Popular Mechanics articles from January 2008

Popular Mechanics archives from January 2008

No quick fixes.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stephen Flynn's essay "A Crack in the Dam" (Nov. '07) is right on. His suggestion that each governor be required to report the condition of infrastructure in his state--within one year--is a good one. But do our...

Calling all inventor.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... Your magazine has influenced and inspired generations of inventors. I can't wait to read about breakthroughs and gadgets in every issue. Like a huge number of readers, I tinker in my shop to solve problems around the house. Would you consider...

The greening of PM.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2008... I'm a longtime subscriber and have noted the increasing number of articles on the environment. I look forward to these articles but find it an anachronism that each issue contains three-plus subscription cards. Has anyone thought of how many...

Motorcycles.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We're always testing bikes--everything from sport models to cruisers to choppers. Check out our reviews and videos. Then trade tips and buying advice with other riders (and PM's auto editors). Two-wheeler...

Gaming.
January 1, 2008... See the best creations of a Call of Duty modder, then read PM's analysis of the military and automotive realities behind top new titles. Enter to win games and check out our custom-PC community. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] First-look video...

Woodworking.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We can't have new projects in the magazine every month, but our online shop is always open, with 3D plans--plus a new community. Submit your own builds, and rank the creations of others. Free blueprint archive...

The new machine gun.(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... WHEN ROBOT-MAKER Foster-Miller strapped machine guns onto a trio of bomb-disposal bats and sent them to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007, the company created the first armed robots to be deployed in a war zone. Still, no robot has ever actually...

Jetsons watch.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If a prototype folding wing takes off, the decades-long crawl toward a flying car may be closer to completion. The push-button carbon-fiber and Kevlar wing, created by MIT alums at a startup called Terrafugia, was...

Sure shot.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... DARPA has inked a 27-month deal with Lockheed Martin to produce a sniper scope that compensates for wind. One-Shot, as the project is called, should provide accurate shots at targets up to 2000 meters away in winds of up to 40 mph.

Pink = all clear, blue = E.T.(detecting extraterrestrial life on Mars)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The technique used to search for human life in home pregnancy tests will soon be used to scout for alien beings on Mars. Like drugstore kits that detect certain hormones, the Life Marker Chip uses an immunoassay...

Load bearer.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new "exoskeleton" developed at MIT can make an 80-pound backpack feel like 16 pounds. The secret is a network of springs and dampers strapped to the waist, thighs and feet, which allows the machine to shed the...

Cable guard.(protection of cable bridges from car bombs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Scientists at the Department of Homeland Security are experimenting with a protective tube filled with paint balls that could guard bridge cables from car bombs. When there's an explosion, the Kevlar or PVC-encased balls would burst, absorbing...

Spotted eye.(Jupiter's Little Red Spot)(Brief article)(Photograph)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On its way past Jupiter, NASA's Pluto-bound New Horizons spaceship caught a series of phenomena on camera, including lightning at the planet's poles and the first closeups of Jupiter's Little Red Spot, a growing...

Gentlemen, start your robots: at the 2007 Darpa Urban Challenge, robotic cars raced for street-smart supremacy.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THERE WAS SOMETHING FOR NEARLY everyone at the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, a robot car race held in November at a former Air Force base in Southern California. For the Pentagon, there was progress in the effort to...

Time machine: December 1943.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FBI director J. Edgar Hoover boasted that wartime citizen surveillance was helping the agency score a "shutout" victory. FOREIGN SPYING was considered a major threat during World War II, and FBI director J. Edgar...

Sun beams: the next energy frontier: using orbiting satellites to beam solar power down to Earth.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE IDEA OF USING SATELLITES TO beam solar power down from space is nothing new--the Department of Energy first studied it in the 1970s, and NASA took another look in the '90s. The stumbling block has been less the...

Sonic Boomerang.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Razer Mako 2.1 Desktop Speakers)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most computer speakers shoot their sound straight ahead. That's fine if you're parked in an office-chair sweet spot, but moving from your seat can create an unbalanced sound, muddying your music and movies. The Razer...

Rugged shot.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(GoPro Digital Hero 3)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With just 3 megapixels, no optical zoom and an antiquated reliance on a pair of AAA batteries, the innards of the GoPro Digital Hero 3 Camera ($140) may not inspire you to hang up your digital SLR. But then again,...

A toolkit staple.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Arrow CT50 Cordless Staple Gun)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A manual staple gun will get you through any job, but after hours of hanging insulation, your hands may be begging for mercy. The ARROW CT50 CORDLESS STAPLE GUN ($185) uses a lithium-ion battery to provide 1500...

Is it worth it? Brand-name: HDMI cables.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(high-definition Multimedia interface )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... "We tell you an expensive HDMI cable will give you a better picture," a Circuit City TV salesman informs PM--but do brand-name cables really deliver a better picture? To find out, we pit two of them against a cheap generic cord in a blind test....

iRobot Looj.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The iRobot Looj ($99) purports to clear gutters like a remote-control torpedo. As with most home robots, the reality doesn't quite match the lazy-man fantasy. In tests, it couldn't penetrate heavy clumps of leaves...

Diamond-embedded saw blade.(Test Drive)(Lenox Diamond Reciprocating Saw Blade )(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Cast iron is like kryptonite for contractors, dulling most blades or stopping them in their tracks. The nickel alloy on the Lenox Diamond Reciprocating Saw Blade ($19) is embedded with industrial diamonds that allow it to cut through even the...

The juice box.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(HYmini)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... It would take a blackout on a windless night for the HYmini ($50) to run dry. This universal charger, which works with most MP3 players and cellphones, is the first to soak up both wind and, using an optional attachment, solar power. On days...

Chain-saw gloves.(Test Drive)(Husqvarna Chain-Saw Protective Gloves)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chain saws are inherently dangerous, so it's wise to armor up before going to work. The tops of the Husqvarna Chain-Saw Protective Gloves ($26) are coated in a Kevlar-like shield that is meant to protect the hand in...

Meade MySky.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Meade MySky ($400) turns the heavens into a universe-size se]f-guided museum tour. point the gunlike gadget at the sky and it uses GPS and motion sensors to pick out which planet, star or constellation it's aimed...

Speeding Bullitt: a subtle but thorough massaging transforms the Mustang GT into a Bullitt.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... PM OFFICIALLY TEST DRIVEN ++ The car chase in the 1968 film Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen, is one of the greatest in movie history. The tire-shredding, San Francisco street-jumping scenes made McOueen's green Mustang an icon. To...

Sport wagon: Infinity EX35.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Infiniti doesn't pretend the all-new EX will spend time slogging down a muddy two-track any more than it will ever see a pair of kayaks strapped to the roof. Leave that stuff to trucks. The EX is like a G35 wagon, so...

The firm: Toyota Matrix.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... In a surprise move, Toyota is making the new Matrix aggressively sporty. As we found recently in North Carolina, the handling is more "European"--read firm--than before. Yet the Matrix still retains its practical four-door-hatch style and...

Future fuel: Land Rover LR3 diesel.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Until recently, diesel was deemed too expensive for Land Rover in the United States. But it's coming in 2011. To get a taste, we traveled to the backcountry of northwestern Argentina. Our $77,000 Land Rover LR3 had a...

Powerhouse: BMW 135i.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Putting its biggest six-cylinder engine into its smallest car has helped BMW build a real hot rod--the 135i. The 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged Six is a 300-hp smoothie. BMW says it will run to 62 mph in a scant 5.3 seconds and top out at 155...

Quiet evolution: Ford Focus.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Though Ford gave the Focus a facelift, this is the same basic chassis that has underpinned the car since 2000. We've long admired the Focus's driving dynamics, and the new model is composed and quiet, thanks to...

Winter wagon: Volvo XC70.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Volvo's 1997 Cross Country wagon helped shape the current crossover craze. Now in its third generation, Volvo's beefiest wagon offers more refinement and more capability. The back roads and timber trails in Montana's northern forests provided...

Tow master.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Toyota Sequoia)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The all-new, three-row Toyota Sequoia is bigger inside and out and borrows heavily from the technicals of the Tundra pickup truck. Two engines are offered. If you opt for the 381-hp 5.7-liter V8, your SUV can tow...

Prius plugs in.(NEW CARS: NEWS)(Toyota Prius)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Toyota has big plans for the Prius. The next generation model, due in '09, will likely get plug-in hybrid technology. Recently, we had a chance to drive a plug-in protoype in Japan. The car was equipped with two...

Driving on [H.sub.2].(NEW CARS: NEWS)(hydrogen fuel cell powered cars)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Starting this month, GM is taking fuel cells to the people. More than 100 Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles will circulate among customers in three-month stints, free of charge in exchange for feedback. We drove one recently and found that it...

FCX goes public.(NEW CARS: NEWS)(Honda FCX)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Honda has announced that a production prototype version of the FCX fuel cell concept vehicle will enter limited public circulation sometime this year. The car will be leased to a select group of early hand raisers and will become a real-world...

Aiming high: Lincoln MKS.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lincoln's MKS sedan is the first new large sedan from Ford's luxury division in decades. Due to go on sale later this year, the MKS will be Lincoln's flagship vehicle, next to the Town Car, of course. But unlike its...

Waiting game: 2009 Honda Fit.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Fit has been a runaway hit for Honda, so a switch to the next-generation model is delayed by about a year. The new version, already on sale in Japan, is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary step. It's bigger and rides more smoothly...

Hottest hatch: 2008 Subaru WRX STI.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The WRX STI is the ultra-high-performance version of the WRX. But unlike the previous generation, which came in sedan form, the new STI will be a five-door hatchback. Under the hood is a turbocharged Four with a...

Head turner: 2009 Nissan Murano.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Few designs look fresh right before a remodel. But the current Murano is still a looker. The '09 model is all new with more refined sheetmetal. The 265-hp 3.5-1iter V6 is hitched to a second-generation CVT calibrated...

The IS F is the first Lexus "F" car.(NEW CARS: TECH BREAKOUT)(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2008... PM OFFICIALLY TEST DRIVE ++ ENTER THE SPORTIEST LEXUS EVER. HERE'S THE TECH THAT MAKES IT TICK The IS F is the first Lexus "F" car. The F treatment turns a normal Lexus into an aggressively tuned performance car, ready to step up to...

Long-term test cars: our fleet fattens by one very able, very popular and very red Jeep.(AUTOMOTIVE)(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] first report JEEP | WRANGLER UNLIMITED RUBICON The old adage among Jeepers is "real Jeeps have round headlights." Well, since many Jeep crossovers have round lights, too, we'd like to amend that to "real...

Will hydrogen fuel our future? Jay spends 10 days behind the wheel of BMW's Hydrogen 7.(JAY LENO'S GARAGE)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE BLAMING the automobile for global warming, I have to chuckle. At the turn of the previous century, the car was seen as a savior. Back then, horses were the primary means of motive power, pulling...

10 tech concepts you need to know for 2008: machines are getting smaller, handier--and much, much smarter.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EEG Game Controllers Video games that can read your mind will invade living rooms this year, thanks to electroencephalography (EEG) controllers that detect the electrical activity of the brain. Emotiv Systems'...

Watching the watchers: if governments and businesses can keep an eye on us, we ought to be able to look back.(THINKING AHEAD)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SUDDENLY, CAMERAS ARE EVERYWHERE. As this month's cover story notes (page 64), the recent boom in video monitoring--by both the state and businesses--means we're all being watched. It's like something out of George...

The digital studio: advances in digital technology have closed the gap between hobbyist and professional. Here's how four regular guys are maximizing their creative potential--without leaving home.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Production value. It used to be the way to tell the difference between the work of an amateur creative artist and a professional. Musicians who recorded in a studio had a sound that was polished and sophisticated,...

Welcome to the panopticon: high-tech surveillance isn't just for secretive government agencies anymore. Artificially intelligent cameras will soon be watching us almost everywhere, from the sidewalk to the supermarket.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE FERRY ARRIVED, the gangway went down and 7-year-old Emma Powell rushed toward the Statue of Liberty. She climbed onto the grass around the star-shaped foundation. She put on a green foam crown with seven...

The case for diesel: the dark horse of fossil fuels has cleaned up its act, allowing automakers to create cars for the U.S. that are ultraefficient and high-performance. Hybrids, watch out.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Merging with northbound traffic on Interstate 75 just outside Auburn Hills, Mich., I punch the accelerator, quickly swing left into the passing lane and pull forcefully ahead of the cars around me. In any other...

The city of the future: a blighted island in San Francisco bay could become the world's hottest property, a showcase of sustainable design. With cities now consuming 75 percent of natural resources, it's just in time.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * EVERY DAY, A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND vehicles cross the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, their drivers barely aware of the small, rectangular land mass lying just to the north. From where I am standing, on rocky...

10 ways to fix air travel: flying may be incredibly safe, but it's also unreliable, inefficient and stressful. Here's how to make the experience aloft easier on us--and the planet.
January 1, 2008... Merely approaching an airport during the holiday season can seem downright masochistic. American passengers, who fly some 800 billion miles per year, are familiar with the aggravations-crowded terminals, long lines at security checkpoints, lost...

Utility players.(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2008... They have always been fun, hop-and-go transport for hunting, fishing and exploring, but these days, utility vehicles are also rugged workers. Smart attachments and ample power let them do jobs once reserved for tractors. We proved this by...

Blind tricks.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I went to hang some blinds and curtains in my house and learned why the previous owners mounted everything to the wood trim around the windows: Drill anywhere near a window and you hit what feels like rock--or else you hit nothing but air....

Screeching wrecks shower! Please help.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... MY PEACEFUL MORNING SHOWER IS BEING RUINED BY SCREECHING THAT OCCURS AS SOON AS I MOVE THE SHOWER HANDLE. THE NOISE KEEPS UP UNTIL I TURN THE WATER OFF. WHAT CAUSES THIS? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This nerve-assaulting noise is usually...

The stain detective.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I've got a mysterious stain on the ceiling of a bedroom. It looks like a stain from a plumbing leak, but there's no plumbing in the ceiling, as far as I know. How can I paint over the stain and be sure that it will stay hidden? First, you need...

Make an anti-ice salt blaster.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Still slowly spreading rock salt by hand? Tsk, tsk. I designed this blaster to cover yards of icy pavement in seconds. Slice a big opening in a plastic jug. Make an impeller shaft by cutting a 1/4-20 thread onto a length of 1/4-in. steel rod...

Cooking with gas?(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I have a gas range with a digital control panel. The range would not operate during a recent power outage when I was running my home off a gasoline-powered generator. What was wrong? You've probably got a power-quality problem. Many gas-engine...

A quick fix.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... A few months ago I noticed gas leaking from a chain saw we were testing. Removing the fuel cap, I found that an O-ring had torn in half. Finding a replacement at short notice for such an oddly sized ring seemed unlikely. There goes the...

Replacing a valve-cover gasket.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's been a busy morning spent running errands in your pickup. And despite the warm spell lately, you've needed to keep the elderly truck idling all morning because the battery just won't turn the motor over anymore....

Field of dreams.(automotive batteries)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The alternator on my Chevy pickup isn't keeping the battery charged consistently. My mechanic has replaced the voltage regulator twice, and now he wants to replace the alternator for a second time. He charges me $50...

Double-crossed.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I recently changed the spark plugs and wires in my 1998 Mazda B4000 pickup, and now it wants to spit and sputter. I checked the gap twice before installing them. What could be causing the sputtering? Dollars to donuts you've crossed two of...

Cold idle.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I have a 2002 Dodge Intrepid. My heater only works when my rpms are above 2500. I think it has to do with the pressure through the heater but I am not sure about that--or how to fix it. First off, a lot of modern cars don't really have good...

Ring around the pinion.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Starter motors are easy to change, at least at first glance. Hey, it's a couple of wires and a few simple bolts. Most GM starters on V8 and V6 engines use only two bolts. Unfortunately, the tolerances in the casting...

All pumped up.
January 1, 2008... I have a '96 Plymouth Breeze, and since I've had the fuel pump replaced (with a used pump, not a new one, because they're really expensive), the car won't start normally. When I start my car it just cranks over like it's going to start, but it...

Wall mounting a flat-panel HDTV: it looks like a framed work of art. Why not hang it like one?(High Definition Television)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hanging a flat-panel LCD or plasma television on your wail is a simple project that can be accomplished in about an hour. But, once you're done, it takes a surprising amount of faith to step back and leave a $1000 to...

Power monger.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I've got a desktop computer that I've already upgraded with extra memory and optical drives. I'd also like to add an extra hard drive, but I'm concerned that I may overload my wimpy 300-watt power supply. Is there a...

Name change.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I recently upgraded from my older, slower 802.11b Wi-Fi access point to an access point using the faster 802.11n Wi-Fi standard. I gave my network the same name, but now both of the laptops I use on the network show errors when I try to log in....

Floor model.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q + A)(liquid crystal displays)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... I was in a store recently and saw a discount on a floor-model LCD screen. It looked like a deal, and I was tempted to buy, but those things are on all day long. If this screen has been on for three months, is it almost burned out? What is the...

1440p (2560 x 1440 resolution).(TECH TERM)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... 1440p (2560 x 1440 resolution) It seems like 1080p, HDTV's current high-pixel-count champion, just isn't good enough for some people. HDTVs are going even higher-def. Never mind that no video source material is currently available in 1440p...

Who's got the best fine print?(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Everybody may hate his cellphone carrier equally, but not all contracts are equally bad. Multiyear plans and poor customer service apparently come standard, but the carriers do differ on some key factors, such as early termination fees and...

Take me back.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q + A)
January 1, 2008... I've noticed that some backup software in Microsoft Vista and Apple's Leopard operating systems will save multiple previous versions of files and allow you to revert to them. How much extra hard drive space does this feature use versus ordinary...

This is my job: utility crew captain.(Jack Durkin)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... * JACK DURKIN * NEW YORK, N.Y. * YEARS ON JOB: 20 JACK DURKIN IS THE MOST CONSISTENT guy on the ice for the New York Rangers--and he never draws a penalty. He heads the Madison Square Garden utility crew, which changes surfaces...