Popular Mechanics articles from June 2004

Popular Mechanics archives from June 2004

Guns and butter.(Editor's Notes)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... WHENEVER we print an article about firearms, I get a rash of letters from a certain faction calling us everything from gun nuts to kid killers. Some of them ask why we print articles on those horrible things called guns. Some question our...

Queen Mary 2.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... The new Queen is surely an impressive vessel. The only trouble is that, in this day and age, it and other ships like it are floating targets begging pirate-terrorists to board at sea and hold them hostage--or worse. CHAS MCPHERSON, Via Internet...

All in one.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... It's interesting to note that electronics manufacturers are converging products into single units that do it all. But why just for the entertainment market? Why aren't manufacturers combining computer-related products into one unit--all the...

PM zone.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Your Internet article "Replacing A Dishwasher," by Merle Henkenius, was both informative and very helpful. I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle this job as I am not exactly Mr. Fix-It. But his article made it look rather manageable. The whole task...

Reader project of the Month.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I BUILT this fiberglass 3-wheel, 2-seat diesel vehicle because I couldn't find a car that ran economically enough. This car gets 70 mpg and rides smoothly. It has air-ride suspension, is stable on the road and can maintain highway speeds....

Sub-jective: 100 years ago (June 1904).(Time Machine)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Author Jules Verne, expounding on the future of the submarine, said that its use would be confined to war but would ultimately bring peace. Verne said that there was no defense against the sub. He foresaw battle fleets becoming useless, and...

Tricky business: 75 years ago (June 1929).(Time Machine)
June 1, 2004... This ad for the Ventrilo, a small instrument that fit in the mouth, promised boys the ability to throw their voice into a trunk, a desk at school--anywhere. "You can get lots of fun fooling the teacher, policemen, peddlers and all your...

Feeling low: 25 years ago (June 1979).(Time Machine)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Forget sharks. "Jaws" was a tea party compared to the kinds of jobs that industrial divers were taking on. Sometimes working in total darkness, and at record-setting depths, these divers faced a variety of formidable hazards--including...

Junior jet: 50 years ago (June 1954).(Time Machine)(midget helicopter)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... This midget helicopter, built by Benson Aircraft, weighed only 100 pounds but could lift more than four times its weight. The craft, with a rotor span of only 15 ft., was powered by two 5-pound aluminum ramjet engines that were mounted on the...

A better way to restart hearts.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AN overweight man walking ahead of you clutches his chest and falls to the floor. If you have been trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) you know exactly what to do. Sadly, most bystanders can only dial 911 and wring their hands while...

Teeth reveal early ancestors.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FOSSILIZED teeth found in Ethiopia have revealed man's earliest ancestor, a nearly 6 million-year-old biped that lived in a once lushly wooded area 180 miles northeast of Addis Ababa. "Ardipithecus kadabba may represent the first species on the...

Stamping out transistors.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AN unusual method for printing circuits on sheets of plastic may reduce the cost of manufacturing flexible displays and help scientists understand how such devices work. "We construct transistors by laminating a piece of silicone rubber...

Forecasts on your PC.(Tech Watch)(Rita the cyberfrog weather station )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... INTERNET weather news offers good regional forecasts but cannot always predict sudden storms. Rita the cyberfrog fills the information gap by turning any PC into a complete weather station. Beneath her amphibian exterior lie temperature and...

Robots help Japan care for its elderly.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BORROWING an idea from the auto industry, Japanese nursing homes have begun experimenting with using robots to help care for the elderly. At one nursing home run by Matsushita Electric, a package of sensors is placed inside a teddy bear. From...

Plastic wrap goes to war.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... WHEN their kids ask, "What did you do in the war, Dad?" reservists with Detachment Bravo of the 46th Marine Aircraft Group can proudly say they shrink-wrapped. The imaginative packing technique was recently tested as a means of protecting CH-46...

DVD trains doctors.(Digital Wonder)(uses DVD images of tissue )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... RATHER than spend millions replacing aging microscopes, some medical schools may switch to a DVD that is packed with images of healthy and diseased tissue. First-year medical students at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill...

Turning the corner on terror.(Tech Watch)(Corner Shot Holdings (CSH) develops pistol adapter)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AN adapter that turns a pistol into a weapon that can shoot around corners is the latest addition to the antiterror arsenal. Developed by two former members of the Israeli Defense Forces, the counter terror weapon system from Corner Shot...

Tuning in to science.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THOUSANDS of scientists and engineers were pointed toward their careers by television. From May 21-24, The Science Channel will pay homage to pioneering science TV by airing classic episodes of popular programs from the 1950s, '60s and '70s....

It's in the genes.(Tech Watch)(growth cycle of winter wheat)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SCIENTISTS have long wondered how winter wheat knows how to protect itself from the cold. Unlike spring wheat that goes from seed to harvest in a continuous growth cycle, winter wheat sprouts after being planted in the fall, then shuts down...

Earth news.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... 1 Brazil WAS it a rare hurricane or a bad tropical storm? Weather experts may argue the point for years. Regardless of the nomenclature, the storm killed one person and left seven missing after lashing the southern part of the country with...

No-seize bearings.(Tech Watch)(Cerobear)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... CERAMICS used in the space shuttle and other extreme applications including Formula One and World Rally Cars will soon be moving into NASCAR, IRL, CART, NHRA and CASCAR equipment. "We have been exploring the U.S. motorsports market for several...

Problem mussels.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FLORIDA'S TAMPA Bay is now home to millions of Asian Green Mussells. Native to the Pacific Ocean, the aquatic invaders arrived in ship ballast water in 1999. Local health officials say Tampa Bay water is too dirty for the mussels to be...

Bootstrapping Wavelets.(Tech Watch)(Wavelet Sampling)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SCIENTISTS love data, but often the best data is elusive. The way the eye moves when a patient is ill, for example, is different from when he is healthy. At the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, researchers have discovered how to...

Self-cleaning nanosensors.(Breakthrough)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ONE of the limitations of nanostructures, sensors in particular, is that because of their small size they become easily clogged. At Pennsylvania State University in University Park, researchers have found a unique method of keeping nanosensors...

X-Ray vision.(Space Shots)(Chandra Space Telescope)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE Crab Nebula has awed astronomers since it was first observed in 1054. This new view, taken by the Chandra Space Telescope, is unlike any seen before. It shows only the X-ray emissions produced by the collision of matter and antimatter. The...

Comanche killed.(Following Up ...)(Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE $38 billion Comanche armed reconnaissance helicopter program went down in flames in late February after being fired at by White House and congressional officials who claimed it was an expensive relic of the Cold War. Since the Comanche's...

Tourists in space.(Following Up ...)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... WHILE the space shuttle remains grounded, the countdown continues for two private space tourism ventures. Millionaire Gregory Olsen will experience weightlessness when he travels to the International Space Station aboard a Russian rocket....

Portable air conditioning.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SOARING temperatures in Iraq take a toll on soldiers who are often forced to don biological or radiological gear. Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Hanford, Wash., hope to make the lives of sweltering troops...

Pumping water on the moon.(Lunar Progress)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... FINDING water on the moon would "profoundly" affect the economics of creating a lunar base, Donald Campbell, an astronomer from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., told a congressional subcommittee on lunar development. Speaking at an April...

Sony style: sleek bodies and killer technology are the focus in Sony's new product lineup.(Electronics)(MDR-G94NC StreetStyle noise-canceling headphones)
June 1, 2004... INSTEAD of slowly leaking news of its products, Sony likes to bring all of us editor types together once a year to see its whole line of gizmos and gadgets in one shot. This is no glamorous press junket, but a gathering in New Jersey. This...

Data recovery: don't fret. You can get that lost computer information back.(Computers)
June 1, 2004... IT'S a nightmare scenario. You're working away on your computer on a big project that's due in a few days and your operating system locks up. You try to reboot and the computer won't even start. You've just suffered a catastrophic hard-drive...

Building atoms: a metal found in smoke detectors helps scientists find two new elements.(Chemistry)
June 1, 2004... TURNING their Cold War expertise to more peaceful pursuits, scientists at top American and Russian nuclear laboratories have created two new elements. If researchers elsewhere confirm their results, the new elements will be christened ununtrium...

Pressure cooker: Sea-Doo hammers the competition with 215 supercharged horsepower.(PWCs)
June 1, 2004... IT'S a shame that PWCs don't have doors. It would be so much fun seeing them blown off by Sea-Doo's RXP--the undisputed new king of personal muscle craft. The closest thing to being shot out of a particle accelerator, on the water, the RXP...

Poos man's SL: Mercedez-Benz remakes its SLK in the SL's image.(New Car Reports)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... Borrowing a page from its exclusive SL-Class coupe/roadster, Mercedes-Benz has restyled and enhanced its SLK for 2005. Larger and more potent than before, the 2-seater is still. diminutive compared to its legendary brother. However, now it...

Kissing cousin: Crossfire is more than an SLK wannabe.(New Car Reports)(Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... CHRYSLER'S Crossfire Sport Coupe gains a sister model in the new Roadster, a soft-top convertible built on the Coupe's chassis. Soft-top operation is semiautomatic--part manual, mostly motor driven. But the manual part requires some strength...

Monster Miata: MazdaSpeed works over the Miata.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... MAZDA'S performance arm, MazdaSpeed, has massaged the lovable little MX-5 Miata into a sports car with some machismo. For starters, the engine now has a turbo with 178 hp and 166 ft.-lb. of torque, That may not sound like much, but it's a 25...

Don't look back, there's a GMC gaining on you.(Spy Report)(2006 GMC Sierra)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THERE will be no doubt that there's a 2006 GMC Sierra behind you when you see this nose in your rearview mirror. The new face continues the trend set by Dodge with the large chrome crosshairs in the Ram's oversize grille. Besides the new look,...

Open-top bimmer: BMW adds a convertible to its 6 Series.(New Car Reports)(BMW 645Ci)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BMW brought back its big coupe and the 6 Series designation with its 645Ci earlier this year ("Reports From Around The World," Jan. 2004, page 52). Now the Bavarian maker has dropped the other shoe: the 645Ci Convertible. It shares all of its...

An off-road stretch: jeep adds inches inside its Wrangler.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... JEEP has finally unveiled a stretched version of its popular Wrangler: the Unlimited. The model is 15 in. longer overall and should be enough to head off potential competitors. That's 2 in. more rear-seat legroom and 13 in. more cargo space....

Infinite improvement from infiniti.(Spy Report)(new M45)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... INFINITI, Nissan's luxury division, will soon have this a stylish and sporty rear-wheel-drive 4-door to do battle with BMW's 5 Series. The new M45 will be based on a lengthened and strengthened version of the current Infiniti G35 chassis. The...

Super Sedan: Audi's new A6 is designed to be driven hard and fast.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AUDI wants its new A6 to be the handling benchmark. The new car's engines have been set farther back in the chassis for a gain in rearward weight bias. The car's suspension borrows from both the A8 and A4, with a trapezoidal multilink setup in...

A supercar of a Supra from Toyota via Italy.(Spy Report)(Volta concept car designed by Giugiaro)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SINCE the Supra departed the market about 10 years ago, Toyota has been without a high-performance sports car. That's about to change. At the auto show held in Genera earlier this year, Toyota unveiled the Volta concept car. The Volta was...

Japanese Swede: Saab gets a new awd model--from Subaru.(New Car Reports)(Saab 9-2X looks familiar like subaru WRX station wagon)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... IF the Saab 9-2X looks familiar, it's because there is a Subaru WRX station wagon beneath its skin. Like the WRX, the Saab comes only as an all-wheel-drive, with a choice of two 4-cylinder opposed engines. The base model, the Linear, has a...

Not June Cleaver's wagon: Volvo's new station wagon is more at home on a mountain road than parked by a soccer field.(New Car Reports)(V50 is the successor to the V40)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BASED on the underpinnings of the S40 sedan, the V50 is the successor to the V40. In Volvo parlance, "V" represents station wagon and "S" is sedan. Powered by a transversely mounted 5-cylinder engine, the V50 comes tuned to either 170 hp or, in...

Spark-plug-free Mercedes: Mercedes-Benz is back in the diesel business with a new, smooth, quiet, fuel-burning E-Class sedan.(New Car Reports)(E320 CDI)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE E320 CDI is quick and quiet and emits no visible smoke from its tailpipes. With an estimated 27 mpg/city and 37 mpg/highway, it has a range of nearly 600 miles. At its heart is a 201-hp 3.2-liter inline 6-cylinder turbodiesel that cranks...

Tougher Nissan for Terra Firma.(Sky Report)(06 Xterra )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE original Xterra was embraced by its owners for rugged looks and offroad capability. Now, with the rest of Nissan's truck lineup recently re-made, the Xterra is due. Shown earlier this year at the New York auto show, this is our first look...

Our very own field of dreams Part 2: in this second, and final, part of our series about rebuilding a Little League baseball field we get to the actual work, and the play.(special advertising section)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... When the Little League's Urban Initiative Program got together with the City of Atlanta, they were looking to bring baseball and all the positive values it stands for back to the inner city, but they needed to find a supportive community a...

Giant Gyros: heavy-lift gyroplanes haul civilization to the far corners of the world.(Science)(Carter Aviation Technologies)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... Some of the world's most valuable resources are in the last places on Earth. The wastelands of Siberia, the rain forests of Brazil and the deserts of Antarctica hold vast stores of rare metals, oil and natural gas. Despite their value, these...

Where time began: peering deep into space, the doomed Hubble Space Telescope sees the dawn of creation.(Science)
June 1, 2004... THE Hubble Space Telescope has looked deep into the cosmic abyss and created a unique baby picture of the universe. Until now, images returned by Hubble showed galaxies as they appeared when they were cosmic youngsters. The new images reveal...

How to change a hard drive: adding hard-drive space for more storage.(Technology)
June 1, 2004... There are a lot of reasons for replacing your hard drive or adding a new one to your old computer, but they all boil down to the need for more space. Perhaps you want to keep all your videos, pictures and MP3s on a drive separate from your...

Long-term test cars: two fresh faces join the fleet as a familiar one leaves.(Automotive)
June 1, 2004... AUTOMOTIVE executives continue to create new market segments and niches, and constantly try to redefine long-lived conventional vehicle types. But no matter what they're called, some things will always adhere to their traditional roots. To...

Digital Vegas: Sin City gets pixelated as the Photo Marketing Association shows its wares.(Technology)(new digital cameras unveiled)
June 1, 2004... The high end of the digital camera market is really starting to click (ba dum bum). The cameras that premiered at the recent Photo Marketing Association convention in Las Vegas are making it tough for film purists to resist the temptation of...

Riding shotgun: the coach gun played a critical role on the Western frontier. Now it's regaining popularity among Old West enthusiasts.(Outdoors)
June 1, 2004... THE history of the American West was written, literally, with firearms. And although this occurred during a surprisingly brief period more than 150 years ago, many guns from this time are well-known today. In fact, thanks to Hollywood, even...

Garden to go.(Planters)
June 1, 2004... If you like to dress up your yard or patio with seasonal flowers or small ornamental bushes, planters offer a nice addition to in-ground landscaping. Planters give you the option of moving small shrubs or flowers around your yard, or placing...

Hang tough: new tool belts are like a toolbox on your hip.(Tools)
June 1, 2004... IF you're a typical POPULAR MECHANICS reader you probably have a well-stocked toolbox that you use for various home-improvement and repair projects. And while a toolbox is great for carrying tools to the work site, it doesn't serve much purpose...

The bright stuff: brighter, better light bulbs.(Products)(compact fluorescent lamp; LED lamps)
June 1, 2004... EVEN in this high-technology age, there's no question that the incandescent bulb is the residential lighting workhorse. Simple and inexpensive, it remains little changed from the tungsten-filament model developed in 1910. And that's the...

Build up: the 15 best picks from the Builders' Show.(New Products)
June 1, 2004... THE International Builders' Show is not your typical trade show. Not by a long shot. One side is gritty and tough, like the rough-and-tumble world of construction. The other side is glamorous, perhaps even chic--a world where money is no...

Clogged faucet aerator.(Homeowners Clinic)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... The aerators on my faucets get clogged by tiny, light green granules. To find the cause, I ran just cold water and checked the aerators. They were clean. The same test with hot water revealed the granules, so the problem must be with my water...

Home Inspection Checklist.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THIS 137-page book shines a bright light into the hidden recesses of a house. In 20 years of writing this column and in performing thousands of home inspections, PM's dauntless Contributing Editor Norman Becker has seen it all, including a huge...

Metal roofing over shingles.(Homeowners Clinic)(Metal Roofing Wholesalers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... We want to cover our fiberglass-shingled roof with metal. Will we need to place anything between the metal and the old shingles? Which are best: ring-shank nails or screws? Everyone we ask has a different opinion. GLEN LAKNER Wall, SD...

Accidental discovery of mysterious "Gold Rush" coin stuns experts: world's rarest U.S. $20 gold proof found: the San Francisco Mint 1854 Double Eagle proof!(Collector's Report)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- one-of-a kind J.S Treasury gold proof coin has been accidentally discovered within the vaults of the Smithsonian Institution. This 1854-S gold Double Eagle $20 coin was struck by the San Francisco Mint in its first year of...

Bench height basics.(Woodworking)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... PEOPLE often build furniture using plans with dimensions that are based on the height of the average person. A table that is 30 in. tall will be at a comfortable height for most people when seated. Workbenches, however, are a different matter....

Covering garage floor slab.(Homeowners Clinic)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... What would you recommend as a surface covering for a garage floor? I have used oil-based paint and an epoxy coating, both of which blistered and peeled. JEFF MOORE Jemez Springs, NM A number of things can cause a garage floor...

Woodpeckers pecking.(Homeowners Clinic)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... My home has cedar shingle siding and woodpeckers are destroying it. Our research tells us that the woodpeckers are marking their territory, not hunting for bugs. We are considering vinyl siding but are concerned the birds will peck at that...

Smart Battery Charger[TM].(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers; Vector Manufacturing Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Smart Battery Charger[TM] (VEC1088A) from Vector Manufacturing, Ltd., utilizes 3-stage "Pure DC Output" charging to charge batteries in a safer, more efficient method. These UL-listed, high-frequency chargers charge up to two to three times...

Go RVing.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Starting at about $4,000, a new RV can help you go where you want, when you want. And if you've seen a recent-model, you know that many RVs offer optional state-of-the-art amenities: flat-screen, TVs, slide-out rooms and spacious full...

Popular mechanics Main Street America Roadshow.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Look for it in a city near you! Stop by for product demonstrations, enter contests to win great stuff, and pick up a free goodie bag full of samples and coupons from our sponsors. DATE VENUE ...

Let's do the twist.(Auto Clinic)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... I screwed up. I wanted to bleed the brakes on my old pickup but I broke off the bleeder bolt flush with the caliper casting. I tried to drill out the old bolt nub and install a HeliCoil in the hole. Now it leaks--badly. How can I fix this?...

Spongy Bob.(Auto Clinic)(brakes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... I bought a new '04 GMC pickup recently. I feel there is a problem with the brakes. The pedal is very spongy. And, when I'm in gear with the engine running, it doesn't take much pressure to depress the brake pedal all the way to what feels like...

Bound to fail.(Car Care Tip)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... THE neighbor wanted to borrow a battery terminal puller to reset his Check Engine light. This set off some red flags, so I asked what in tarnation for. His plan was to remove the battery leads and clamp them together for an hour or so to remove...

Service tips.(automobiles)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... * Can't put enough fuel into your 2003 Infiniti FX35 of FX45 to make the gauge read "F"? The Sub Fuel Sending assembly may need to be replaced to make the gauge read correctly. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) EL03-046. * Got whistling in...

Curing steering wander.(Saturday Mechanic)
June 1, 2004... YOU'RE almost enjoying a long drive on a nice, flat interstate. Almost, because it's windy and you need to saw the steering wheel back and forth, tacking like a sailboat, to stay in your lane. That is, until you make a short rest stop and...

For the best time of your life.(Atomic digital watch)
June 1, 2004... New technology creates greatest advancement in time keeping since the quartz movement... and lets everyone benefit from United States Government innovation. With the Atomic Digital Watch by La Crosse Technology, all of us have the opportunity...

Adventure bites.(Great Stuff)(Truimph Motorcycles Ltd.'s Tiger dual-sport bike)
June 1, 2004... You'll get adventure fever once you're bitten by the 2005 Triumph Tiger. The dual-sport bike features a 955cc fuel-injected triple and betters the old model with improved chassis geometry and a new suspension. You can pounce on this Tiger,...

Cut the cord.(Great Stuff)(Bosch framing saw)
June 1, 2004... BOSCH FRAMING SAW $190 Bosch took its formidable worm-gear saw, got rid of the cord and called it the Direct Connect Now you plug the extension cord directly into the saw. This eliminates the problem of the saw and cord parting company or...

Garage scooter.(Great Stuff)(Cycra pro mechanics roll cart)
June 1, 2004... CYCRA PRO MECHANICS ROLL CART $89.95 Rolling mechanics seats sure beat working in a bent-over position or putting all your weight on your knees. Cycra's Pro Mechanics Roll Cart can handle up to 300 pounds. It features a tray that holds a...

Samsung stylin'.(Great Stuff)(Samsung SGH-e715)
June 1, 2004... SAMSUNG SGH-e715 $249.99 The Samsung SGH-e715 mobile phone is small enough to fit in a shirt pocket and stylish enough to take out on the town. Encased in a sleek, blue and silver flip body, this 2.9-ounce phone has a VGA-quality camera...

Big mama.(Great Stuff)
June 1, 2004... LG ELECTRONICS TU-62SZ71D $6000 LG Electronics has the right idea: Put a digital recorder and a TV in the same piece of equipment The LG TU-62SZ71D is a 62-in. integrated rear-projection DLP HDTV with a built-in High-Definition Digital...

Fish 'n' fun.(Great Stuff)(Grady-White Tournament 225)
June 1, 2004... GRADY-WHITE TOURNAMENT 225 $58,495 WITH YAMAHA 225 OUTBOARD Grady-White redesigned its dual-console Tournament 225 to be more of a true dual-purpose fishing boat and family fun cruiser. Features include a roomy enclosed head that doubles as...

On a roll.(Great Stuff)(rolling table saw)
June 1, 2004... RYOBI ROLLING TABLE SAW $250 Ryobi deserves credit for putting wheels on its 91-pound table saw--a boon for those of us with packed garages and limited work space, and for others who need a truly portable work-site table saw. The 10-in....

Enter the fray.(Great Stuff)(hammer drill)
June 1, 2004... RIDGID HAMMER DRILL $170 Ridgid has decided to pull out the stops and enter the power tool market with a line of handheld power tools and stationary shop machines. Its 9 amp. 7 1/2-in. hammer drill has a safety clutch to prevent kickback...

Pretty pictures.(Great Stuff)
June 1, 2004... ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ALBUM 2.0 $129.99 If you use a digital camera, you know how important it is to be able to find, fix and share your digital images. Adobe has topped itself with its new Adobe Photoshop Album 2.0, which lets you keep all your...

Snippety.(Great Stuff)
June 1, 2004... BUCK KNIVES MODEL 720 $28 Buck Knives pruning shears were created with hunters in mind. Say you're in a tree stand and there's a branch sticking into your line of sight. Snip, snip. End of problem. The shears are also great for clearing...

No complaints.(Great Stuff)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... LUFKIN PROSERIES $9-$20 To develop its ProSeries tapes, Lufkin addressed complaints tradesmen had with tape measures. It increased the abrasive resistance of the blade by giving it a nylon-powder-coated finish. Then, it reinforced the...