Popular Mechanics articles from October 2008

Popular Mechanics archives from October 2008

Geek the vote '08.(PopularMechanics.com)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... As Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama hit the home stretch, PM breaks down the candidates' science and technology proposals with in-depth updates on their plans for plug-in cars, missions to the moon and more. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Alt-fuel USA.(PopularMechanics.com)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... This fall, we chart the highway of tomorrow, traveling in gas-free cars to labs that hold the keys to next-gen fuel. Watch regular video reports from our trip, powered by everything from algae and cellulose to trash and manure. ...

Mechanical advantage.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I couldn't put down "Fixing the World on $2 a Day," about MIT's Amy Smith and appropriate technology for developing countries. Thanks for doing an article on simple mechanical devices that can have a profound impact...

Health debate.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... I read Glenn Reynolds's column "Vaccine Denial" and was saddened by the author's position on this condition. My grandson is autistic and I am convinced there is a cause-and-effect relationship with the vaccination schedule. I'm not advocating a...

Rock, unplugged.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... Boulders in the way? Expensive technology isn't always necessary ("School of Rock"). Start a fire against one side and let it burn to hot coals. Relocate the coals to the other side of the rock, and build the fire back up. Then drench the hot...

Correction.(LETTERS)(Correction notice)
October 1, 2008... "The Shape of Fuels to Come" (Sept. '08) misidentified one of the next-generation biofuel innovators, The company's correct name is Iogen.

Skills weekend on the DIY Network.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PM's guide to 100 must-have skills (page 56) is a great tool for all-around competence. For more home and yard know-how, tune into the DIY Network Skills Weekend on Saturday, Sept. 20, and Sunday, Sept. 21, from 7 am...

Mars water milestone: NASA robots dig up the first samples of extraterrestrial water ice on Mars and open new vistas on the planet's past and future.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Yes, Mars has water, It's a statement that many planetary geologists believed was true but could not confirm, until recent lab tests performed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander. Previous evidence included observations...

Smoothest spheres.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The kilogram has long held the distinction of being the only standard measurement defined by a physical object--a 119-year-old cylinder of platinum and iridium that resides in a French vault. But now, in a quest to redefine the kilogram for the...

Antifreeze for flora.(Freeze-Pruf)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A water-based spray co-developed at the University of Alabama promises to improve the cold tolerance of a wide variety of plants by 2 to 9 degrees E In some tests, Musa orinoco plants treated with the spray survived...

Nanotech for impatient cooks.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Water boils about 10 times more efficiently if you line the bottom of the pot with a layer of tiny copper nanorods, engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., have found. In normal pots, it takes time for bubbles to form even...

A real wave-rider.(Kenichi Horie)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... It took almost twice as long as expected because of calm seas, but Japanese sailor and environmentalist Kenichi Horie traveled from Hawaii to Japan in a wave-powered boat. He traveled more than 4000 miles in 211 days to make the longest...

New view of a violent universe.(Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) has successfully settled into its orbit 350 miles above Earth. The $690 million orbiting observatory, shown above inside the rocket that launched it, is seeking...

Peter Roth: PM interview lead researcher, Sandia National Laboratories' Freedomcar Program: lithium-ion batteries could be the key to next-generation hybrid and electric automobiles. Roth tests these batteries to determine if they are safe to use on our roads.(TECH WATCH: EARTH TECH)(Interview)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Q What dangers do lithium-ion batteries pose? A You can get six times the energy density in a lithium battery that you can in a lead-acid battery and two or three times as much as in a nickel-metal hydride...

Rebuilding beasts: a bullet took this eagle's beak--but high-tech engineering brought it back.(TECH WATCH: EARTH TECH)(the bald eagle Beauty)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... When Nate Calvin first met Beauty the bald eagle, he knew he had to help. The 7-year-old bird had lost 90 percent of her upper beak to a poacher's bullet and was unable to eat on her own. So Calvin, founder of Idaho-based Kinetic Engineering...

How to hide a secret room: homeowners are taking advantage of high-tech opportunities to camouflage doors leading to their private spaces.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... If you're in the market for a Batcave--or just a place to hide your stamp collection--then Steve Humble of Creative Home Engineering should be your next call. The mechanical engineer turned secret-passageway builder started his Phoenix-based...

Time machine: July 1951.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ability to make and use tools is a hallmark of human civilization, yet few people consider building their own power saw. But with a few "stock materials, a car differential and other odds and ends," readers could...

The army's new boombox: an innovative missile system puts control of small cruise missiles in the hands of frontline infantry troops.(TECH WATCH)(Non-Line of Sight Launch System)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Army foot soldiers in remote areas often rely on aircraft to deliver precision strikes to support their operations. For firepower, soldiers must depend on warplanes or helicopters, which sometimes cannot help because...

Off-road warrior.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Zero X Electric Motorcycle)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An off-road bike should allow you to get closer to nature--not scare it away. The Zero X Electric Motorcycle ($7450, zeromotorcycles.com), which has a 40-mile range between battery charges, is no louder than a...

Fiskars Dual Cut Lopper ($43).(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Using large loppers on small branches often results in ragged cuts, which can lead to tree infections. The Fiskars Dual Cut Lopper ($43) has a small built-in pruner for tiny twigs, allowing you to cleanly cut any...

Light stick.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Swann FlashlightDVR)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Swann FlashlightDVR ($500) is a working flashlight and VGA-quality video camera stuffed into a Maglite-like aluminum alloy case (it even has an infrared camera for night-vision movies). While the company is primarily targeting the security...

Motor assisted luggage.(Test Drive)(Live Luggage Power-Assisted Suitcase)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Live Luggage Power-Assisted Suitcase ($1400) purports to make travel less tiresome by using a motor (powered by a rechargeable 12-volt NiMH battery) to get itself over tough terrain. A built-in sensor scouts for slopes, then gives a...

Led minilights.(Abusive Lab Test)(light-emitting diode)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2008... The new standard for flashlights, energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are durable and long lasting. We pushed a trio of LED minilights from different price points to their limits, testing for battery life, light quality and the...

Smile for the camcorder.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Sony HDR-CX12 Handycam)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Smile for the Camcorder The high-definition Sony HDR-CX12 Handycam ($900) uses advanced face-detection technology to determine when your subject is smiling and to automatically take a 4-megapixel still photo without...

While online gamers flock to other consoles, the Nintendo Wii's Internet access is rarely utilized.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... While online garners flock to other consoles, the Nintendo Wii's Internet access is rarely utilized. One problem: There was no easy way of inputting text, limiting communication (and, let's face it, trash-talking) between players. But the...

Doggy detector.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Garmin Astro)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... A good hunting dog is man's best friend, fearlessly tracking downed fowl in deep grass. But sometimes that dense cover can make him hard to find. The Garmin Astro ($600) acts like a virtual leash. Put the waterproof GPS collar around your dog's...

Tivoli Networks Radio ($600).(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Sure, you can pay to access a couple hundred channels of satellite radio, but there's a much larger pool of audio content out there, and it's free. The Tivoli Networks Radio ($600) uses Wi-Fi to tap into a nearly infinite list of Internet radio...

Portable hard drives.(Abusive Lab Test)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Portable hard drives are just one accidental drop away from an irrecoverable loss. We took four--including two that are "ruggedized"-and dropped them until they were rendered unreadable. The graph at right shows how...

Waste not, watt not.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(electronic motion sensors)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There is no digital program to combat human absent-mindedness. Or is there? When we leave unused electronics powered on, we pointlessly waste electricity. But a growing number of companies are creating electronics...

Wide range.(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Kodak Z1015 /S)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... If you want a camera that can shoot at both a wide angle and a tight zoom, you would usually have to splurge on an expensive digital SLR camera with a replaceable lens. The 10-megapixel Kedok Z1015 /S ($350) can seamlessly switch between an...

Stiletto TiBar 16 ($250).(UPGRADE: WISH LIST)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The heads on most demolition multitools are designed to smash wood, not drive nails into it. Because the Stiletto TiBar 16($250) weighs just 2 pounds, it is light and balanced enough to replace a hammer. And while...

World beater: can a Corvette hang with Ferraris and Lamborghinis? Yes. In fact, with 638 hp and a top speed over 200 mph, the ZR1 might blow them off the Autostrada.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PM TEST DRIVEN ++ '09 Corvette ZR1 Base Price: $103,300 This is the best Corvette ever. Chevrolet's iconic sports car has always been astonishingly satisfying to drive. But the ZR1 is different. The 638...

Smooth rider: 2009 Dodge Ram 1500.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dodge is known for bucking conventional pickup-truck wisdom. The '94 Ram polarized everyone with its brazen big-rig styling. For 2009, the truck gains perhaps its biggest breakthrough yet: rear coil springs. Compared...

Bargain couture: 2009 VW Passat CC.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Does the world need a four-door coupe? Try posing that question to Mercedes-Benz, whose sleek CLS inspires fits of envy among other drivers. Now, at a slightly lower end of the price spectrum, VW has one, too. The...

Late bloomer: 2009 Kia Borrego.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... If only Kia had a time machine. Five years ago, the $26,995 Kia Borrego would have made Detroit very nervous. Here's a seven-passenger SUV with an optional 337-hp 4.6-liter V8 that can tow 7500 pounds. It has an independent suspension at each...

Maintaining momentum: 2009 Porsche 911.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Just when you thought the classic, rear-engine 911 was on its last legs--nudged from its throne by the midengine Porsche Cayman--along comes a new model to reassert its primacy. The prototypical Porsche has been...

Traction assured: 2009 Acura TL.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new TL has what we've been yearning for since the original was introduced 12 years ago--all-wheel drive. Yes, base TLs with a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 are still front-drive. But opt for the super-handling...

Silken sledgehammer: 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage.(NEW CARS: TEST DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aston Martin's allure was always bolstered by the vehicular shenanigans of a certain spy. But even with 007 doing PR, sales were minuscule. In 2005 the company landed a hit, the V8 Vantage. Now, subtle but...

2010 Chevy Camaro.(FIRST LOOK)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Camaro is back, When the concept debuted back at the 2006 Detroit auto show, it made fans salivate. The production muscle car is due this winter. Under the hood, RS Camaros will have GM's 3.6-liter,...

Compact torque: Duramax 4.5-liter diesel.(NEW CARS: TECH BREAKOUT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pickup trucks need better fuel economy, so automakers are responding with light-duty diesels. GM's innovative 4.5-liter Duramax V8 will be available on 2010 Chevy/GMC 1500 models and maybe others. The unique...

Engineered by nature: the best place to find inspiration for industrial design? The flora and fauna all around us.(BIOMIMICRY)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] An airplane systems engineer, a shower designer and a biologist walk into a Costa Rican rain forest. "This is the neatest thing I've found this week," says the airplane engineer, from Boeing, pointing to a...

Looking for a miracle: everyone seems to want a government-sponsored Apollo project for energy. Let's be careful what we wish for.(ENERGY PERSPECTIVE)
October 1, 2008... Suddenly, everyone has a plan. Veteran oilman T. Boone Pickens is spending millions promoting his proposal to replace foreign oil with massive wind farms and increased natural-gas production. Sen. Barack Obama proposes spending S150 billion...

100 skills every man should know: brains and charm are fine, but a real guy needs to know how to do real stuff--steer out of a blowout, cut down a tree, change a diaper. Here's our lineup of essential skills for the competent man. How do you measure up?(THE PM MANUAL)(Cover story)
October 1, 2008... 1. Tape drywall Easy to do. Hard to do well. Spread a strip of compound about the width of your 5-in. drywall knife along the entire joint, then press the tape into the compound. Use your knife to embed the tape; allow the excess compound...

How do you build the world's biggest boat?
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ONE PIECE AT A TIME. THE WORLD'S MOST IMPRESSIVE SHIPS ARE NOT BUILT FOR WAR OR TRADE--THEY'RE MADE FOR PLEASURE. THE LARGEST CRUISE LINER EVER CONSTRUCTED NOW SITS IN A FINNISH SHIPYARD, WHERE IT IS BEING...

So you want to buy an LCD TV.
October 1, 2008... To some people, it may seem like next year's digital TV changeover * has been a long time coming. Others may feel suddenly wrenched from the analog sets that have served them well for years. Regardless, the era of standard-definition,...

Rediscovering hydropower: as residents of one Vermont Town can attest, clean renewable energy is flowing right past us. All we have to do is tap into it.
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FROM THE FRONT, the old brick mill in Middlebury, VT., looks like any of the other quaint buildings lining the town's main street But inside, through yawning gaps in patchwork floor of long, narrow planks, the...

Chain smokers: in the ultimate cut-to-the-chase test, we ran seven chain saws for all they're worth.(DIY HOME: CHAIN SAWS)(Product/service evaluation)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When it comes to the hard work of felling trees and cutting them into firewood, there's just no substitute for the chain saw. This machine is loud, oily and smelly--attributes you'll quickly forget after you drop a...

The hidden life of walls: you'd be surprised at what's behind the paint.(How Your House Works)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To a large extent, it's the walls that define your home. They're what you see day after day, at all hours, in any weather. Your diploma hangs on them, or maybe your honorable discharge, and then there are your kids'...

Providing backup power.(Homeowners Clinic: Q + A)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q My wife and I are tired of being left in the dark when the power goes out around here, which is often. We want to buy a portable generator, but I've read conflicting advice about sizing and installing it. My wife...

Steps into grade.(Homeowners Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... I have a fairly steep hill in my backyard that leads up to a flat area where the kids play. I would like to build steps up to this area. Can you give me some suggestions for constructing them? There are a couple of ways to do this. One is...

Heating an outbuilding.(Homeowners Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... I finished building a shed this summer and intend to use a free-standing propane heater in it this winter. I'm concerned about the heater tipping over. What advice do you have? Propane heaters with small tanks are great for heating...

Take the metal and run: common-sense steps can keep your home's gutters and pipes from being stolen for scrap.(CRIME PREVENTION)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Things are out of hand when thieves turn up at junkyards fencing everything from copper gutters to bronze markers ripped off cemetery headstones. "Anything they can get, they'll get," says Harlan Hartstein, owner of...

Six ways to work safely in the shop: a busted knuckle is a badge of honor. And real injuries are easily prevented. Here's the right way to wrench--without getting hurt.(SATURDAY MECHANIC)
October 1, 2008... DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY /// EASY * Let's say it's time to replace the shocks. The job really isn't that tough or inherently dangerous. But it does involve getting your car up in the air so you can work underneath it. And that's where things...

Deflating.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q My teenager is a real gearhead. He s good about checking and setting tire pressures on all the family s cars, plus the boat trailer, our ATV and even the wheelbarrow. And I'm eternally grateful. Really. But he...

Hot time at the campground.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... I had a new radiator fitted to my Renault Trafic camper and my fan rewired to run constantly. It solved my overheating problems, but is this okay in the long term? Basically, no. From the top: Your Renault, like many fwd vehicles, has an...

The truth about diesel.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... I'm told that when it's below freezing outside, trucks and buses with diesel engines must leave their motors running for hours, maybe even overnight. Is this necessary? If so, why? In colder weather, diesels can be tough to start. Diesels...

Time's not on your side: delay your rubber-timing-belt replacement and your engine could require a full rebuild.(THE MECHANIC'S HEADS UP)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Rubber timing belts, unlike timing chains, have a limited life span, generally 75,000 to 125,000 miles. Some engines will live if the belt breaks. But others, labeled "interference" engines, will crash pistons into the valves when the...

Hot hubs.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Tonight I noticed that the right front hub on my car was very warm. What could be causing it to heat up like that? Yes, I had just been driving the car, but that hub was warmer than the other three. I'm in the habit of periodically checking...

Is all gas the same?(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Many people (including my husband) tell me that there is absolutely no difference in the octane rating of fuel grades. They say gas stations don't get separate deliveries for each type of gas. I disagree, because when I run my Volvo on regular...

Cool it down.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The electric radiator fans on my '02 Malibu quit working. I've checked and all the fuses are good. The mini relays are okay, too. I can jumper power to the fans and they work. Is there a thermostat or sensor that turns them on? We can...

Parts crisis.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... One of the four HVAC vent covers on my five-year-old Nissan's dashboard does not open and close properly. I'm told it cannot be fixed without replacing the entire dash. Do you know where I could purchase the vent covers? Also, the strip of...

Dirty oxygen sensors.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... I need help troubleshooting my '96 GMC Safari. I replaced a bunch of ignition parts, and my scanner gave me code 300. It has four oxygen sensors. I cleaned one sensor that was reading "low voltage," but the truck still idles rough. The engine...

Blinking lights.(Car Clinic: Q + A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Can a headlight bulb work and then sometimes not? My car's headlights work, and then they quit, at random. I pulled the connection cable off; it isn't broken. It does have some type of light-brown grease in there. I can put the cable back on...

Preparing for the digital TV transition: this winter, 70 years of analog network television broadcasting comes to an end. What happens next?(DIY TECH: DTV TRANSITION)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At midnight on Feb. 17, 2009, most television broadcasters will shut down their old analog transmitters for good. And, depending on whom you ask, this will either be the beginning of a bold new era of digital...

Master your camera phone.(Digital Clinic: Q+A)
October 1, 2008... Q My camera phone claims to have 3 megapixels, but my pictures always come out looking blurry and generally terrible. How can I take better shots with my camera phone? A Megapixels are a measurement of one thing and one thing only: how...

Volume discount.(Digital Clinic: Q+A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The maximum volume on my Apple MacBook is too low to enjoy my movies and music. Is there any way to make it louder? While very few laptops have high-quality speakers, the ones on the MacBook are notoriously quiet. Even at full volume, it...

Keyboard games.(Digital Clinic: Q+A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... I tried hooking a keyboard up to my Nintendo Wii's USB slot, but it doesn't work. Why not? When the Nintendo Wii first came out, in 2006, its two USB ports didn't do anything. But as of firmware version 3.1, you can plug any generic USB...

Tough transfer.(Digital Clinic: Q+A)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... When I tried to transfer a 1 GB file from my Windows Vista desktop to a network-attached storage device, it took almost an hour. I later tried the same thing on a Windows XP computer and it took just a few minutes. What's causing the holdup on...

This is my job: FBI diver.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * BOBBY CHACON * LOS ANGELES, CALIF. * AGE: 45 * YEARS ON JOB: 13 When a major crime scene is underwater, diver detective Bobby Chacon investigates. The 45-year-old--who worked on the recovery of...