Popular Mechanics articles from September 2007

Popular Mechanics archives from September 2007

Satellites at risk.(LETTERS)
September 1, 2007... I read Carl Hoffman's comprehensive article "Battlefield Space" (July '07) with interest. All mankind has benefited from the American space program and American satellites. Our tremendous accomplishments in space have been bought and paid for...

Auto advice.(PopularMechanics.com)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Our expert auto team is hitting top gear online, with extended new-car reviews direct from the test track, plus weekly spy reports, gas-saving tips and alternative-fuel news. In the market for a new car? PM's New Cars & Trucks Buyers Guide has...

Eco-friendlier.(PopularMechanics.com)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... No matter how many projects we offer, it can take a lot of work to make your house more efficient ("Know Your Footprint: Water," page 59). That job just got a lot easier. Check out our sister site's One Easy Thing tip every morning at...

Clean machines.(PopularMechanics.com)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Even before he helped install a wind turbine next to his garage, Jay Leno was sprucing up his shop with green auto parts and lots of good cheer. Let Jay be your guide on a video tour of his clean, breeze-powered facility; watch him test...

Speeding Bullet.(TECHWATCH)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... When the latest model of Shinkansen, the Japanese bullet train, was launched on July 1, more than 1300 people showed up at 6 am on a Sunday to pack the seats for the maiden voyage, from Tokyo to Fukuoka. The Series N700 is billed by Japan...

Strike phone.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Nokia has applied for a patent on a system that will let cellphones track electromagnetic pulses released by nearby lightning strikes. (Phones already use filters to keep lightning from interrupting calls.) The system would warn you if the...

Eyes on the road.(Brief article)(Photograph)
September 1, 2007... Don't look now, but that billboard might be watching you. The palm-size eyebox2 (left), developed at Queen's University in Canada, tracks how many people look at an ad, and for how long. It sends out infrared light, and detects the flash of...

Trial by plasma.(Brief article)(Photograph)
September 1, 2007... A plasma rocket developed by a former NASA astronaut passed a milestone, running for more than 4 hours. The Variable-Specific-Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (left) uses magnetic fields to direct plasma. It's designed to keep accelerating while in...

Jolt action.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Continuing to strike fear into the hearts of, well, everyone, Taser has released an electrified round that works with any 12-ga. shotgun. The XREP (left) is self-contained, with no wires leading back to the gun, and has a range of 100 ft....

Storm system.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In the name of science, University of Florida researchers will be tearing down vacant houses with a 10-ft.tall hurricane simulator (left). Packing eight diesel-powered fans, the system can simulate a Category 3 hurricane, with 130-mph winds. It...

Laser sight.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... A laser-based surveillance system may make Big Brother slightly more discreet. Developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the system uses a scanning laser to detect movement. Measuring the signal from strategically placed reflective tags, it...

Bodies of evidence: billions of threatened bees may get by with a little help from their tech-savvy friends in the army.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... SINCE LAST FALL, THE STRANGE phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has killed off a quarter of America's honeybee population, and threatened 25 percent of our food supply. (A wide variety of crops rely on pollination.) This past...

Surf and destroy: a novelty automaker splashes into the military market.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Someone in the Pentagon clearly has a flair for the dramatic: The Department of Defense recently awarded a contract to Gibbs Technologies, which is working with Lockheed Martin to develop the Terraquad, a high-speed, four-wheel amphibious...

Staying aloft: riding a wave of personal jets, whole-airframe parachutes could become the airbags of the sky.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... WHEN THE ALTERNATIVE IS a fiery crash at terminal velocity, hitting the ground at 25 ft. per second sounds almost cushy. That's the speed at which a plane will land when dangling from a whole-airframe parachute: It's 5 ft. per second faster...

Electricity unplugged: a new approach to wireless power could replace cables and outlets with electromagnetic fields.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... WIRELESS POWER TRANSFER IS OLD NEWS--more than a century ago, Nikola Tesla built magnetic coils that transmitted power without cables. But Tesla's coils also tended to expel bursts of superhot plasma. This past June, MIT researchers announced...

Time machine: March 1962.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)(Photograph)
September 1, 2007... SEVEN YEARS PRIOR to a lunar landing, PM predicted that the first trip to the moon would set out on July 1, 1969--just 15 days shy of Apollo 11's launch. We were less prescient about the vehicle, reporting that NASA was torn between a "direct...

Bouncing baby bot: for the good of all androids, a robot toddler does its best impression of a human child.(TECH WATCH)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... EVERY SO OFTEN, A NEW AND TERRIFYING robot is unveiled, making us all wonder just what roboticists are thinking. Cue the stumbling entrance of "CB2"--which stands for "Child-Robot with Biomimetic Body"--a humanoid robot that deliberately mimics...

Destruction at hand.(UPGRADE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The original Fubar was a thing of terrible beauty, a combined hammer and hefty pry bar bristling with serrated jaws, The only problem--it was too heavy for tool belts. To make the Fubar II ($30), Stanley shortened the tool to 15 in., trimmed...

MetalliScanner m40.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The MetalliScanner m40 ($40) from Zircon looks like a ray gun, and sort of works like one, too--you push the trigger on the pistol-grip handle, and aim the stud finder's electromagnetic coil at the wall. A chain of four front-mounted LED lights...

Test drive: Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Oral-B isn't afraid to embarrass people in its quest to get them to brush for at least 2 minutes a session. The brush head in the Triumph with SmartGuide ($150) communicates with an LCD display via wireless--yes, wireless--showing total...

A shot in the dark.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In a worst-case driving situation--a late-night breakdown on a remote road, out of cellphone range--the unassuming EMERGENCY CAR LENSER RECHARGEABLE ($35) might be the best backup plan you'll ever scoff at. This 3.5in. LED flashlight charges...

Test drive: underwater cameras.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2007... During the idle days of late summer, fun in the sun often means fun in the water. So it's the perfect time to test two new cameras on their ability to perform in water and on land. The rough-and-tumble OLYMPUS STYLUS 770 SW fears no...

MX air cordless laser mouse.(UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Instead of relying on gyroscopes, Logitech's MX Air Cordless Laser Mouse ($150) uses a combination of micromechanical motion sensors and digital signal processing. This provides a seamless transition. between on-desk mouse and in-air...

The Psiclops extreme.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Psiclops Extreme ($100) is a no-brainer for performance cars--it lets you precisely balance the pressure for two tires at once. But this well-engineered gauge, with its sturdy, snap-on quick chucks (some of the best we've ever used), makes...

Test Drive: stranglehold (PS3/XBOX360/PC).(PM UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Tons of video games have tried for a cinematic experience, but Stranglehold ($60)-coming in September for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360--is the first one that plays like a blockbuster film. Aside from bar-raising graphics and a collaboration...

The art of the toolbag diddy bagg.(PM UPGRADE /// WISH LIST)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... They look nothing alike, but the DIDDY BAGG ($60) from Nantucket Bagg and Stanley's FATMAX XTREME OPEN TOTE toolbag ($50) are both updates of classic designs. The Diddy Bagg has a single zipper, so it can unzip and lay flat for easier access to...

Trojan horsepower: the Impreza WRX is more refined, but still packs turbocharged heat.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Subaru's styling has always been an acquired taste. Like a pug, the cars were, um... kinda homely in a cute way. No longer. The '08 Impreza looks far more mainstream and sedate. The 170-hp 2.5-liter H4 has been tuned for low-range torque,...

Quiet-tuned: Buick Enclave.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Buick's new $32,790 Enclave takes the brand back to its roots with a quiet ride, striking style and smooth performance. The Enclave shares a platform with both the Saturn Outlook and the GMC Acadia, but because it's a Buick, this...

Pure machismo: Dodge Ram Cummins 6.7.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... If the Ultimate Fighting Championship had a truck class, we'd want to be behind the wheel of a new 350-hp 6.7-liter Dodge Ram Cummins for the title bout. This truck can handle just about any situation. It can tow 16,800 pounds and has 650...

Trail boss: Hummer H3 Alpha.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The not-at-all-small, smallest Hummer now gets a burly V8. And it's about time. The H3 Alpha's aluminum 5.3-liter V8 exhales through four catalytic converters to meet 2010 emissions and wallops out 300 hp and 320 lb.-ft, of torque. That's up 58...

Plush powerhouse: Bentley Continental GTC.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... This intoxicatingly powerful $201,615 British Grand Touring convertible is built to comfortably dispatch hundreds of miles very, very quickly. It's the ultimate road-trip car for the rich and famous. Thanks to the 6.0-liter 552-hp twin-turbo...

No bull: Ford Taurus.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Taurus is back. Miss it? Ford sure hopes so. The new Taurus is an updated Five Hundred with a handsome, fresh face reminiscent of the smaller Fusion sedan. But the big story is the new 260-hp 3.5-liter V6 under the hood. Finally, this car...

Building block: Saturn Vue.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In 18 months, Saturn has completely changed its lineup and reputation in equal measure--both for the better. The latest product, the Vue crossover, is sleeker and offers a more versatile interior than before. On an afternoon's drive through...

Futurama: Victory Vision.(NEW CARS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The fearlessly styled Vision is a refreshing take on the traditional touring bike. Don't let the bodywork fool you: The 1731cc V-twin is potent for a long-haul bike, though it's certainly better suited to cruising than to drag racing. A...

2009 Ford F-150.(SPY REPORTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... +2009 Ford f-150. The F-150 is Ford's bread and butter. And in '09 we'll see an all-new one. An insider says it will compete directly with Toyota's new Tundra pickup, a vehicle seen as a threat to the historical dominance of the U.S....

Cadillac and Hyundai big V8s.(SPY REPORTS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Cadillac and Hyundai are preparing new V8 sedans, though for very different purposes. The Caddy CTS-V will take aim at BMW's M cars and pack a detuned version of the Blue Devil Corvette engine--a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 of around 500 hp....

GM's light diesel.(news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... GM has announced a 310-hp 4.5-liter Duramax diesel V8 for the 2010 Hummer H2, Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups that makes 520 lb.-ft. of torque. The new motor is said to deliver 25 percent better fuel economy than a conventional VS. So...

Meeting the 2020 fuel economy standard.(news)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard--the subject of contentious debate on Capitol Hill--will jump to 35 mpg for cars and trucks by 2020. It's going to be expensive for automakers and consumers alike. Detroit can meet the standard by...

Blowin' in the wind: looking for a way to get cleaner and cheaper electricity? The answer might just be floating on a breeze.(jay's green garage)
September 1, 2007... FOR THOSE readers who've been following my Green Garage series on the PM Web site, you know I'm trying to do my part for the environment. For example, I have two types of environmentally sensitive parts washers. The Omegasonics Super Pro...

Long-term test cars: we've lost two family haulers but gained one that really hauls.(AUTOMOTIVE)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2007... first report Split personality: The Mazda CX-7 is a practical wagon that has a very sporty side. Mazda CX-7 Grand Touring AWD There are plenty of sport utility vehicles on the road that offer utility, but precious few that deliver...

Tragedy under the ice: a routine training exercise turns deadly for two coast guard divers.(WHAT WENT WRONG)
September 1, 2007... ON A BRISK, SUNNY AFTERNOON last August, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy came to a crunching halt in 4-ft.-thick pack ice, 490 miles north of Barrow, Alaska. The polar icebreaker had just completed the western leg of its summer mission to...

Know your footprint: water: turning off the tap on leaks, runoff and wasted water.
September 1, 2007... WHEN THEY MOVED FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., to the Nevada desert 13 years ago, William and Monika Clauberg met an unexpected sight. the superhuman irrigation efforts required to maintain lush green lawns in a climate where grass can gobble the...

10 disasters that changed aviation: how crashes spurred new technology that keeps air travel routine.
September 1, 2007... Flying in a jetliner is extraordinarily safe: There has been only one fatal crash in the United States in the past five years, an astounding record considering that more than 30,000 flights take off every day. How did flying get so reliable? In...

Crossovers: large SUVS too thirsty? Minivans a little too boring? Three-row crossovers are the perfect blend of sport and utility.(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2007... The template for the American family car is changing--again. Folks have grown weary of thirsty, stiff-riding trucks. And minivans, as functional as they may be, just aren't hip. But families need to haul the troops, and manufacturers still want...

The territory ahead: the first half-century of space exploration was stunning, from sputnik to moonwalks to inter-planetary probes. The next 50 years promise even more awe-inspiring milestones: life-seeking rovers, a lunar base and the ultimate off-earth adventure--a colony on Mars.(Cover story)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The first man-made object in orbit didn't look like much. An aluminum sphere about 2 ft. across, it was filled with pressurized nitrogen and carried two small transmitters that beamed wavering radio signals to the planet below. On day 22, the...

How we'll live on the moon: a former shuttle astronaut explains what life will be like on NASA's future lunar base.(50 YEARS)
September 1, 2007... "Hardscrabble" was what future president Ulysses S. Grant named his ramshackle homestead on the pre-Civil War Missouri frontier. That might be an apt title for NASA's planned lunar outpost, for its residents will find the moon a harsh place to...

Surviving life on Mars: the red planet will pose extreme challenges to future explorers. Here's what they can expect.
September 1, 2007... It's your first hike on Mars, and so far things seem i to be going well. A robot scout in a nearby canyon sent pictures of what looks remarkably like a mat of microbes. Eager to make scientific history, you suit up and head to the canyon rim...

Space: the first 50 years.(Chart)
September 1, 2007... IT IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND: a graph representing every single space launch, starting with Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957--6039 spacecraft in all. The heights of the lines indicate apogee (maximum distance from Earth). Lines that extend off the page...

Anatomy of a serve.
September 1, 2007... NO. 3 RANKED ANDY RODDICK HAS THE WORLD'S FASTEST tennis serve--his 155-mph scorcher in 2004 set the record but he doesn't like to talk about it. When he first met Patrick McEnroe, his Davis Cup coach, he said: "Whatever you do, don't say...

Clean machines: nature abhors a vacuum. We test six to find out why.(DIY HOME)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2007... They look like small garbage cans on wheels, and their appetite for workshop waste is nothing short of voracious. Designed to pick up debris a household vac would choke on in seconds, wet/dry vacs also inhale liquids with blinding speed and...

The truth on horsepower.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... In addition to being designated by capacity, most wet/dry vacs carry a horsepower rating--our test units range up to 6.5 hp. But if you think that means a vac motor is as powerful as a garden-tiller engine, think again. Like many other...

Noise makers.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Nearly 10 years ago, a PM test of wet/dry vacs found some decibel levels in the earsplitting mid-90s--they were as loud as lawnmowers. Our latest test group clusters around a more comfortable 80 dBA--but you'll still want ear protection for...

Posthaste.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q I'm a new homeowner, and I have a couple of large, strange-looking galvanized steel posts set in concrete in the backyard. One post has a head with a hood and the other has what looks like a steel shelf. I have no idea what these posts are,...

Oddball water heater.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q The gas-fired water heater in my laundry room sits on a shelf above the clothes dryer and pokes through a closefitting hole in the ceiling, There's about 1/4 in. of space around the heater's perimeter. But there's a problem: When the attic...

Clogged drain.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q I've got a partially clogged shower drain that I've tried unsuccessfully to clear--first using a piece of wire, then a chemical drain cleaner. What's my next move? A Buy yourself a hand snake and a combination plunger. The two will cost...

Subslab erosion.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q Soil under our concrete-slab front porch has eroded. The slab bridges the gap and there are no cracks in it. Will the slab crack eventually? A Yes. Since a slab is only as good as the base it sits on, the cavity should be filled with a...

Foggy glass.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q I have double-pane windows that have "fogged" on the inside between the glass panes. Is the repair a do-it-yourself thing, or do I need to call a window guy? A Call a window guy. The cause is a failed seal between the glass panes and the...

Stars of the DIY toolbox: we came. We saw. We tested. And then we voted. Here are four faves from the recent National Hardware Shaw. Get hands-on with more winners at popularmechanics.com/video.(EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARDS: BEST GEAR, GADGETS, TOOLS AND MORE)(do it yourself)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... 20-VOLT DRILL The Craftsman Professional 20-Volt li-ion drill fills a niche between the medium and heavy-duty ends of the cordless power tool spectrum. With 500 in.-Ib, of torque, it approaches the kind of power you would expect from...

Repairing defroster grids.(DIY AUTO: SATURDAY MECHANIC)
September 1, 2007... Minivans are sooo handy. You call cram most of the Free World in the back. Like, for instance, that 8-ft. aluminum ladder you just bought. You didn't even have to tie the back door shut--there was just enough morn to close the hatch with the...

Power to the people.(CAR CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q My minivan has failed to start a couple of times recently, because of a low battery. It turns over, but won't spin fast enough to catch. My mechanic says he tested the battery and it's bad. But it's only a year old. I checked the voltage at...

Not again!(CAR CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q My friend has a 2006 Honda Civic, which required new brakes at 17,000 miles. Now the car has 35,000 miles. The dealer said she needs another brake job. I would have raised a red flag at 17,000 miles, as I assume under normal San Diego driving...

Always wear your boots.(CAR CARE TIP)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... CV joint boots are a common failure point on fwd cars. Usually made of rubber, they need to flex constantly as the suspension travels up and down and the wheel turns left and right. When they fail, two bad things happen--the grease gets out and...

Brake dance.(CAR CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q I recently purchased a 1983 Ford F-150 truck that had been sitting for three years. The brake fluid was low but I let it go until I had almost no brakes left. I added fluid to the reservoir and pumped the brakes for a while, but it didn't...

5 maintenance procedures you don't need: your service manager, friendly soul that he is, has recommended an expensive addition to your routine maintenance-even though your car is running fine. Should you agree to it?(SCAM ALERT)
September 1, 2007... 1 ENGINE FLUSHES ($100-$200) An engine flush uses a big, expensive machine and proprietary chemicals to purge your engine of sludge. An engine that's running too hot or one that's neglected can sludge up, and if so, a flush is indicated. A...

Not enough until it's too much.(CAR CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q I took my 2007 Scion tC to the dealer for its first oil change. The specs call for 4 quarts of oil, but the tech put in 5 quarts. I drove it 270 miles before I noticed the error. Is there any chance of damage caused by this mistake? A...

Clean your gadgets: with their spinning fans and electromagnetic fields, electronic devices attract a lot of dirt and dust. here's how to--clean but not wreck--your tech.(DIY TECH)
September 1, 2007... FLAT-PANEL SCREENS /// If the image on your LCD or plasma set isn't as high-def as it's supposed to be, the problem might not be the technology; it may be the dust. Windex and other glass can leave a hazy residue on plasma and LCD screens. Fill...

Smile, you're on candid webcam.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+a)
September 1, 2007... Q I love the new Google Maps Street View feature, but it's not available for my neighborhood yet. Can ordinary citizens contribute photography to it? A Currently available in five cities, the "Street View" function of Google Maps displays...

Trim the FAT?(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+a)(file allocation table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q I have an old external hard drive that I recently plugged into my new PC. The computer told me that the old drive was formatted as FAT32, but should be NTFS. Can I change from one format to the other without losing the data on the disk? Is it...

Face dialing.(DIGITAL CLINIC: Q+a)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Q I want to get the new iPhone (left), but with its full-front touchscreen, I'm afraid that I'm going to end up dialing it with my face whenever I'm talking. Is that going to be an issue? A While iPhone is far from the first phone with a...

This is my job: storm chaser.(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... GROWING UP in the quiet calm of eastern Pennsylvania, Joshua Wurman had no chase tornadoes. But today, of the National Severe Weather Center, in Boulder, Colo., patrols the Midwest, studying storms that rip doors off cars. "It's exciting," he...