Popular Mechanics articles from January 2007

Popular Mechanics archives from January 2007

Over the edge.(digital technology in cinema)(Editorial)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... SOME CHANGES HAPPEN overnight. Others creep up slowly. Digital technology is altering both the art and science of moviemaking, but so gradually that the transformation is sometimes hard to notice. In this month's "Lights, Camera, Data!" veteran...

Hydrogen gets real.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... Your article on hydrogen ("The Truth About Hydrogen," Nov. 2006) was hard-hitting, sobering and informative. I was impressed by your practical explanations of the technical and logistical challenges associated with its production, distribution...

Space pioneer.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... It was a great pleasure to read that you chose Burt Rutan as your Breakthrough Leadership Award winner ("The Future Starts Here," Nov. 2006). His work is critical to humanity's future. The commercialization of space is essential, and Rutan is...

Back to basics.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... The article about the crash of Comair Flight 5191 ("One Wrong Turn," Nov. 2006) explains the benefits of electronic flight bags with GPS location information. But runways are named for their compass orientation, so no technology aiding ground...

Three's a crowd.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... Judging from your results, it appears that you failed to read the instructions for the BreathKey key chain breathalyzer ("Passing the Bar Exam," Nov. 2006). The Breath-Key is a small personal device that is not designed to be shared among three...

Hey, thanks!(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... My kids always ask, "How do you know all these things?" I have just read PM's Nov. 2006 Digital Edition, and I already feel smarter. 'SEGUN OLUDE WINNIPEG, MANITOBA You are doing a great job with the magazine. The format and...

The next big wing.(Boeing X-48B)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Boeing's new X-48B is aviation stripped down to the basics--all wing. with no tail and no distinct fuselage. Slated to begin test flights this year, the" Blended Wing Body (BWB. prototype measures just 21 ft. across but may herald an era of...

Mars in Hi-Res.(HiRISE camera)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... This image of the half-mile-wide Victoria Crater on Mars is detailed--and it should be, since it was captured by the most powerful camera ever to leave Earth's orbit. Now that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter craft has braked into an orbit about...

The solar-power blues.(liquid solution innovated by German scientists)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Solar cells can use only a portion of the various wave-lengths that make up sunlight. German researchers have come up with a liquid solution that turns green light into cell-friendly blue, potentially increasing solar-cell efficiency by tapping...

AA, meet USB.(Moxia Energy's USBCell )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... It's not an earth-shattering advance, but Moxia Energy's USBCell might come in handy while you wait for those nano-enhanced portable fuel cells to show up. Recently introduced overseas, this rechargeable AA battery doesn't need a charger--the...

Cheap space.(students of University of Cambridge )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... To explore space on a budget, all you need is a helium balloon, a 5-megapixel camera and text messaging. That's what students at the University of Cambridge in England used to snap photos of the Earth's curvature from 20 miles up. Their next...

Liquid-bomb detector.(electrochemical sensor developed by Arizona State University)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a sensor that can detect peroxide-based explosives in just 15 seconds. These are the chemicals that led officials to ban liquids from airplanes last summer after a thwarted terrorist plot....

Lightning not included.(new wind turbine from an Italian company)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... An Italian company is taking wind power to new heights, creating a turbine that's spun like a carousel by kites. The prototype, expected in 2008, should generate a gigawatt of power, while taking up to 160 times less space than standard wind...

Radar goliath.(TECHWATCH)(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Raytheon Aircraft Co. develop new radar)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... "PROJECT ISIS" has the ring of a James Bond movie, but it actually comes from an acronym (albeit a clumsy one) for a new curved radar array being developed by Raytheon and DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm. The Integrated Sensor Is Structure...

Time machine 1939.(TECHWATCH)( Technicolor Inc. )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... DIGITAL EFFECTS now can turn a blue background into a dazzling computer-generated landscape (see "Lights, Camera, Data!" page 56). In 1939, the most dazzling trick of all was Technicolor. "Color moving pictures are a miracle in mechanical...

Eyes on X prize: with thousands of spectators and millions of dollars up for grabs, the space festival sputtered.(TECHWATCH)(Lunar Lander Challenge)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... No one ever said rocket science was easy. It certainly wasn't for competitors at the second annual X Prize Cup, held this past October in Las Cruces, N.M. The only team to show up for the Lunar Lander Challenge, which required vehicles to stay...

Theater home: a new wave of ultra-efficient light-emitting diodes could one day turn your entire house into a flat-panel display.(TECHWATCH)(organic light-emitting diodes in trend)
January 1, 2007... In these hi-def hungry times, anything that promises brighter, thinner, more energy-efficient TV screens generates some buzz. That's why, for the past couple of years, tech-sector engineers have been chattering about organic light-emitting...

Robot road test: PM's resident roboticist explains why DARPA's previous robotic races were GPS-guided cakewalks compared to the upcoming Urban Challenge.(TECHWATCH)(unmanned ground vehicles from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
January 1, 2007... The rules of the DARPA Grand Challenge have changed. This November, 89 unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) will be unleashed on a peaceful mock city inhabited by mannequins and drone traffic. Unlike the 2005 contest's desert racers, the driverless...

Blowing in the winch.(UPGRADE)
January 1, 2007... The Warn PowerPlant ($1777) is like a 114-pound Swiss army knife mounted on the front of your truck. First, it's a winch that hauls up to 12,000 pounds, depending on which version you get. (See details below.) Then, flip a switch and the 4.6-hp...

Scanner-proof wallet.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)
January 1, 2007... Is anyone paranoid enough to use a DATASAFE WALLET ($40 to $80), which prevents contactless cards from being scanned by accident, or by hackers? Actually, we are, after discovering how easy it is to pull data from the radio frequency...

Nifty lube.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)
January 1, 2007... WD-40 No-Mess Pens ($4) should be in every drawer, in every room, and possibly every shirt pocket. The absorbent tip is coated with WD-40 when pressed down, so you can quickly lube a creaky door hinge or remove shoe scuff marks. And it doesn't...

Self-adjusting wire stripper.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)
January 1, 2007... Like a mini assembly line, Irwin's Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper ($25) speeds things up through division of-labor. An adjustable stopper keeps the wire where you want it. Squeeze the handles, and a pair of clamps presses the wire against notched...

Watching the calls go away.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)
January 1, 2007... This Btuetooth-enabled watch, which pairs to your cellphone and displays caller ID on its face, is completely unnecessary. But the ability to instantly silence or reject incoming calls with the press of a watch button is handy. Add a Bluetooth...

Is lithium-ion safe?(UPGRADE)
January 1, 2007... Since Sony released the first commercial rechargeable lithium-ion (li-ion) battery in 1990, the technology has pervaded our lives. Li-ions have about three times the energy density of nickel-cadmium batteries, making them ideal for powering...

The write stuff.(UPGRADE /// ABUSIVE LAB TEST)(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2007... Some pen makers claim their ballpoints are tougher than ordinary pens, able to write while upside down, cold or even underwater. So we put three models through a three-part test. The question: Do the self-proclaimed tough guys really beat the...

Flying the familiar skies.(UPGRADE /// TEST DRIVE)(Microsoft Flight Simulator X)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... For many, the allure of Flight Simulator X [$70], Microsoft's latest edition of the seminal PC game series, will come from flying, say, a massive 747 across the globe. But as a sport pilot, I was far more impressed by the smaller, more...

Ktrak's traction-boosting Rear-Drive Kit ($400).(UPGRADE /// TEST DRIVE)
January 1, 2007... Ktrak's traction-boosting Rear-Drive Kit ($400), which consists of a composite wheel with a polyurethane track, is the first step in turning your mountain bike into a muscle-powered snowmobile. To complete the transformation, the Ski Kit ($130)...

Sonic boon.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)
January 1, 2007... According to Creative, its Xmod ($80) is a digital audio miracle worker, restoring MP3s (which lose data during compression) to better-than-studio-quality sound and delivering rich surround sound for movies. Essentially an external sound card,...

Fire in the bowl.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)
January 1, 2007... Camping stoves, such as the MSR Reactor ($140), that screw onto a canister of gas tend to work best when the canister is full, the air is mild and the planets are aligned. The Reactor has a bundle of tricks to combat those shortcomings. But the...

Media matchup.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Apple iPod from Apple Computer Inc.)(Microsoft Zune from Microsoft Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Like any good prizefight, the media player rumble between Microsoft's Zune and Apple's iPod is about settling scores. Will Apple retain the edge against its old rival, or will Microsoft muscle its way to the top? Zune PRICE $250...

10 tech concepts you need to know for 2007: from concrete that can flex to sensors that you swallow, here are the technologies you'll be talking about this year.(TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2007... BENDABLE CONCRETE The nickname for Engineeres Cementitious Composites (ECC) is self-explanatory: bendable concrete. Specially coated microscopic polymer fibers slide past each other instead of snapping under stress, so ECC bends without...

Versatility defined: look in the dictionary for the meaning of "crossover," and you should see a ford edge.(NEW CARS)(Ford Edge from Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Take the best attributes of a minivan, an SUV and a large sedan, put them all together in one vehicle, and you get a sense of what the Ford Edge is all about. The driver sits high, like in an SUV, while the wide dash gives the feeling of a...

X factor: BMW X5.(NEW CARS)(sport utility vehicle)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... It's nice to know that the new BMW X5 can hold a Big Gulp or two--finally. Nicer to know that your java won't spill while hammering the big, built-in-the-USA SUV. At least ours didn't while we tore along rain-slicked back roads in the...

Almost there: AUDI S6/S8.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Audi brought a pair of knives to a gunfight. As quick as the new 5.2-liter Vl0-powered S6 and S8 are, they can't match the blazingly raw acceleration of the 500-hp Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW M sedans they're meant to go up against. Be prepared...

Truck evolution: CHEVROLET/GMC GMT-900.(NEW CARS)(Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra from General Motors Corp. Chevrolet Motor Div.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... We hammered several new Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras over the worst washboards we could find in the Arizona desert: no more axle hop. Instead, the trucks tracked straight, smooth and silently, thanks to new frames and retuned rear...

A bit less wee: Mini.(NEW CARS)(Mini Cooper)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Only Mini faithful would be able to pick a new Mini out of a field of older models. It's a tad longer, with a slightly higher hood--for added pedestrian safety and engine packaging--and the turn signals are now integrated into the headlamps....

For the few: MERCEDES-BENZ CL-CLASS.(NEW CARS)(Daimler-Benz AG)
January 1, 2007... Some cars are not meant for everyone. Case in point, the exclusive coupes of the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class. These big two-doors share the engineering, technology and luxury of the company's S-Class sedans, and a Popular Mechanics Automotive...

Star power: YAMAHA V STAR 1300.(NEW CARS)(Yamaha Motor Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... At first glance, this cruiser looks like the middle bike between the air-cooled V Star 1100 and the larger, air-cooled Road Star. Looks can be deceiving. The V Star 1300 has advanced technology that separates it from the others. Look closely...

Road ready.(SPY REPORTS)(General Motors Corp. Buick Div.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Buick's crossover is on its way. This prototype, spied outside Detroit, looks a lot like the Enclave showcar. The rear-door glass, though, is two parts, not a single pane, which greatly alters the door's shape.

Subtle.(SPY REPORTS)(CTS Corp. )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Close examination of this '08 CTS shows a more aggressive front end. The grille is new and larger, the headlights are offset and the lower air intake is narrower. The sideview mirrors are smaller, reducing turbulence.

Truckin' on.(SPY REPORTS)(Ford Motor Co.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Here's an '08 Escape seen near Ford's proving grounds in Dearborn, Mich. It's clearly meant to resemble Ford's bigger trucks up front with a sectioned grille opening and lots of chrome. In back, changes are minor.

Dueling fuel cells.(NEWS CARS /// FIRST LOOK)
January 1, 2007... The world's carmakers are steadily closing in on the renewable-energy holy grail. Both General Motors and Honda claim they will have hydrogen fuel cell powered family vehicles for public consumption within two years. GM will lease 110 fuel...

Someone says ...(NEW CARS /// FIRST LOOK)(David E. Cole of Center for Automotive Research on alternative fuels)(Quotation)
January 1, 2007... DAVID E. COLE, CHAIRMAN, CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH: "If alternative fuels become economically viable, expect the oil producers to simply lower their prices to remain more appearing."

Nothing too subtle.(JAY LENO'S GARAGE)(increasing fuel economy of a tank engine car)
January 1, 2007... A few years ago, I bought an M-47 Patton tank-engine car. (I wrote about it in PM's May 2004 issue.) Any way you look at it, this thing is a monster. Its wheelbase is more than 15 ft. The engine is a 30-liter V12--each of those 12 cylinders is...

Lights, camera, data! In today's Digital Hollywood, cameras capture scenes in bits, not frames--and computer wizards conjure up everything from impossible beasts to cliff-top battle grounds. Film is dead. Long live the movies.(Digital Hollywood)
January 1, 2007... CHRIS WATTS HAS NEVER worked with a wolf before. He and his crew are the designated animal wranglers for a scene in the upcoming movie 300, directed by Zack Snyder. The wolf in question is making an appearance in the epic about Spartan warriors...

The big picture: the digital movie pipeline can take a motion picture from camera to theater and beyond--without film.
January 1, 2007... ANATOMY OF A MOVIE CAMERA SENSOR The Panavision Genesis captures red, green and blue on a single 12.4-megapixet CCD chip, then combines the color info into a 6-megapixel image. LENSES Cinematographers like the Genesis because...

Bullet from the blue: the mission: attack anywhere in the world in less than an hour. But is the prompt global strike program a critical new weapon for hitting elusive targets, or a good way to set off a nuclear war?
January 1, 2007... A TIP SETS THE PLAN IN MOTION--a whispered warning of a North Korean nuclear launch, or of a shipment of biotoxins bound for a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon. Word races through the American intelligence network until it reaches U.S. Strategic...

Your dad was wrong: a lot of traditional automotive wisdom just doesn't hold up.(misconceptions about automobile care)
January 1, 2007... MOST OF US GREW UP thinking our fathers had encyclopedic knowledge, particularly about those things important to a young man coming of age--sports, women and cars. But as we learn from experience, we realize that much of what we thought was...

Power poineers: at the end of a yearlong quest, our man off-the-grid taps into the wind, ramps up his solar array--and surveys the future of energy production.(Energy Family Part Four)(renewable energy)
January 1, 2007... RIGHT NOW, UNDER THE OPEN-SIDED, high-roofed barns of Earl Audet's western Vermont dairy farm, 950 black and white Holsteins are doing what cows do best: making milk. With metronomic regularity, they dip their heads into piles of chopped silage...

Toxic waste inferno: when a building full of hazardous waste went up in flames, a noxious cloud forced the evacuation of nearly 17,000--and raised concerns about such facilities nationwide.(what went wrong)
January 1, 2007... On the evening of Oct. 5, 2006, Jack Lewis was sprawled on a couch with his bulldog, watching the Tigers beat the Yankees in the playoffs. There's not much else for the police chief of Apex, N.C., to do on a typical Thursday night. "It's...

Cutting class: we put 11 top of the line circular saws through the mill.(PM COMPARISON TEST)(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2007... A typical corded circular saw with a 24-tooth, 7 1/4-in. blade spins at about 5800 rpm. Don't rush for your calculator--we've already run the numbers: Those teeth are doing about 125 mph when they hit the wood, making as many as 139,200 bites...

Making connections: the right wire connector, used correctly, can help DIYers take on electrical jobs--safely.(HOME JOURNAL /// ELECTRICAL BASICS)
January 1, 2007... "I thought you called and programmed the thermostat to turn on the heat," my neighbor Helen Joy said to her husband, Dave, when they arrived at their Catskill vacation home after a 4-hour drive. "I did," Dave insisted. "So why is it chilly?"...

Making tricky tile cuts.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(using wet saws)(preventing carbon monoxide)(repairing water heater)
January 1, 2007... Q I've got a big tile job to do. Does it pay to rent a wet saw? Among the cuts I have to make are some tricky rectangular cutouts. Can the saw do them? A It definitely pays to rent a wet saw for a large job. These machines are designed for...

Lithium-ion update.(TOOL NEWS: LITHIUM POWER CHARGES AHEAD)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The lithium-ion power tool revolution roared to life two years ago this month when Milwaukee Electric Tool introduced its brawny 28-volt products. Other manufacturers soon jumped in. Now the power tool market is awash in lithium-ion technology....

Servicing tapered wheel bearings.(CAR CARE: SATURDAY MECHANIC)
January 1, 2007... It started as a faint squeal a few weeks ago, but lately a grinding sensation has been added to the mix. No biggie, you figure, as you accelerate up the entrance ramp you use every morning. The car probably just needs a fresh set of brake pads....

Keeping it all together.(cleaning the threadlocker)(effect of lead additives on unleaded engine)(repairing the engine slowdown of a Ford Taurus)
January 1, 2007... I have this really nice bike rack that attaches to my trailer hitch receiver. I have to dismantle the rack to get it into my apartment and put it away, which is easy. What's hard is keeping it from dismantling itself on long trips. How can I...

Rimshot.(CAR CARE TIP)(alloy rim)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... I've seen plenty of corroded steel rims leaking air past a rust-curdled bead seat surface. Guess what? Alloy wheels can corrode and leak air just like steel ones do. Today, alloy rims are no longer limited to the rich and famous--even small,...

Card tricks.(Tech Clinic)(securing credit card with radio frequency identification technology)(installing hard drive in a laptop)(comparing physics card with graphics card)
January 1, 2007... I just received a new credit card that has an RFID chip in it, but I've heard reports that thieves might be able to steal my account information from it. Should I be worried? It depends on whom you ask. The new RFID-enabled credit cards and...

Hard-drive capacity.(DO THE MATH)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Your hard drive is advertised as having a 60GB capacity, but your computer shows only 55.8GB. What gives? The discrepancy is the result of having two methods of measuring memory. Computers are binary, or "base two" mathematical systems, and in...

Your own digital DJ: internet radio services have evolved.(NEW TRICKS AND TOOLS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Users of this Java-based player enter a song or artist that they like. Then, Pandora creates a streaming "channel" based on the selection. For each new song, users can vote thumbs up or down--and such responses from the user refine future...

Helicopter repairman.(This Is My Job)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... SGT. WESLEY BOWKER has come a long way since his days fixing a clunker truck on the family farm in Vanleer, Tenn. Today, the 27-year-old repairs Chinook helicopters, the Army's fastest, for the 10th Mountain Division. Bowker was deployed in...