Popular Mechanics articles from March 2008

Popular Mechanics archives from March 2008

Photo police.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I just finished reading the fantastic articles "Welcome to the Panopticon" and "Watching the Watchers" (Jan. '08). As a security officer in downtown Akron, Ohio, one of my duties is to shoo away would-be photographers. Chances are no harm can...

The diesel debate.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I read the article "The Case for Diesel" (Jan. '08) with interest and take to heart most everything Ben Hewitt said. But even if I totally agree with all the benefits, there are still issues, like the price of diesel fuel and the need for a...

Hooked on podcasts.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I really enjoy your podcast (popular mechanics.com/podcast) and look forward to subscribing to your magazine as a result. Keep it up! JOE BILBREY WARREN, MI

NASCAR's new treadmill.(TECH WATCH)(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Getting detailed data on the performance of race cars can be difficult as they are roaring along a track. When it opens in Concord, N.C., later this year, a full-scale, high-speed race car treadmill, the first of...

The pentagon's birdbots.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A pelican-size UAV designed at the University of Michigan became the first plane to take off and land in the ocean with no human guidance. The Department of Defense-funded project aims to create an environmental surveillance network. Onboard...

Declare your isotopes.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Patients who are treated with radioactive isotopes can set off radiation alarms for three days following a bone scan--and for as long as 95 days after a dose of iodine therapy. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Park and fold.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The key to a new foldable electric scooter: Mount electric motors in the wheels. Aimed at reducing congestion and pollution in Asia and Europe, the simple design was developed by MIT in cooperation with a Taiwanese scooter manufacturer. It has...

Open invitation.(TECH WATCH)(open source Ares I rocket guidance system)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The "brains" of NASA's Ares I rocket--which will help send four astronauts to the International Space Station on the way to the moon by 2020--will be built by Boeing, but the specifications will be open source and nonproprietary so that other...

Good news for lab rats.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A new biochip dotted with 1080 human-cell cultures could eliminate the need for animal testing of cosmetics and drugs. Hundreds of chemicals could be screened at the same time.

Tanks for the idea.(TECH WATCH)(fuel cell for tanks)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A fuel cell developed for military tanks could make life easier for long-haul truckers. Tank crews in "silent watch" don't want to run the noisy main engine to power their surveillance and communications equipment. They'd rather use auxiliary...

Thwarting Terrorist Frogmen: what can you do when the enemy is lurking below your warship?(TECH WATCH)
March 1, 2008... A LONE DIVER can disable a warship from below the waterline using an explosive charge. The last time a frogman struck an American ship was in 1964, when a single Vietnamese diver sank the USS Cord. The threat resurfaced almost 40 years later...

Flash forensics: a link between hurricanes and lightning may be a way to track the severity of storms before landfall.(TECH WATCH)
March 1, 2008... TALLYING LIGHTNING strikes from thousands of miles away may be the key to measuring the strength of hurricanes before they get close to land. "There have been big advances in predicting where hurricanes will go," says Kirt Squires, the...

PM interview: F35 Test Pilot.(TECH WATCH)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TEST PILOT Jon Beesley has ridden in history's cockpit. Having flown in the development phase of every operational U.S. stealth aircraft--the F-117 Nighthawk, F-22 Raptor and the F35 Lightning II--he has witnessed...

Time machine: November 1915.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Though casualties are unavoidable in war, new ways to minimize them have always been pursued by soldiers and military strategists. During the bleak days of World War I, when British forces were stalemated in the...

Well-rounded competition: eager for iconic skylines, cities worldwide vie to close the great wheel gap.(TECH WATCH)(Ferris wheels)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN IT COMES TO STATUS SYMBOLS, nothing beats a circle. There is a global race to create the biggest Ferris wheel, and while these attractions are built for fun, the stakes are serious. "These wheels have almost...

Asphalt addicts, Unite and Win! Join the Popular Mechanics Riders Club and enter to win a $1,000 gift card to Cycle Gear.(THE goods)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] We are riders. Different people from different backgrounds on different bikes, tied together by one common thread. The ride. Introducing the PopuLar Mechanics Riders Club, an online community that Lets you connect...

BASF helping make products better.(THE goods)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Thanks to BASF breakthroughs in automotive technology, your car radiator can be designed to not only coot your engine, but also help clean the air. PremAir[R] catalysts, an innovation from BASF, represent an entirely new approach to reducing...

DRYLOK Extreme, the Next Generation.(THE goods)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... DRYLOK Extreme Masonry Waterproofer has been tested by independent tabs to hold back 12 psi of water pressure [a watt of water 26 ft high). It is a latex base, low odor voc compliant formula, which comes with a 15 year-furry transferable...

Exide NASCAR[R] Extreme[TM] batteries--winning performance in any climate.(THE goods)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Exide NASCAR Extreme is the newest addition to Exide TechnoLogies' premium performance Line of batteries. The battery's advanced engineering delivers optimal performance in even the harshest operating conditions,...

No strings attached.(UP GRADE)(DC413 Heavy-Duty 28V Cordless Cut-Off Tool)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Demolition work s tricky/business for corded metal cutoff tools. Too often, fixtures are hiding remote regions, around tight corners or away from a working outlet or generator. And even if you can reach a pipe, a...

Pen processor.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Livescribe Pulse Smartpen)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... How much processing power can you stuff into a pen? Quite a bit, if the Livescribe Pulse Smartpen ($199) is any indication. Not only does it use a tiny camera to digitize your writing (a technology that popped up in the kid-friendly LeapFrog...

Fiskars Garden Multi-Tool.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... By sharpening the normally dull sides of a pruning shear, the Fiskars Garden Multi-Tool ($20) brings Leatherman-like convergence to your prized plants. While we love the added functionality, be warned: You may be used to grabbing regular shears...

Fellows jamproof paper shredder.(Claim Check)(PS-79Ci Deskside Shredder )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Shredding paper can be a game of chicken--the feed hole tempts us to race forward with as many sheets as we can. Of course, the inevitable purge of jammed halfcut strips is rarely worth the time saved by squeezing in a few extra pages. The...

A sharper image.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Vixia HF10 camcorder)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Typically, shooting and sharing high-definition movies requires plenty of cords, plenty of time and a very powerful computer. The Canon Vixia HF10 camcorder ($1100) makes it all easy through a combination of built-in...

North Face Triumph Anorak.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jacket seams are an outdoor shell's Achilles' heel--structural weak points where water seeps in and tears start. Because the North Face Triumph Anorak ($180) is welded using heat-generating sonic vibrations, the...

Depth-percieving 3D webcam.(Crystal Ball)(three dimensional, 3DV Systems ZCam)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Three-dimensional depth-perceiving cameras typically cost tens of thousands of dollars. When it comes out later this year, the 3DV Systems ZCam (around $100) will use a combination of optical cameras and infrared pulses to instantly render 3D...

Channellock WideAzz Wrench.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The jaw on the Channellock WideAzz Wrench ($24) can open up an inch and a half. That may not seem like a tot, until you realize that the whole thing is just 6.25 in. long--or about half the length of most comparably...

Keep track, on the field.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like its predecessors, the Garmin Forerunner 405 GPS Watch ($300) will track your heart rate along with the speed, distance and route of your run or bike ride. But while previous models were weighed down by bulky...

A stiff uppercut.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Global Machinery Company's X2 7 saw)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... When the housing on a circular saw flexes, it can make it difficult to maintain a straight cut. The real damage, however, is less immediate--the constant twisting can wear down the tool's guts, shortening its life span. Because the Global...

Cartilage conduction headphones.(Test Drive)(Outi Headphones )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The idea of using intrabody vibrations as an aural express lane is nothing new--bone conduction has been around for years. However, the Zelco Outi Headphones ($110) take it to a level that can only be described as...

The smell test.(UPGRADE: ABUSIVE LAB TEST)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2008... Anyone who has laid brush to wall knows that a roomful of fresh paint can smell to headache-inducing heights. Vapors aren't just annoying--a paint-caused dizzy spell can cut your work short. To solve this problem, a slew of new low-odor and...

Little brawler: 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS: maximum thrust, minimum fluff--lots of fun.(TEST DRIVEN + +)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Don't be fooled. The HHR SS isn't just a badge-and-sticker job. This is a real performance package. Under the hood, a 2.0-liter turbocharged Four makes 260 hp when paired to a five-speed manual and 235 hp when paired...

Godzilla: 1 2009 Nissan GT-R.(NEW CARS: TEST-DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] No swoopy Italian supercar can command this kind of respect. The $69,850 Nissan GT-R has heroic moves combined with understated class. Its fans have given the GT-R the nickname Godzilla for good reason--it is a...

Efficient hauler: 2 2008 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid.(NEW CARS: TEST-DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These days fuel economy is foremost on the mind of every motorist. But we all want vehicles with capability, power and room to transport a small army, too. One of the most promising attempts to combine all this in a...

Smooth operator: 1 2008 Lexus LX 570.(NEW CARS: TEST-DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Not only is the new Lexus LX 570 technically sophisticated, it's also one of the most powerful, quiet and well-appointed SUVs around. Under the hood is a 383-hp 5.7-liter V8 engine, 115 hp stronger than the LX 470 it...

Wild child: 2 2008 Dodge Viper ACR.(NEW CARS: TEST-DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dodge says the rear wing on the $98,810 ACR provides 1000 pounds of downforce at 150 mph. That's quite welcome on the long track at California's Willow Springs Raceway, where we wrung out this very evil snake. We hit...

Swift kitty: 1. 2009 Jaguar XF.(NEW CARS: TEST-DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How does Jaguar face an uncertain future? By creating a whole new cat. The coupelike $49,975 XF is the most techno-driven Jag yet. Climb inside and the red Start/Stop button pulses with the lub-dub rhythm of a...

Turning the corner: 2 2008 Saturn Astra.(NEW CARS: TEST-DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Saturn has created a winner with the new $&5,995 Astra. The three- and five-door hatchbacks could be GM's best small car ever. All have a 138-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, and the manual delivers 24/32 mpg...

The state of the lithium-ion battery.(NEW CARS: NEWS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE LI-ION IS READY FOR MAINSTREAM HYBRIDS. The future of American motoring is most likely to be--at least partly--battery-powered. And the leading candidate to be the battery of...

Ferrari's Bose Media versus Ford Sync.(NEW CARS: NEWS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Similarities: Both offer a variety of entertainment features (mostly music playback), as well as hands-free phoning and satellite navigation. Bose and Sync also have user-friendly interfaces that seamlessly integrate...

Data from the stars.(NEW CARS: NEWS)(Sirius and XM Satellite Radio services)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sirius and XM are moving beyond music and into car data delivery. This year, Sirius Travel Link will provide Ford cars with real-time traffic information, coast-to-coast weather (including conditions at ski resorts),...

Full-size faceoff: this January, Ford and Dodge unveiled all-new, full-size pickups at the Detroit Auto Show. Through lines? Refinement meets capability wrapped around tough new metal.(NEW CARS: FIRST LOOK)
March 1, 2008... 2009 DODGE RAM Head Turner Dodge wants to take a bigger bite out of the full-size pickup pie. And with the all-new Ram, the company just might succeed. The '09 Ram is more aerodynamic, yet still rugged. To our eye, it looks great. Under...

Back to basics.(JAY LENO'S GARAGE)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] O YOU REALLY HAVE to spend $200,000 to $300,000 or more for the privilege of owning an exotic supercar? The short answer is no. It's not exactly easy to make a car go fast, handle well or stop on a dime. But it's...

The end of aging?(THINKING AHEAD)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OLD AGE HAS ALWAYS been like the weather: Everybody talks about aging, but nobody does anything about it. Oh, they've tried. For millennia, charlatans have been offering remedies for aging that didn't work any better...

Ultimate fighting machines: first-gen armed robots are tough, smart and packing plenty of heat. Welcome to the age of the real killer apps.(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT A MUDDY TEST TRACK IN GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS, 13 miles west of Dallas, the robot is winning. It has climbed on Lop of a sedan, its 2.5-ton bulk propped on the crumpled roof. The car never stood a chance. ...

The best of green design.(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YOUR HOME MAY BE YOUR CASTLE but there's no need for exorbitant utility bills to make it as pricey as the real thing. From windows that can insulate against Antarctic temperatures to a machine that converts your...

Ridge riding: it's the perfect road trip--4 riders, 2 bikes and a 900-mile quest to find the sweetest blacktop and tastiest BBQ in the South.(barbecue)(Travel narrative)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Auto editor Ben Stewart (white hat) and senior auto editor Mike Allen make a pitstop at Deals Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line to discuss how not to drag the floorboards on Highway 129--the Tail of the...

Avalanche! Science is battling winter's white killer-but can technology trump recklessness in the backcountry?
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT WAS THE WEEKEND they'd been waiting for all year. After an early season marked by disappointing snowfall, friends Jason Crawford, 27, Brett Toney, 27, and Kris Rains, 26, awoke Feb. 17, 2007, to find the hills...

Made in the USA: a funny thing happened on the way, to America's industrial meltdown--the country started making and selling more goods than ever. How did companies do it? With quality, speed and innovation.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE FACTORY FLOOR--AS BIG AS 16 FOOTBALL FIELDS--IS NOISY WITH THE clatter and grind of huge lathes and drills shaping steel plates, gears and rods for giant yellow bulldozers that will churn through major...

The internet kitchen.(DIY HOME: SAWHORSES + STAY WARM WORKING OUTSIDE + CEILING FAN KNOW-HOW)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm remodeling my kitchen and I want to get more counter space, more outlets, cable TV and--while I'm at it--a hardwired Internet connection. Any tips on this project? Counter space is always at a premium, and...

The brighter bathroom.(Action Plan)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... When it comes to DIY skills, my husband and I are so-so, but we want to do somethong to boost the look of our bathroom. It's not in bad shape, and we don't want to remodel. The room just needs to look 10 yeards less dingy. What's quick and...

Old-house hazards.(THE DIY LIFE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... I'M NO STRANGER to old-house booby traps, but even I was surprised by the number I found as I worked my way through a crawlspace recently, spreading a plastic vapor barrier on the floor. First came the jagged piece of steel fish tape. It had...

Team of workhorses: building a better sawhorse-functional, strong and elegant.(CLASSICS: Simple Do-It-Yourself Projects)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's common to think of tools as implements to cut, drill or shape material--or perhaps to drive fasteners. But another important class of tools is used to support whatever you are working on. One of the most...

Polishing headlights: polycarbonate headlight lenses can haze out and reduce your nighttime visibility.(DIY AUTO: SATURDAY MECHANIC)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's a cold and rainy winter night. Your headlamp beams drill a tunnel of light into the gloom of a deserted country lane. Unfortunately, it's not a very deep or bright tunnel. You have to slow the car to a crawl,...

Sending up a flare.(CAR CLINIC: Q + A)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I was working on my father-in-law's old beater and rounded off every single one of the brake-hose fittings with an open-end wrench and Vise-Grips. I had to hacksaw the steel lines off at the fitting and use a...

Good news, blown fuse: I recently had a party, and one of my friends turned up the volume of my AV receiver really loud. Suddenly, it shut down. Is it destroyed?(TECH: USB CHARGES + INTERNET OVERLOADS + VIDEOTAPE TRAP)
March 1, 2008... It's possible that your receiver is toast, but don't give up hope yet. There are two things to check. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Many modern receivers have "protection circuits," bits of specialized hardware that recognize dangerous...

This is my job: cave rescuer.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] > ANMAR MIRZA > WILLIAMS, IND. > YEARS ON JOB: 23 THERE ARE NEARLY 15,000 caves in the central United States, and an estimated 4000 people who explore them each year. Anmar Mirza, who volunteers as...