popular mechanics 2009 - 09

popularmechanics.com September 2009 Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage mod this magazine. 3.99 nFFn @ot@ W t [...]... SEPTEMBER 2 009 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM e new S400 Hybrid is the fir series-produ ion car to use lithium-ion batteries—an energy-dense design automakers see as the future andard for ele ric vehicles e S400 runs an Atkinson-cycle (a longer expansion cycle for optimal efficiency) 275-hp 3.5-liter V6 paired to a slim, disc-shaped AC ele ric motor that fits neatly between the engine and the seven-speed automatic... waterproof, outdoor-friendly touchscreen GPS with a built-in 3.2-megapixel camera and a 4x optical zoom Small Body, Big Brain 28 SEPTEMBER 2 009 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES WORRELL (SAW) Digital photography is all about tradeoffs Digital SLRs offer superior control and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, but are too bulky to slip into a pocket e 12.3-megapixel Olympus E-P1 ($800 with... of the Science Channel’s Brink, for an episode to air Aug 17 at 10:30 pm EST You can see the test video at popularmechanics.com/abusivelabtest 24 SEPTEMBER 2 009 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM PHOTOGRAPHS BY ZACH DESART Combination Lock and Load Power-tool grab bags like the new Rockwell 18-Volt Lithium-Ion ComPack Combo Kit ($250) are the top sellers for mo cordless tool manufa urers, but the slew of drivers,... Chevy Corvette Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Chevy Volt Prototype C O M PA R I S O N Ford Taurus SHO vs Chrysler 300C PLUS After the Bailout POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2 009 31 + PM TEST DRIVEN N E W C A R S + ++ P M | | ++ | | | 2010 Ford Transit Connect 2010 Acura TSX V6 Mini Mover Power Source 32 SEPTEMBER 2 009 | e Transit provides 135 cubic feet of hauling volume and a 1600-pound payload A suite... (BUCKETVAC) how we tested POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | SEPTEMBER 2 009 27 Crossover Cutter P M U P G R A D E Casual users may not be aware of the debate, but the circular saw is the subje of longtime regional loyalties House framers in the We tend to prefer robu worm-drive saws, while Ea ern tradesmen tend toward the lightweight sidewinder yle e Skil HD5687 ($150) is a 7 1⁄4-inch, 15-amp “sierra circular” that... prepared li s POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM As poised as the four-cylinder Acura TSX is, a quick scan of the spec sheet would probably send torque junkies to more powerful pa ures at car has ju 170 lb- —not exa ly the uff of our quarter-mile dreams Acura decided the TSX needed a bit more muscle, so the company shoehorned in the 280-hp V6 from the larger TL Plant your right foot in a four-cylinder TSX and you’ll... cramped urban environment e van’s goofy high roof and billboard-like slab sides might have repelled shoppers a decade ago But American sensibilities have evolved And so Ford imported its fuel-efficient commercial delivery truck from Europe A tiny 136-hp 2.0-liter is matched to a four-speed automatic, so don’t expe sprightly thru in this 3470-pound trucklet e high driving position and tall windows create... has passed te s on 2000-year-old artifa s, and the researchers say it can work for obje s up to 10,000 While the U.S government’s two-decade, $10 billion que to build a long-term nuclear-wa e repository in Nevada appears to be dead, other nations are pressing ahead with their own plans e Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Wa e Management Company has been te ing disposal technology at a 2.5-mile network of tunnels... HAMBLING When nature can’t supply raw ingredients for next-generation hardware, scienti s create their own Man-made “metamaterials” are going beyond the lab and into real-world applications Scienti s use exi ing composite materials, like the gold and gallium-arsenide mixes used in ele ronics, to create complex, though tiny, ru ures ese nano-size bumps, crosses, holes or ridges manipulate ele romagnetic... you to dip brushes and grab tools without bending into precarious positions — SETH PORGES 1 e 6.5-inch-deep rungs are easier and more comfortable to balance on 2 e tool and paint tray rises to wai height when you’re working near the top rung 1 PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES WORRELL POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM 2 | SEPTEMBER 2 009 21 U P G R A D E P M Dial Fit e Cloud Engine Pogoplug ($100) promises to turn what was once . technology news daily at popularmechanics.com. 12 S EPTEMBER 2009 | POPULARMECHANICS.COM TECHW ATCH