Popular Mechanics articles from July 2003

Popular Mechanics archives from July 2003

The testers. (Editor's Notes).
July 1, 2003... Regular readers know that part of our editorial mission has always been the testing of new products. Why do we test? So that we can publish the results of our testing, offer you expert opinion, and help you make an intelligent buying decision....

X. (Battle Of The X-Planes).
July 1, 2003... The battle is taking place at the Pentagon's budget conferences, not in the skies where it belongs. JOHN MAHONEY VIA INTERNET When will the egos at the Pentagon realize that the best interests of the United States are not...

New frontiers. (Battle Of The X-Planes).
July 1, 2003... I was intrigued by your article on X-planes, but I was awed by Buzz Aldrin's article on the space program. It was good to see someone of his stature come forward at this time of need for NASA and space exploration in general. STEPHEN G....

Weed designs. (Battle Of The X-Planes).
July 1, 2003... The designs for the World Trade Center are the ugliest I have seen in all of my 60 years. The design selection committee must have been smoking some "wacky tobacky." TIIDO TENNELO WILMINGTON, VT

Muscle boats. (Battle Of The X-Planes).
July 1, 2003... After reading the statistics for the muscle boats, I have to wonder what kind of person would spend $100,000 for a boat just to drive it around a lake. And who needs an engine with 502 cu. in.? I can understand spending that much for a car...

Time machine.
July 1, 2003... 50 Years Ago: July 1953 Giddyap! POPULAR MECHANICS didn't believe that the horse would supplant the auto as America's transportation mode of choice. Rather, it was the growing popularity of horseback riding and the resultant hundreds...

Hubble creates a stellar mosaic. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Stargazers received an unexpected gift from last year's Leonid meteor storm, the best picture ever taken of the sprawling Helix Nebula, shown above. The nebula is the expanding shell of a dying star that appears as a ghostly doughnut in the...

A faster way to give orders. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... The $5 billion constellation of Milstar communications satellites is now operational. Through its higher-speed circuitry, field commanders can receive orders from the Pentagon in 6 seconds instead of 1 hour. Described by the Air Force as...

No-damage bullet identification. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... One of the obstacles to matching bullets to guns is the damage inflicted during "water tank" testing. High-velocity and hollow-point rounds shatter and distort, as shown on the left. Ballistics Research of Rome, Ga., has found a way to keep...

A strange 'charm'. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... A new atomic particle has been discovered by researchers at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in California. Named Ds (2317)--for its mass of 2317 megaelectron volts--it consists of an unusual configuration of a "charm" quark and a...

New use for pipes. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Because of the extensive legal and planning approval needed to dig beneath a city street, few commercial buildings connect directly to light-speed fiberoptic networks. Seeing an opportunity in this "last mile" problem, Sempra Fiber Links of San...

Cleaning a carrier. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... The USS Enterprise, shown here with its crew arranged to mark its 40th anniversary as the U.S. Navy's first nuclear carrier, has a special distinction. It is now one of the most environmentally friendly ships in the Navy's fleet. As part of a...

Robots play soccer. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Legions of soccer-playing robots and their creators descended upon Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh recently for the International RoboCup Federation's first American Open robot soccer tournament and exhibit. Teams squared off in...

Sniffing trouble. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Flying chemical sensors are now protecting American troops. The JCAD ChemSentry consists of a chemical-agent detector and a transmitter. If the use of chemical agents is anticipated, the sensors are flown into the suspected hot spot. Once...

LEXAN turns 50. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Forget gold. This is a plastic 50th anniversary. LEXAN resin, one of the world's most widely used engineered materials, began life in 1953 as a beakerful of goop in a General Electric lab. Its inventor, Daniel Fox, found that when the goop...

SARS secret. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) spread to 24 countries in only eight weeks because Chinese officials treated the first outbreak in the southern province of Guangdong as a state secret, say international health experts. As a result, it...

Painless fishing. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... We haven't asked any trout their opinion, but a study of piscine physiology concludes that fish feel neither fear nor pain when they are hooked. James D. Rose of the University of Wyoming says they lack the parts of the brain needed to produce...

Rare wings. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Aviation buffs will want to check out the Heros of the Sky exhibit at Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich. Highlights include the Ford-built Trimotor (above) that carried Adm. Richard E. Byrd on the first flight over the...

Planet watch. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... * TURKEY A magnitude 6.4 earthquake with an epicenter in the Diyarbakir region killed at least 20 children on May 1 when their 4-story boarding school dormitory collapsed. In 1999, an earthquake here killed more than 17,000 people. * TEXAS...

ATVs go to sea. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... Ever wish you could drive your ATV into the surf and keep right on riding? A foam-filled ATV from Extreme Machine 2000 of Leavenworth, Wash., can turn a day at the beach into an afternoon of sailing. The company says its 2-person...

Health monitor. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... In theory, diabetics should keep diaries that record abnormal glucose levels and possible triggering events, such as a skipped meal. For those prone to forget, a new glucose monitor will make record keeping easier. When LifeScan's OneTouch...

Double-hull oil barge. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... By 2020, virtually all vessels that transport oil must have double hulls to prevent spills. While naval architects have focused chiefly on designing new supercarriers that can meet the standards of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, they have not...

Shivering helps cool. (Technology Watch).
July 1, 2003... When humans shiver, it helps them stay warm. When a new type of condenser coil shivers, it helps cool things down. Water-cooled evaporative condenser coils lose efficiency as scale buildup inhibits heat transfer. This requires expensive...

Nuclear safety. (Following Up...).
July 1, 2003... Little progress has been made on stemming the flow of nuclear material from the former Soviet Union, according to Harvard University researchers. The problem, described in our June 1998 cover story, is poor security at formerly top-secret...

Spy eyes at war. (Following Up...).
July 1, 2003... The birth of the commercial spy satellite business, which we covered in our June 2000 issue, touched off a debate within the defense community. At issue: What should become of real-time images during a war? The law gives the president "shutter...

World's most powerful loudspeaker. (Acoustics).
July 1, 2003... What? Sorry, you'll have to talk a little louder. Oh, you want to hear the story about the world's loudest speaker? Well, listen closely. If you've ever had your ears numbed at a rock concert, you know that music can aggravate as well as...

Jules Verne. (PM People).
July 1, 2003... In the June 1904 issue of POPULAR MECHANICS, Jules Verne wrote an article predicting how the submarine would be used in the future. Verne was known and loved worldwide as the author of futuristic adventure stories filled with technical details...

'Smart' guns: dumb ideal! (Firearms).
July 1, 2003... At first blush it seems like a great idea. A gun that can determine if the person holding it is an authorized user. A smart gun that will fire only if it recognizes the shooter's thumbprint. Pretty neat. Homeowners would want it because it...

Smart weapons under fire. (Munitions).
July 1, 2003... Looking at the bomb damage photos flashing on the flat-screen television on next to Gen. Vincent Brooks as he delivered his daily briefing at U.S. Central Command outside Doha, Qatar, I began to understand that the expression "shock and awe"...

Call to war. (Electronics).
July 1, 2003... Pay no mind to the massive convoy of media trucks outside the Palestine Hotel in Iraq's occupied capital. They're passe. The age of the modern wired war reporter is here, and it doesn't lie with the TV crews. In April, I decided to cover...

Photos that phone. (Imaging).
July 1, 2003... You probably weren't expecting this from a cellphone manufacturer: a product that lets you spy on the kids when you're away for the weekend. It's the new Observation Camera from Nokia. Operating in tandem with your cellphone, the camera lets...

2004 Ford GT. (New Cars).
July 1, 2003... In case you've been visiting the outer reaches of Orion and missed the news, Ford Motor Co. is celebrating its centennial. Amid the fanfare of the occasion, the carmaker is honoring its heritage in a number of ways, the loudest of which is the...

2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK Cabriolet. (New Cars).
July 1, 2003... Strong believers in freedom of choice, the folks at Mercedes-Benz are offering their latest model, the CLK Cabriolet, in three versions: CLK320, CLK500 and CLK55 AMG. Each offers performance, an unusually quiet interior and a more rigid...

2004 Nissan Titan. (New Cars).
July 1, 2003... No longer will resurgent Nissan miss out on its slice of the full-size pickup pie. The Titan, Nissan's first big truck, will hit the streets in December. Not wanting to wait until then, we spent a day driving one at Nissan's Arizona Test...

2005 Corvette. (Detroit Spy Report).
July 1, 2003... The first photos of the newest Corvette reveal a multitude of changes in store for Chevrolet's 2-seat icon--apparent despite the extensive camouflage over the front and rear clips. It appears that the new model will offer a complete set of new...

2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. (Europe Spy Report).
July 1, 2003... The next-generation S-Class Mercedes is scheduled for our shores in late 2005 as a 2006 model. And if the picture of the body-in-white being piloted around sans doors and hood looks a little odd, you're an astute observer. This S-Class is the...

2005 BMW 6 Series. (Europe Spy Report).
July 1, 2003... Look for the resurrected BMW 6 Series Cabrio to appear in about a year, tagged as a 2005 model. Powered by a 231-hp 3.0-liter Six, a 272-hp 3.5-liter V8 or a 333-hp 4.4-liter V8, the convertible hardly breaks any new ground. Expect prices to...

2005 Porsche 911. (Europe Spy Report).
July 1, 2003... The ageless Porsche 911's styling returns to a rounder headlight opening for the 2005 model year. Other refinements are more subtle, such as the instrument panel styled after the Cayenne SUV's. The big news from the engine room is that the...

An unknown American classic. (Jay Leno's Garage).
July 1, 2003... I'm the kind of guy who's always looking for automotive DNA. I'm fascinated by mechanical lineage. From sports cars, back to classics, then further back to brass cars--I want to know how it all started. That's why I read an interesting book...

The machines of Terminator 3: Arnold's new blockbuster film employs breakthrough special effects that dazzle even the experts. (Science).
July 1, 2003... Whether you are a casual movie fan or a film school graduate, you probably hear an echo of Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice whenever someone says: "I'll be back." Uttered during the famous police station scene of the 1984 time-travel thriller "The...

Mobile madness: new wireless gear heats up. (Telecom).
July 1, 2003... If you think wireless phones can't get any smaller, you're probably right. Games, videos, pictures and Web browsing demand a screen with a generous viewing area, and subscribers are trading off size for performance--and a fatter monthly service...

Hybrid vs. gas cross country: a 3000-mile test of hybrid hype versus gasoline efficiency in two Honda Civics. (Alternate Fuels).
July 1, 2003... Chromed dubs on your Escalade are, like, so yesterday. Big Bentleys with windows so black you'd more likely see through a concrete wall have come, gone, and are distinctly uncool. And nobody who's anybody wants to be seen in the same time zone...

Balance of power: how to choose the right engine for your boat. (Boating).
July 1, 2003... What's the best engine for your boat? To answer this age-old question, we arranged with Steve Fleming at Mercury Marine and Chuck Thompson at Trophy to borrow three identical 2003 22-ft, Trophy Walkarounds, each powered by a different Mercury...

Supercharged shoes: how fitness shoes take a giant step in comfort and control. (Fitness).
July 1, 2003... Play harder with less fatigue. That's the good news for your feet--and the rest of you too. The newest fitness shoes are packed with innovative technology for improved comfort, support and energy management. By no means should you think all...

Seeing is believing: JVC introduces the first high-definition consumer camcorder you can buy. (Video).
July 1, 2003... Millions of pixels and nothing to watch. That's the dilemma for many consumers who've made the leap to HDTV and are still waiting for a satisfying menu of high-definition programming. You don't have to wait for broadcasters and cable companies...

Under pressure: we test six electric pressure washers. (Comparison Test).
July 1, 2003... We usually don't think of water as a mechanical tool. No, it's more a benign, gentle servant that quietly cycles from tap to drain, acting as an endless medium for cooking, cleaning, heating and cooling. Not anything like a real tool that...

Screen gem: add character to your backyard with our cedar privacy screen. (Shop Project).
July 1, 2003... Whether you have a small garden in town or an expansive country estate, there's nothing like relaxing in your own backyard. When the weather's fine, it's the ideal place to shed that cooped-up feeling--without leaving home. Sometimes, though,...

Questions about mold. (Homeowners Clinic).
July 1, 2003... I have heard many reports of mold in houses in the Houston area. What is mold and how can I prevent it from occurring in my house? YOUNG NGUYEN ADDRESS WITHHELD Mold is the common name for simple plants or fungi that are usually...

Review: appliance repair help. (Home Journal).
July 1, 2003... The most important tool is information, and when it comes to appliance repair, that may mean getting a service manual, such as the one shown here. Your best one-stop source for manuals, parts and information is RepairClinic.com. It carries a...

Gas appliance safety. (Service tip: maintenance).
July 1, 2003... When you bring a new gas dryer or range home, or move a gas appliance to a new location, there are several things to be aware of so that the installation is troublefree and safe. First, the most important piece of advice is a general one, and...

Smoke alarm signal. (Homeowners Clinic).
July 1, 2003... My husband and I were awakened recently when all our hardwired smoke detectors went off at once. We checked everything and found no problem. Do you have any idea what causes this? AMANDA COLE VIA INTERNET A smoke alarm can be...

Horizontal water heater. (Homeowners Clinic).
July 1, 2003... Can the average upright water heater be installed horizontally as a spacesaving measure? BILL AKERMAN VIA INTERNET No. An electric water heater is designed for upright installation. Even shipping one in a horizontal position can...

Tired. (Auto Clinic).
July 1, 2003... I just purchased four new Continental tires for my car. When looking at them the morning after they were installed, I saw indentations on the sidewalls of all four tires. I went to the dealer, and he said they were mold marks. Not satisfied, I...

Ginza by night. (Auto Clinic).
July 1, 2003... I have a 1985 Lincoln Mark VII. I've driven it only 86,000 miles since it was new. The digital dashboard has failed. It blinks at random, often displaying the wrong numbers and beeping at odd moments. The part has been discontinued for several...

Old clunker. (Auto Clinic).
July 1, 2003... I have a question about my 1999 Suburban. Many times when I accelerate from a complete stop, I hear a clunk noise from the rear. Two mechanics have checked this out. The dealer serviced the rear end and checked the U-joints. Another mechanic...

Alternator attraction. (Car Care Tip).
July 1, 2003... It was the same old story--an older car that didn't seem to want to start reliably. The elderly woman who drove the vehicle did not have a very good grasp of the problem beyond the fact that her car wouldn't start. And that another mechanic had...

Service tips. (Car Care).
July 1, 2003... * Is the back-door pull strap of your 2001-02 Toyota Sequoia loose? Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) BO006-03 has the part number for a more durable strap. * If the sliding door of your 1999-2003 Honda Odyssey is difficult to open, check...

How to charge your battery. (Saturday Mechanic).
July 1, 2003... Spring has come and gone. With the yard finally whipped into shape, you've managed to schedule a long weekend up in the mountains--just you and your family and a few days of a lot of nothing. The motorhome starts with the aid of jumper cables,...

Great stuff: from home improvement to outdoors, automotive to electronics, here's the newest gear you'll want to own.
July 1, 2003... 1. Time Check Suunto, the renowned designer and manufacturer of sports and navigation instruments, has produced a slick golf computer that's worn on the wrist. The G9 has programming features and a Global Positioning System receiver that...

"T" for two. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Any new Ford Thunderbird can be converted into this T-Bird Sportster with bolt-on parts. Components include the CTEK Motorsports custom sports roadster tonneau and Katzkin custom leather interior. Powertrain enhancements include engine...

Deere season. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Tractor shopping? Have a look at John Deere's five new 100 series machines powered by engines that range from a 17-hp single-cylinder Briggs & Stratton to a 25-hp V-twin Kohler. We show the L130, a 54-in. tractor powered by a 23-hp Kohler...

Vigorous video. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Harman Kardon's DVD 101 may sound like an introductory college course on home entertainment, but it's something much better: a single-play, progressive-scan DVD player engineered for exceptional video and audio quality. It offers many features...

Pack a pocket. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Here's a lot of power to slip in your pocket:Toshiba's new PC e755.With 96MB of RAM, 32MB is dedicated to NAND flash memory. You can store applications, files and programs in the flash memory and it will remain intact--even if the PDA's battery...

Hands down. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... So what if you're not a NASCAR mechanic. You still can wear the same Mechanix Wear M-Pact 2 Gloves that they do. Made from synthetic leather, the gloves use double-layered padded palm and knuckle protection. The gloves sell for $39.95 at auto...

Tray service. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... One of the best home improvement ideas we've seen in a while is the FlipTray. It attaches to a stepladder with adjustable brackets. Flip it open if you need a storage tray strong enough to hold paint and power tools. Flip it closed when not in...

Footloose and caddy-free. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... If you like to walk the golf course but don't like carrying a heavy golf bag or pulling a heavy cart, the 24-volt Freedom Power Caddy may be of interest. You walk while the motorized caddy carries your bag, drink, scorecard and pencil. A...

Lock 'em out. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Summer may signal the onset of warm-weather fun, but it also is a burglar's favorite season. If you're considering a deadbolt lockset, take a look at Kwikset's UltraMax line. It meets the American National Standards Institute's Grade 1...

Winning combination. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... What do you get when you combine an AM/FM radio with a 5-in. fiat-screen black-and-white TV, a 180[degrees] rotating fluorescent lantern with a krypton spotlight, a thermometer and a compass? The Multi-Function Sport TV/Lantern. That comes with...

Head start. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Impact Racing makes the Lil' Champ helmet for young racers 5 to 10 years old. The fin, with styling suitable for use in gladiator competition, is removable for sports in the post-A.D. 1000 era. Quick-fit memory foam sizing pads allow a single...

Small wonder. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Pentax's Optio S ($425) is smaller than your average business card, but is still a high-quality 3.2-megapixel, 3x optical zoom digital camera--packaged in a tough aluminum alloy case. The Optio S offers a patented sliding zoom mechanism that...

Virtual sleuthing. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... If you're a fan of CBS's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," you will be thrilled with Ubi Soft's newest creation. Its PC game by the same name is on shelves and crying out for you to help solve some serious crimes. With the look and feel of the...

Chalk it up. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... The QuickFil makes it easy to fill a chalkline by using a small container filled with marking chalk. To use it, slide back the chalkline's oversize fill opening, then peel off the container's seal. Slide the container so it fits in the groove....

Summer summit. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Summer grilling is good. It's even better with Weber's newly revised Summit series gas grills. Consider the Summit A, a $1000 appliance that puts 44,000 BTU per hour at your disposal on 504 sq. in. of primary cooking surface. Two foldup...

Carton copy. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Pinnacle Systems has jumped into the personal backup market with InstantCopy, a software suite that writes data, audio and video to recordable CD and DVD optical media. One of its unique features is its ability to back up a 9GB video DVD...

No cord, no waiting. (Great Stuff).
July 1, 2003... Craft people like the convenience of glue guns--except for their darned cord. Consider the butane-fired G150. Click its piezoelectric igniter and it's ready to work in 4 minutes. It runs for 3 hours on a filling of gas. It is temperature...

How to survive a sandstorm. (Worst-Case Scenarios).
July 1, 2003... You're traveling through the Iraqi desert to Baghdad to work on a reconstruction project. Up ahead is a huge cloud moving low over the ground. Uh-oh--a sandstorm. There s no place to seek shelter. What should you do? Wet a bandanna or...