Popular Mechanics articles from March 2005

Popular Mechanics archives from March 2005

The lies are out there.(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion," the great Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York was fond of saying. "He is not entitled to his own facts." It has been 3 1/2 years since the September 11 attacks. In that time, the American...

Here's looking at you.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... The article "Who's Spying On You?" (Jan. 2005) makes a compelling argument for enhanced consumer-privacy protection. Today, surreptitious surveillance techniques have a considerable impact on people's lives, and monitoring our daily activities...

Hot tips.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... Thank you for informing me that my old Maytag Neptune washing machine isn't supposed to smell like an old tennis shoe ("Homeowners Clinic," Jan. 2005). The clothes come out smelling flesh and clean, but the barrel often reeks of mildew. I've...

Flight 587.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... Your story "The Crash Of Flight 587" (Jan. 2005) rightly questioned the design of the Airbus aircraft, but you didn't get to the real issue. Abrupt use of one's rudder is a standard procedure for spin recovery. Full deflection of a rudder...

Command shift.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... Excellent new look and feel to the magazine! I didn't skip a page. GREGG BARR Mechanicsville, VA I have read and saved nearly every issue of PM for the last dozen years. I'm not expecting scientific-journal content in a newsstand...

Tuned in.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2005... I was pleased to see you recognize the "tuner" culture ("Wild In The Streets," Jan. 2005). This was a great way to make some of the longtime hot rodders aware of the current hotrod trend, and its obsession with power-to-weight ratios and...

Speed trap: every advance in automotive technology is followed by one to keep lead feet in check.(Time Machine)(automobile speeding, regulations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... 29 Years Ago (JULY 1976) BARELY LEGAL "CHiPs"-era radar detectors, such as this Senturion, were gaining in popularity. PM cautiously endorsed the product, saying "you'll have to decide for yourself whether you have use for this...

Power lifter.(Tech Watch)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Instrumentation mechanic Robert Helton performs a last-minute check on a GP7270 turbofan at the Product Test Operation prep building at General Electric's Outdoor Testing facility in Peebles, Ohio. Produced by Engine Alliance, a joint venture...

Weirdest eco autos.(This Month)(Toyota automobiles)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... What happens when a girl driving a leaf meets a guy being carried around by an egg with feet? Darned if we know. But the answer will reveal itself at the Toyota pavilion at Expo 2005 opening this month in Aichi, Japan. The concept vehicles to...

Most wanted.(This Month)( Federal Bureau of Investigation's fugitives list)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The FBI's list of fugitives they'd really like to talk to debuted 55 years ago this month... Cop killer Donald Eugene Webb (left) has been on it the longest (23 years and counting)... Billie Austin Bryant was on it the shortest (2 hours)......

Scariest test.(This Month)(Scholastic Assessment Test )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... For the first time in 11 years the SAT is changing. Analogies are out. Higher-level math and handwritten essays are in. The College Board, the organizing body behind the test, claims the SAT must evolve to be more closely aligned with what...

Best reason to toot our own horn.(This Month)
March 1, 2005... POPULAR MECHANICS'S Web site is 10 years old, It has seen Internet booms, busts and rebooms. To celebrate, a redesigned PM.Zone 6.0 launches this month.

Sharpest suit.(This Month)(online file sharing, cases)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... This month, the Supreme Court will hear the landmark case Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer versus the online file-sharing site Grokster. What's at stake? According to which side you ask, either $500 billion in lost music and film revenue, or technological...

Green giants.(Under Construction)(green buildings)
March 1, 2005... The good word on green buildings is getting out. In fact, PM's parent, The Hearst Corp., is building one on Manhattan's Eighth Avenue. Shown here are two additional high-profile projects. All of them make use of new ideas to save costs, reduce...

Poultry power.(turkey droppings to fuel power plant)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Turns out that turkeys are good for more than just holiday meals and Subway sandwiches. The city of Benson, Minn., is currently constructing a 55-megawatt plant that will burn 700,000 tons of turkey droppings (along with a mishmash of biomass)...

Fashion under fire.(eyewear for soldiers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... According to a recent report in the New England Journal Of Medicine on battlefield wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan, surgeons looking into "a dismayingly high incidence of blinding injuries" found that many soldiers weren't wearing the eye...

Please deposit $97K.(three dimensional holograms)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Two Japanese researchers have created a "Star Wars"-style holographic telephone booth. It scans the image of callers with a 360[degrees] camera and displays it for the recipient via a spinning projection cylinder. The fuzzy 3D image created...

Get your motor running.(Tech Watch)(Robots movie)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... "We got excited by the idea of making a world of mechanical people," says director Chris Wedge ("Ice Age"), whose latest film, "Robots," is a digitally animated adventure that could do for 'bots what "Finding Nemo" did for fish. The film,...

Breaking the waves.(Tech Watch)(tsunami detection systems)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Last December's tsunami in South Asia was the deadliest in recent history--yet the areas that were hit were the last ones to see it coming. Since the Indian Ocean has no tsunami detection system, scientists at Honolulu's Pacific Tsunami Warning...

The otherworld series: it all used to be so simple. There was us, there were the Soviets, and there was the moon. Whoever got there first, won. Now the space race is a whole new ballgame--here's your scouting report.(Score Card)
March 1, 2005... MAJORS NASA: National Aeronautics & Space Administration DOB: 1958 BUDGET: $16.2 billion HIGHLIGHTS: Man on the moon (1969); Skylab (1973); space shuttle (1981) RKA: Russian Aviation & Space Agency DOB: 1992 ...

Browser battle: upstarts chip away at explorer's dominance.(Interfaces)
March 1, 2005... If you're like most Web users, you rely on Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) to go online IE dominates the browser field with a market share of about 92 percent, according to WebSideStory, a San Diego research firm. That intimidating number...

A classic returns.(Up Grade)(Vespa PX scooters)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... Let's not kid ourselves. A scooter is no match for a motorbike when it comes to two-wheeled attitude Or is it? There is something appealing about an old school Vespa. Gregory Peck drove a Vespa scooter in the 1953 film "Roman Holiday," and...

Desktop duel.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... WE DIDN'T EVEN realize that the stapler needed improving. But when Swingline declared its new Optima series of staplers "jam free" we had to try them out. We took 25 sheets of paper (the maximum recommended) and banged them together with a...

Little giant.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... Here's more evidence that good things come in small packages. Seagate's USB 2.0 Pocket Hard Drive is a 5GB, 3-in.-dia. puck that winds its USB cord around itself like a yo-yo, then tucks it beneath a rotating outer shell for safe keeping. It...

The big picture.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... In the world of digital cameras, big LCD screens often mean miserable battery life. But not with the new pocket-size, 5-megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z57. Its 2.7-in. screen takes up two-thirds of the back of the camera, yet its battery can snap...

Boom-boom box.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... How tough is your stereo? The Bosch Power Box is built with an aluminum roll cage that can protect it from a 10-ft. drop. It has a radio as well as an MP3-compatible CD player. It also serves as a four-way ground fault circuit interrupter and a...

Going long.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... How do you fit a 25-ft. spool of measuring tape comfortably in the palm of your hand? You don't. The standard deal with rollable rulers is: the longer the measuring strip, the fatter and bulkier the housing. The US Tape Ultimate ProTape...

By the pound.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... Sometimes the best way to convince a cut of beef or a fillet of chicken to be a little more tender is to beat it into submission with a heavy blunt instrument. Oxo's Meat Pounder has a simple but effective shape that flattens and tenderizes...

Test drive.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... WE SPENT & WEEK with the new Verizon Wireless 3G Broadband-Access service. Available in 16 cities and operating at up to 500 kilobits per second (comparable to DSL), it delivered silky smooth video on demand, eye-popping 3D games and superfast...

Hot to trot.(Wish List)
March 1, 2005... Driven by a quest to free the noble art of grilling from the confines of the deck or porch, legendary manufacturer Weber has created the Baby Q, a 35-pound portable gas grill that is ideal for tailgating, RVing and drive-in camping. Unlike...

It came from overseas.(From The Foreign Office)(automobiles)
March 1, 2005... Out of nearly 100 automotive nameplates in the world only 44 brands are sold in this country. That means that the rest of the planet is crawling with vehicles that may never reach our shores. U.S. safety and emissions regulations can make...

The dirt on vacuums: we took three high-powered, cyclonic, bagless upright vacuums and drove them through the worst torture tests a carpet can face.(Abusive Lab Test)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... Dyson DC07 $430 Eureka 5856BV $120 Features: Easy-to-remove Features: Seven-way canister with carpet-height adjustment. trigger-activated ...

The power of one: the universal remote promises to simplify your home theater use. Good luck setting it up.(Universal Remotes)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... I recently created my first, very own home theater, wiring together a DLP (digital light processing) projector, stereo receiver, DVD player and a couple of video game consoles. I fired up the components, cackling with a mad scientist's glee and...

Boots made to work.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)
March 1, 2005... Timberland Pro series footwear offers superior comfort, protection and durability, backed by our heritage of quality craftsmanship and innovation. Our workboot designs are driven by your on-the-job needs, with advanced technologies that meet...

Go RVing[R].(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... Whether your passion is oohing and aahing outdoors, hiking scenic trails or simply a weekend escape with family and friends, Go RVing is a wonderfully fun, surprisingly affordable way to go wherever you want, whenever you want. Visit...

Ryobi[R] AIRgrip[TM] offers revolutionary technology.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)
March 1, 2005... Ryobi's new AIRgrip laser level is a first of its kind product that uses vacuum technology to affix itself to walls without marring finished surfaces. Perfect for painters, carpenters, homeowners or any do-it-yourselfer, it is easy to use with...

Prestone.(The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... The NEW Prestone[R] Extended Life Antifreeze/Coolant is helping to eliminate antifreeze/ coolant confusion for consumers. Its unique formula is compatible with ANY antifreeze/ coolant--regardless of color--and can be used in ANY make or model...

Run for the long haul: we add the Scion xB to our long-term test fleet.(Long-Term Test Cars)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... first report SCION xB Yes, we know: It's a box. When you come right down to it, Scion's xB is not much more than a metal cube on wheels. But unlike, say, your basic FedEx truck, the xB is one pretty funky box. In fact, it's a...

The hybrid redefined: saving fuel is good, but having fun as you do it is better.(Reports From Around The World)(Lexus RX 400h hybrid sport utility vehicle)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... All right, so the Ford Escape Hybrid made its mark by being first to the hybrid SUV party. But we all know that's going to be a pretty big bash and now the next guest has arrived, the Lexus RX 400h. And it's different from other hybrids. Lexus...

Hoss power to spare.(Reports From Around The World)(Boss Hoss Cycles, motorcycles)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The folks at Boss Hoss Cycles have been building the world's most powerful production motorcycles for 15 years. For 2005, the Tennessee manufacturer offers two bikes and two trikes (three-wheelers). One of each boasts a small block, the others...

Suspense in the suburbs.(Reports From Around The World)(Volvo station wagons' new suspension system)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... This year, for the first time, Volvo is making the FOUR-C suspension system available on its XC70 Cross Country station wagons. The system has two modes: Comfort and Sport. Both modes constantly monitor and adjust shock valving to keep the...

Much ado about little.(Detroit)(Dodge Ram truck)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... It seems to us that Dodge has gone to extreme lengths to camouflage this '06 Ram pickup prototype. The back cover hides what we would consider a minor change: a set of rear doors. Give the Dodge boys credit, though. The tent stretched over the...

Looking bolder but familiar.(Detroit)(Cadillac CTS car)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... In our January issue, we caught a glimpse of the rear end of Cadillac's entry model for 2007, the CTS. Now we get to see its nose. While there is no doubt that this is the CTS, the egg-crate grille has wider spacing between bars to convey the...

Power up the middle.(Reports From Around The World)(Mercedes--Benz, new E class car)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... If you don't spot the different wheels, or catch the single different digit on the car's trunklid, you may not notice that Mercedes-Benz has changed its six-cylinder E-Class. What was last year's E320 is this year's E350. The news is under the...

Not quite so Cavalier.(Reports From Around The World)(Chevrolet Cobalt subcompact car)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... Hasta la vista, Cavalier. Chevrolet has a completely new subcompact, the Cobalt. Available as a coupe or sedan--and in the LT, LS and SS models--the Cobalt fits in the Chevy lineup between the Malibu and Aveo. Chassis details include a choice...

Infinite possibilities.(Asia)(Infiniti, sport utility vehicle)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Flagship SUVs have traditionally been truck-based behemoths. In fact, Infiniti's own top of the line QX56 SUV owes its existence to the Nissan Titan full-size pickup truck. Well, here's how Infiniti's next flagship might look. Unveiled at...

Rewriting the rules.(Reports From Around The World)(Honda Ridgeline pickup truck)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... Years ago, pickup truck design followed a simple formula: A small cab for two or three people and a long bed for hauling. It made the typical truck great for going to The Home Depot, but bad for taking along the family. Today, trucks have...

Will the circle be unbroken?(Asia)(Mazda automobiles)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The MX-Crossport unveiled at the Detroit auto show earlier this year reflects the direction Mazda will likely take with its future SUVs. Though the MX is just a concept vehicle, to our eye it's very close to what a production crossover could...

M means good.(Europe)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Among the vehicles to get the covers lifted at the annual auto show in Detroit earlier this year was the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Bigger in every way than the original and sitting on a longer wheelbase, the new M-Class rides on an all-new...

Not like they used to.(And Another Thing ...)(automobiles build quality)
March 1, 2005... Yes, the steel may be thinner. Yes, there's more--way more--plastic than there used to be. But despite what you may think, today's cars and trucks are of an infinitely higher quality than their predecessors. Two recent studies by J.D....

Getting a head start: NASCAR bans high-tech wizardry during the races. But teams shoot the works before the green flag drops on Sunday.(Reports From Around The World)
March 1, 2005... NASCAR: It's supposed to be all about men, not technology. Ever since its origins back in the bootlegging days, stock car racing has been a venue where fancy engineering takes a back seat to the brains, guts and skill of the man behind the...

Keep your grey poupon: a tonka toy comes to life--realty big life.(Garage)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... I got a call asking if I wanted to drive the new International CXT pickup. I said, "International Truck and Engine makes a pickup truck?" The answer was, "Just wait 'til you see it." They make one all right, and it's huge. It weighs 14,500...

9/11: debunking the myths: PM examines the evidence and consults the experts to refute the most persistent conspiracy theories of September 11.(Brief Article)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2005... FROM THE MOMENT the first airplane crashed into the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, the world has asked one simple and compelling question: How could it happen? Three and a half years later, not everyone is...

The planes.(9/11 Myths Debunked)
March 1, 2005... THE WIDELY ACCEPTED account that hijackers commandeered and crashed the four 9/11 planes is supported by reams of evidence, from cockpit recordings to forensics to the fact that crews and passengers never returned home. Nonetheless, conspiracy...

The World Trade Center.(9/11 Myths Debunked)
March 1, 2005... THE COLLAPSE OF BOTH World Trade Center towers--and the smaller WTC 7 a few hours later--initially surprised even some experts. But subsequent studies have shown that the WTC's structural integrity was destroyed by intense fire as well as the...

The Pentagon.(9/11 Myths Debunked)
March 1, 2005... AT 9:37 AM ON 9/11, 51 minutes after the first plane hit the World Trade Center, the Pentagon was similarly attacked. Though dozens of witnesses saw a Boeing 757 hit the building, conspiracy advocates insist there is evidence that a missile or...

Flight 93.(9/11 Myths Debunked)
March 1, 2005... COCKPIT RECORDINGS INDICATE the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 teamed up to attack their hijackers, forcing down the plane near Shanksville, in southwestern Pennsylvania. But conspiracy theorists assert Flight 93 was destroyed by a...

Twenty-four hours on a Baja wrench gang: meet the unsung heroes of the Baja 1000--the volunteer pit crews who keep the racers rolling.
March 1, 2005... THE RADIO-COMMUNICATIONS loudspeaker crackles across the Baja California desert, The caller's voice--a scratchy, West Texas twang--is laden with a you-will-not-believe-this quality. "BFG 1, this is vehicle three-four-niiine. We're a couple...

Backyard blade runners: we tested eight tractors to find which ones offer the greatest value, cut best and are easiest to use.(PM Comparison Test)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2005... We love tractors. Sure, they require care to use, but they bring out the kid in us. Give us a sunny day, a nice lawn and a shiny new tractor to cut it. Heck, it's not work. We gathered eight tractors and in testing them we learned that you can...

The museum of modder * art: when is a computer more than a computer? When a modder transforms it into a piece of sculpture.
March 1, 2005... William Shaw was running out of space. His two young children occupied the two bedrooms in his apartment in Pembroke, N.H., 60 miles north of Boston. He and his wife slept in the living room--with the couch, TV, desk and two towers of computer...

Bugged out.(imaginary bug model)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The loud but false alarm that sounded over the Y2K bug really ticked off 27-year-old Swedish modder Johan Grundstrom. "The whole world was supposed to end--and then it didn't," he says sarcastically. "The Y2K bug was the biggest mess-up ever."...

iPod power punch.
March 1, 2005... The iPod can hold 10,000 songs. Cool! The battery runs out after fewer than 200 tunes. Not cool. Chris DiClerico, 31, a Web site designer from New York City, outfitted an Altoids tin with a pair each of 9-volt and AA batteries. Hooked into an...

Wok 'n' Wi-Fi.
March 1, 2005... Electronics lecturer Stan Swan, 56, of New Zealand's Massey University, used a sieve from an Asian food shop to create a Wi-Fi antenna with a 10-mile range. If you want to build one (or just to feel intellectually inadequate) check out the...

Heavy metal Mac.(hamster in PC)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Do you freak out when your Computer has a virus? Well, there's a hamster in Will Knier's machine--and he's just fine with that. The 20-year-old sophomore at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, modded his PC with 18 in. of PVC pipe,...

Heavy metal Mac.
March 1, 2005... Kogoro Kurata, 31, of Tokyo, may be the only blacksmith modder in the world. In his studio, Transfer, he transforms raw iron into small, delicate items such as padlock keys; minimalist lamps and elegant chandeliers; and hulking,...

Poppin' fresh PC.
March 1, 2005... Adam Bertram, 33, of Nashville, Tenn., is a good husband. Fulfilling his wife Patty's wish for a computer that would look at home in the kitchen, he shoehorned a PC into a $30 GE Classic 4-Slice Toaster, modding the machine with a VIA EPIA...

Off the grid: by combining wind power systems with photovoltaics, homeowners can power their own homes.(Home Journal)
March 1, 2005... Four years ago the nesting instinct hit Ben and Brandi Roberts and they began building a home a few miles from Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada. Ben, who is a program manager for the National Park Service, wanted a home that would...

One good turn: how to drive woodscrews with this most basic hand tool.(Fundamentals)(screwdriver)
March 1, 2005... Driving screws by hand is hard work--especially if you have a bunch of them. It's no wonder that before cordless drill/drivers hit the scene, everything from decks to doghouses was simply nailed together. Screws were reserved for finer work,...

Screen door reborn: replacing damaged components is easier than you think.(Maintenance)
March 1, 2005... A patio door is a great way to bring the spaciousness of the outdoors into your home. And with its sliding screen, you can enjoy fresh air without inviting in a variety of airborne pests. As for routine maintenance, there's little more to do...

Cleaning aluminum siding.(Expert Q+A)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... (Q) I am in the process of buying a home that has aluminum siding. The siding looks dingy and I would like it to look bright and clean. ANDREA LYN Via Internet (A) If the siding isn't too far gone from age and weathering, then all...

Gray water disposal.(Expert Q+A)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... (Q) Recently I watched a home improvement show on which a large pit filled with coarse gravel was used for the discharge of gray water. Is this method allowed by EPA regulations? JOHN E. HODGE Rockwood, TN (A) For those unfamiliar...

Know your stuff: caulk.(installing kitchen cabinet)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... (Q) How do I attach kitchen cabinets to a plaster-covered concrete block wall? MEGAN ZAGER Via Internet (A) The easiest fasteners to use on concrete and concrete block are Tapcon masonry screws. These masonry fasteners have a...

Know your stuff: caulk.
March 1, 2005... WRONG: A messy, gooey glop slathered into a gap. RIGHT: A precision building material that is long-lasting and weathertight. AKA: Sealant. CAULK TALK "It all starts with making a proper choice," says Shree Nabar, DAP's vice...

Review: help checking your house.(Homeowners Clinic)
March 1, 2005... THINK OF HOUSE CHECK AS A TOUR GUIDE TO the things that can go wrong with a house. It's not a book, but a flip-open, spiral-bound list that is organized by category: roofs, exteriors, doors and windows, attics, interiors, kitchens and baths,...

Toolbox: winter painting essentials.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... 1 With the introduction of its 1297DK orbital sander, Bosch has solved the annoying problem of a 1/4-sheet sander that loosens its paper or ruins it even before you start. Take an abrasive sheet and slip it under the pushbutton-activated lock...

Check valve noise.(Expert Q+A)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... (Q) have a check valve problem. When the ejector pump stops there is a loud bang that comes from the check valve. Can the valve be removed or is there another solution? RICHARD H. REICHENBACH Chicago, IL. (A) You can't remove the...

Service tip: electrical fuse safety.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NEW OWNERS OF OLDER HOUSES ARE often not familiar with the plug fuses used to protect 15- and 20-amp circuits. Too often homeowners will replace a blown 15-amp fuse with one rated for 20 or 30 amps. These fuses are physically but not...

Fixing hood and trunk latches.(Saturday Mechanic)
March 1, 2005... Checking your oil is simple enough--until you attempt to open the hood. You try the remote release, but it seems a little hard to pull. Yank harder, and the familiar clunk of the hood popping up until the safety latch stops it doesn't happen....

Exercise in exactly 4 minutes per day: winner of the 1991 Popular Science Award for the "best of what's new" in leisure products.(Range of Motion machine )(Advertisement)
March 1, 2005... ROM * MANUFACTURED IN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1990 * $14,615 TIME IS IT. Over 92% of people who own exercise equipment and 88% of people who own health club memberships do not exercise. A 4 minute complete workout is no longer hard to believe for...

Expert Q+A.
March 1, 2005... (Q) I just had to have my radiator replaced again, after only six months. The place where the upper radiator hose connects corroded so badly the hose blew off on the interstate. Twice, once on each radiator. The shop said the coolant had...

... And a jump.(Expert Q+A)(windshield, wipers maintenance)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... (Q) I used to have a 1994 Explorer whose wipers would skip at high speeds and not give a clear sweep of the windshield. I recently bought a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer that does the same thing. I've already changed the blades with new rubbers and...

Rocket bike.(Reader Project)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... It's not every day we get a letter from a reader about a rocket-propelled bicycle--especially from a 12-year-old girl. Sarah Pickens's letter really got our attention: "My dad and I have rocket bikes. My dad's bike shoots out fire. Don't worry,...

Cellphone diagnostics: now your engine can talk back.(Auto Clinic)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SCAN TOOLS WITH GRAPHICS capabilities can cost a ton of money, probably more than a car owner can justify to diagnose an occasional Check Engine light. Most of the cost of the scan toot is in the user interface and display, so OBD-Rx has...

Spring-cleaning for your PC: pop-ups got ya down? Sick of slo-mo surfing? Try these easy tips to sniff out the trouble and put your computer back in the fast lane.(Technology)
March 1, 2005... The old gray Dell, she ain't what she used to be. Your computer's lost its pep. Files and Web sites that once took seconds to load now take tens of seconds (read: an eternity). Makes no difference whether you're a big-time surfer or a dabbler:...