popular mechanics 2010 - 04

POPULARMECHANICS.COM APRIL 2010 [...]... All-in-One ($150) is one of the mo versatile and user-friendly versions we’ve seen It’s loaded with both a power inverter (for charging gadgets and accessories) and a 250-psi air compressor (capable of fully inflating a tire in 10 minutes) You won’t need to pore over a manual by reetlight to find the right clips and knobs—the ergonomic, color-coded design is in antly under andable ink of the All-in-One... engine—a 726-cc Kawasaki that, according to the company, exhau s 97 percent fewer particulates than a comparable gas engine We’re giving one of these machines away Enter at popular mechanics. com/ cubcadetsweeps — ROY BERENDSOHN 24 A PRIL 2010 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM No purchase necessary to enter or win Cub Cadet Z-Force S Giveaway Sponsored by Hear Communications, Inc Beginning March 2, 2010, at 12:01... runs on Palm’s webOS platform 26 A PRIL 2010 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM Ceiling Sound In alling in-wall speakers usually requires snaking wires, cutting drywall and mounting brackets e Klipsch LightSpeaker ($600 for two speakers and a base ation) is a high-tech, labor-saving solution e LED lighting fixtures (which fit into a normal ceiling- lighting can) come with a 20-watt speaker built right in e speaker... from the base ation over a 2.4-GHz radio-frequency conne ion Volume and lighting are controlled via a small remote that can handle two zones Finer Grinder Counter Viewer A glorified alarm clock? Sorta An app-capable tablet? Kinda A kitchen-ready digital recipe viewer? Perhaps A touchscreen pi ure frame? At times Enter the curious case of the Sony Dash ($200)—a 7-inch, Wi-Fi-enabled touchscreen device... dreams Hot-Spotter Mobile hotspots work by taking an over-the-air cellular signal and pumping it out as a Wi-Fi connection that any PC can use to get online But are separate devices really necessary? A er all, smartphones have broadband access too, so why can’t they serve as hotspots? e Palm Pre Plus ($150 with two-year contra ) can do exa ly that, conne ing up to five devices at a time, ju like a and-alone... machine gun : → Rea ive plates explode to mitigate damage from rocket- : → A 5000-pound, sharp-toothed plough digs up to 7 inches into propelled grenades or hull-penetrating explosive devices the ground at 10 mph to dislodge explosives 1 A rocket trailing a nylon ring of C4 explosives is launched at a 45-degree angle from the vehicle 14 A PRIL 2010 | 2 e rocket burns out a er 6 seconds, and the charges fall... before—a light-duty media and reading device with all-day usability (Apple claims 10-hour battery life) that is far more portable than a laptop (1.5 pounds, 0.5 inches thick), yet more capable than a smartphone Remarkably for Apple, the iPad’s hardware design is somewhat conservative—essentially a large-format iPod Touch Yet the 9.7-inch 1024 x 768 pixel, multitouch screen makes reading e-books, watching... through a full cycle in a detergent-filled washer Post-wash, we let them air-dry overnight before turning them on A soapy cycle was no match for this headset—given a chance to dry, the Jabra was soon ready to take calls again e Jawbone emerged from the wash cleaner and seemingly no worse for the wear Yep, it survived the wash ree-way tie Sometimes you don’t catch your just-washed headset before it makes... bombs e mechanics at Anni on saw they could build a safe ride for these military engineers by adding off-the-shelf equipment to an M1A1 Abrams battle tank e result, called the Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV), maximizes the depot aff’s experience at fixing the M1A1 and their ability to mount heavy engineering equipment, including a 12-foot plough, onto its hull e Army → Two Marine Corps engineers : → 50-cal... rainwater POPULAR MECHANICS GREEN DESIGN AWARDS 32 A PRIL 2010 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM THE REEL DEAL Dual gears ore energy the way a flywheel does in the blades of Fiskars’ new Momentum mower, which devours debris that would jam a typical reel e blades also ay sharper— revolving and ationary blades o en collide on each turn, but these work like scissors, passing each other at 0.003 inches Clever blade-spool . Beilinson Managing Editor Michael S. Cain SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe.popularmechanics.com EDITORIAL BOARD OF ADVISERS POPULAR MECHANICS is grateful to these scientists, innovators and leaders,. 708/352-4094 Klassmark, 52 W. Burlington Ave., La Grange, IL 60525 E-Mail popularmechanics@hearst.com. Mail Popular Mechanics, 300 W . 57th St., New York, NY 10019-5899. Fax 646-280-1081. Please. change of address and subscription orders, log on to service.popularmechanics.com, or write to Customer Service Department, Popular Mechanics, P.O. Box 7186, Red Oak, IA 51591. Back Issues Write