windshield wiper goes past the edge of the glass at the end of the upward stroke. I have to change the wiper refill every couple months or so. I pulled the wiper arm off the drive gear, thinking I could turn it one tooth counterclockwise and...

Don't mix oil and water.(CAR CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... I own a 1995 Honda Odyssey LX, 2.2L VTEC. It has an automatic transmission fluid cooler routed through the radiator. The radiator fluid has become thick and brown. Any prognosis? Engine temperature is okay while running, but shifting is jerky....

Build a media server: with a little bit of tinkering, you can turn your old PC into a powerful new home for all your content.(DIY TECH)(personal computers)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most home computer users think of servers as the complex machines that form the backbone of corporate computer networks. But the functional definition of a server is far more flexible than that. Essentially, any...

Keystone cops.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... I want to install a home theater projector, but I have to position the projector off-center, and can't aim it straight at the wall. I've heard that some projectors can keystone correct their image to avoid distortion, How much compensation is...

IP phone home.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+A)(internet protocol)
February 1, 2008... I HAVE A SECURITY/FIRE ALARM SYSTEM THAT LINKS TO AN EMERGENCY CALL CENTER VIA MY VOIP TELEPHONE SERVICE. IF THE POWER GOES OUT, WILL MY ALARM SYSTEM BE DISABLED? If you don't have some sort of backup power system, both your alarm and the...

Twice in a lifetime.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Years ago, I bought a Series 1 TiVo with a lifetime subscription. I'd like to upgrade to a newer Series 3 TiVo. Do I need to rebuy the subscription? TiVo's pricing and subscription rates are very confusing, and they're made more so by the fact...

4G (fourth-generation wireless).(TECH TERM)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... 4G (fourth-generation wireless) It may seem like cellular providers just finished rolling out 3G data services, but plans are already in the works for the next-gen stuff. Sprint will start its Xohm WiMAX service this year, and Verizon is about...

Mail insecurity.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... I've heard that people can read my e-mails in transit. Is this true, and if so, how can I encrypt them so that no one can snoop? Like almost everything on the Internet, e-mail is only as secure as you make it. The connection from your computer...

Hi-def disconnect.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+A)(high-definition)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... I've heard that there are several versions of the HDMI hi-def connection standard. Should I be concerned about my current TV working with future gear? HDMI plugs and cables may all look the same, but there have already been several revisions of...

Novel graphics.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... The biggest advances in computing power over the past few years have been in graphics processing. In Windows, the language of graphics is DirectX. With the Vista operating system, DirectX went into its 10th generation--pushing the level of...

This is my job: race mechanic.(Erick Aguilar)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... * ERICK AGUILAR * BALDWIN PARK. CALIF. * YEARS ON JOB: 10 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TODAY'S RACE MECHANICS are part craftsmen who modify engines, and part computer hackers who reprogram engine control units (ECUs)--the computers...