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Technology News
Microsoft Launches Office 2010 Beta: First Impressions
Microsoft officially launched its Office 2010 public beta today. We've been playing with the software for about a week now. Here is what we think of the package so far. Click For More.
Viewtopia 11/17/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
This week, Star Trek and Evangleion: 1.01 boldly reimagine two classic sci-fi franchises, while the gang from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia celebrate the joys of Christmas in their own "unique" way. Click For More.
The Anatomy of a Disaster Scene in the Movie 2012
Here, 2012 director Roland Emmerich and the film's visual-effects supervisors take us behind the scenes of the film to show PM how a team of 100 artists created the ultimate disaster sequence. Click For More.
3 Sci-Fi Worthy Technologies You Can Buy: Gift Guide
In our minds, the future is a place of technological wonder: a land free from cords, where all-in-one portable gadgets can stream HD and play 3D anywhere there’s a wall to project to. Here’s our look at three new types of sci-fi-worthy tech available now. Click For More.
How to Get Dust off a DSLR Sensor: Digital Clinic
If your digital SLR camera doesn't have a function that removes dust automatically, over time, you may notice intrusive dots in your photographs. Here's how to clean your camera's image sensor without damaging it (or spending a lot of money). Click For More.
4 High-Tech Surprises From the USS New York
The USS New York is the Navy's newest warship. The Navy integrated 7.5 tons of steel from the fallen World Trade Center towers into the bow. But that is not the only interesting detail of this new vessel's design. Click For More.
Viewtopia 11/10/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
This week, Pixar's UP uses tens of thousands of balloons to lift a house, and our spirits, while Zack Snyder's Watchmen, Bruce Timm's Justice League and the animated G.I. Joe series all get definitive DVD releases. Click For More.
High-Tech Sports Broadcast Technology Uses CG Players for ESPN Analysis (With Video!)
Researchers at the Innovation Lab at Disney World’s recently revamped ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex have developed an easy way for ESPN’s on-air basketball analysts to go over plays and interact with virtual versions of NBA players. Click For More.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review—Heard Of It?
Analysts expect Modern Warfare 2's first week sales to breach $500 million. To provide perspective, The Dark Knight made $155.34 opening weekend. A movie ticket is cheaper than a video game, but half a billion dollars, any way you spin it, screams ... Click For More.
Oasis of the Seas Cruises Home to Ft. Lauderdale: Gallery
The 1,187-ft long Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, towers 213 feet above the water and carries four 7,500 horsepower bow thrusters. Here are pictures of the construction, test run and maiden voyage of the Oasis. Click For More.
How to Build a Powerful Home Theater PC for Less Than $500
Building a dedicated home theater PC used to be expensive and time-consuming. But today, the process is a lot easier—and cheaper. Here's how to build a tiny, loaded HTPC for less than the price of most off-the-shelf Blu-Ray players. Click For More.
UFOlogy Hits a New Low With The Fourth Kind: Analysis
The Fourth Kind's unconvincing, irreverent UFOlogy gives this reviewer chills. The movie stumbles directly into the biggest problems facing the discussion and investigation of UFOs and alien abductions. Click For More.
Cheating Gets High-Tech With the Remote-Controlled Bowling Ball
What do you get the sports fan who wants to bowl 300 without practicing? Try the RC900, a remote-control bowling ball invented by Texas-based 900 Global. The product is being marketed to children and those unable to bowl because of physical limitations. Click For More.
Viewtopia 11/03/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
Fans of G.I. Joe are served a double helping this week with the release of the live-action extravaganza G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and the gritty animated feature G.I. Joe: Resolute written by comic book scribe Warren Ellis. Click For More.
The World’s 18 Strangest Bridges: Gallery
Some bridges are engineered with nothing but utility in mind—for these, aesthetic design is secondary to safety and longevity. But advances in design software and construction materials have given bridge architects opportunities to focus on designs that impress, while ... Click For More.
3 Cool Things About the World War II Museum's New Movie
The National World War II Museum in New Orleans recently debuted its newest attraction: an immersive film called Beyond all Boundaries, full of bells, whistles and warplanes, that goes to great lengths to make you feel as if you're in 1940's Europe. Click For More.
How to Eject Discs from Mac Pro Towers: Digital Clinic
A reader who no longer uses his Apple keyboard is having trouble ejecting CDs and DVDs from his Mac Pro. Here are several workarounds for the eject button-less computers. Click For More.
Why Motorola's Droid Is a Sure-Fire Hit: Analysis
It is a good device. And, yes, it will sell well. The real question: Does the Droid represent a seismic shift for Motorola, or is it merely a stay of execution? Click For More.
7 Saber-Dueling, Phaser-Blasting Hollywood Laser Myths
Lightsabers, space weapons, high-tech security systems: Lasers—real-world, bad-ass technology—get nothing but the sci-fi treatment in Tinseltown. PM compiled 7 errors in laser technology, as portrayed in movies. And, yes, Star Wars is the primary offender. Click For More.
Engineers Cite Vibrations, Wind in Bay Bridge Failure
Engineers working on San Francisco's ill-starred Bay Bridge have fingered a culprit in the repair job that went awry Tuesday evening, forcing the bridge's closure: metal fatigue caused by harmonic resonance. Click For More.
Bay Bridge Closed After Repair Falls Apart
Three pieces of an emergency repair to the Bay Bridge made over Labor Day weekend snapped and crashed onto the upper deck of the span late Tuesday afternoon, striking three vehicles and forcing the indefinite closure of the region's busiest bridge. Click For More.
Two High-Tech Halloween Surveillance Pumpkin Mods (Step-by-Step Plans!)
PM's senior technology editor Glenn Derene is defending his property on mischief night by catching the ne'er-do-wells before they strike—with two high-tech video-capturing pumpkin mods. Click For More.
Viewtopia 10/27/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
This week, Number Six is not a number, but a man in The Prisoner: The Complete Series, while Night of the Creeps finally staggers onto DVD in time for Halloween. Also, the Dude abides The Achievers: The Story of Lebowski Fans. Click For More.
Why Helicopter Missions in Afghanistan are Unusually Dangerous
A deadly day of helicopter accidents in Afghanistan highlights the risks rotorcraft crews face in and out of combat. Is the ride worth the risks? Click For More.
How to Ditch Wi-Fi for a High-Speed, Ethernet-Wired Home
To take full advantage of your high speed Internet, you should hook up your networked appliances with Ethernet cables instead of slower Wi-Fi connections. PM shows you how to wire your home so that all your devices get real high-speed Internet. Click For More.
Night-Time High-Wire Act Becomes Tragic Helicopter Crash
An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed on a Navy ship in Norfolk, Virginia during training, killing one service member and injuring eight. Click For More.
Windows 7 Brings Much-Needed Closure for Microsoft Vista
Windows 7 officially hits the market today. It may come as a surprise to most users that it doesn't look that much different from Windows Vista at first glance. As you use Win 7, however, everything seems snappier and an order of magnitude more refined. Click For More.
New Drill Bit for F-35 Planes has Bonded Home-Grown Diamonds
The F-35 Lightning II airplane is made from composite fiber, which means that when to comes to working on it, regular tools just won't do. Here's one of the tools that AMAMCO Tool created to work with some of the world's most advanced airplanes. Click For More.
Astro Boy's Retrofuturistic World Has Hints of Real-Life Tech
When Dr. Tenma loses his son in a tragic accident, he creates a robot doppelganger that eventually goes on to save the denizens of Metro City. PM talks to director David Bowers about integrating real-life tech into Astro Boy's retrofuturistic world. Click For More.
4 Things the Barnes & Noble Nook Does Right, and 5 It Does Wrong
Today, Barnes & Noble announced the Nook—the book seller's debut e-book reader, and a direct assault on a market long dominated by arch-rival Amazon. So how does it stack up as an Kindle-killer? Click For More.
How to Get a More Connected, Intelligent Home Theater
HD was just the beginning. New screens, networked devices, remotes and video gear change what we watch and how we see it. Here is how to chase the ultimate home theater upgrade—and avoid buyer’s remorse. Click For More.
Viewtopia 10/20/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
Transformers fans get a double dose this week with the release of Michael Bay's Revenge of the Fallen and the massive "G1" Transformers: The Complete Series - 25th Anniversary Matrix Of Leadership Edition collection. Click For More.
Exclusive Interview With Nintendo Gaming Mastermind Shigeru Miyamoto
We sat down with the creator of Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and scores of other Nintendo games to play the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game, and to talk about the birth of Mario and the future of video games. Click For More.
EuroHawk UAV Finally Goes Global
Can a single unmanned aerial vehicle save the NATO alliance? The EuroHawk, a UAV that performs long-endurance signal intelligence missions at more than 50,000 feet, was recently unveiled. Why such high hopes for the limited purchase of this aircraft? Click For More.
X2 Helicopter Gurus Pay Homage to Engineering Inspirations
With the successful test flight of the X2 in August 2008, the team that created it proved that their stacked rotor design had solved the conundrum of dissymmetry of lift. The trick is a coaxial rotor system whose blades spin in opposite directions, generating constant lift. Click For More.
Lone Star Energy: Why Texas Will Resist the Call for a Unified Grid
A recent proposal to link the eastern, western and Texas grids together to create a national, alt-energy-friendly supergrid has sparked the interest of utilities and energy insiders. Can a high-tech substation in New Mexico create a smarter, unified grid? Click For More.
Viewtopia 10/13/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
It's a good week for Futurama fans, as a new 19 (yes, 19) disk set hits stores. For those who prefer thrills to laughs, there's a new, uncut version of the '90s classic Hardware while a director's cut of Drag Me to Hell makes a timely DVD debut. Click For More.
Innovators Share Ideas at 2009 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards
Popular Mechanics held its fifth annual Breakthrough Awards Ceremony, bringing together scientists, engineers and inventors who are changing our world for the better. Senior tech editor Glenn Derene reports on some scenes from the all-day event. Click For More.
Apocalypse Hollywood: Survival Lessons From the Stars
Hollywood doesn't always excel at realism, but, hey, if you're ever caught in a post-apocalyptic nuclear fallout crawling with zombies or run by apes, you'll thank your lucky stars you read the lessons here. Click For More.
PM Takes Project Natal For A Test Drive (With Video!)
Microsoft's next-generation, controller-free video game interface has only been shown in public a couple of times—and never before on the East Coast. Until now. Attendees at PM's Breakthrough Awards ceremony will get the chance to play with it first. Click For More.
Unmanned Helicopter Hunts Drug Smugglers
The Fire Scout unmanned helicopter got its first job—hunting drug smugglers. MQ-8B became the first unmanned helo to deploy on a naval anti-narcotics mission when it left port in Florida recently aboard the USS McInerney. Click For More.
Viewtopia 10/06/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
Halloween has come early with the aptly titled Trick 'r Treat, but the rest of this week's offerings are no less horrific. Take for example Nip/Tuck's gruesome surgeries, Anvil: The Story of Anvil's dark lyrics and Man vs. Food's ... Click For More.
What Does a Beer Taste Like After the Singularity?
When a kooky-sounding technology theory gains enough intellectual momentum to have its own conference, with smart people discussing it and venture capitalists talking about investing in it—it's worth stopping by to listen. Click For More.
How to Use Less Energy in Your Home Theater
Surround sound systems are great for movies, but they can drain power and be overkill if you're just watching the weather report. Here's how to save money on your electricity bill without losing the immersive experience that your AV equipment provides. Click For More.
The Flawed, Beautiful New Playstation: PSP Go Tech Test
Sony's new portable gaming device is elegant, feels great and has enviable form factor, along with plenty of power under the hood. But it's still a device that is haunted by the shadows of what it could have been. Click For More.
Fringe's Human Bomb Proposes Proximity Fuses, Strange Serums
This week on Fringe an evil military physician is creating bombs out of patients. PM sat down with a toxicologist to ask: Can explosives really stick around in a body? Click For More.
The Science Behind The Invention of Lying: Hollywood Fact vs. Fiction
What if humans had never evolved the ability to lie? That's the premise posed by The Invention of Lying, the new movie from Ricky Gervais, the creator and star of Extras and the original BBC version of The Office. Click For More.
Advanced Tactical Laser Blasts a Stationary Target (With Video!)
Recently, we've seen progress in Boeing's Advanced Tactical Laser program. Here is video of an in-flight aircraft precisely firing its laser at a stationary ground vehicle target during a test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The vehicle never stood a chance. Click For More.
Robotic Surgeons Take Over at a Hospital Near You
Once considered oddities, multiarmed robots are becoming mainstays in hospital operating rooms. The industry trailblazer is the da Vinci HD Surgical System, a multiarmed assistant that is directly controlled by a surgeon who sits at a nearby console. Click For More.
Viewtopia 09/29/09: Top 5 DVDs of the Week (With Video!)
When The Guild goes mainstream on DVD, you know the geeks are winning the culture war.This week's releases feature other epic battles, including Lex Luther against Superman and Batman and, of course, Monsters vs. Aliens. Click For More.
5 Blender Show-Down: Abusive Lab Test (With Video!)
PM’s last blender test had a clear winner, but it still wasn’t the blender of our dreams. This time around, we went in search of the top blender on the market, no matter what the price. Shouldn’t a blender be able to handle a whole fruit apple, orange or banana? Read on for ... Click For More.
The Air Force's 4 Biggest Fears
The U.S. Air Force is the most capable, best trained and most expensively equipped in the world. But in the near future, every part of a USAF mission could be compromised by a foreign military using sophisticated gear or a guerrilla force employing clever strategies. Click For More.
Is Qualcomm's Mirasol the Future of Low-Power Displays?
PM talks with James Cathey, Qualcomm QMT's vice president of Mirasol, about how the future of the e-reader marks the last major transition from analog to digital, and why he thinks their technology will beat the new crop of readers coming out this year. Click For More.
7 Works of DIY Insanity at Gadgetoff '09
In a hidden corner of Staten Island, geeks gathered to show off their flaming, rocket-powered, glow-in-the-dark projects. Yes, Gadgetoff 2009 came and went in a blaze of DIY glory. Here is a collection of the fun, daring and insane projects at the festival. Click For More.
Popular Mechanics' First-Ever Guest Editors: The MythBusters
Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, guest editors for the September 2009 issue of Popular Mechanics, meet the PM team. Click For More.
New Armored Ride Will Protect Troops From IEDs in Afghanistan
July was the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the war began. Fortunately, after nearly eight years of fighting, Army infantry and Marines will finally be getting a new vehicle that is designed to meet the challenges of the theater. Click For More.
Affordable Ways to Become an Amateur Astronomer
PM's Glenn Derene explains how to add a a computerized guidance system to your telescope so you can find celestial bodies without star charts, and how to connect your digital SLR so you can photograph what you're seeing with a super-zoom lens. Click For More.
Nerf N-STrike Raider Rapid Fire Is Lightweight, With Unprecedented Capacity: Tech Test
The Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS-35 delivers a fully automatic stream of foam without the jamming issues that plagued earlier models. It also holds more ammo than any Nerf gun ever, thanks to a snap on tommy gun style 35-dart drum magazine. Click For More.
The Key to the Battery-Powered House
Scientists have created a small-scale prototype battery that could store enough energy to power a house for most of the day. Is this small disk the key to cost-effective solar-powered homes? Click For More.
5 Extremely Dumb Military Designs from G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe–the toys, cartoons and, now, the movie, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra–have a long history of bad procurement choices. Here, we look at the five most misguided equipment designs placed in the hands of G.I. Joe figurines over the years. Click For More.
CSI Myths: The Shaky Science Behind Forensics
Forensic science was not developed by scientists. And as hundreds of criminal cases begin to unravel, many established practices are coming under fire. PM takes an in-depth look at the shaky science that is putting innocent people behind bars. Click For More.
MythBusters Announce Popular Mechanics Special Issue at Comic Con
In addition to previewing clips from the upcoming season of MythBusters at Comic Con, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage premiered their cover of the September issue of Popular Mechanics, which they guest edited, for the first time. Click For More.
Nikon D5000 Brings Impressive Sensor at Affordable Price: Tech Test
If you looked inside the Nikon D5000 and the more expensive Nikon D90, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the two cameras apart. So what are consumers sacrificing to get a camera that is a more compact version of the D90, but for hundreds of dollars less? Click For More.
Inside the Battle for India's Warplane Dollars: Gallery
India announced that it is in the market for a national warplane, sparking a faceoff among the most formidable warplane manufacturers. Here are six planes that are contenders—they're some of the best multirole military aircraft in the world today. Click For More.
How Effects Wizards Transformed G-Force From 2D to 3D
G-Force's filmmakers used new technology to create 3D that's different from anything currently in theaters, with some elements surpassing the complexity of the highly detailed robots in Transformers. Click For More.
6 Safe, Strong—and Chic—Bomb Shelters You Can Buy Now
It seems the world's threats loom large enough nowadays that anyone who isn't paranoid should pay more attention. Fortunately, bomb-shelter styles are as varied as the paths to annihilation. Here are six of our favorites. Click For More.Digital Hollywood
2012 VFX Questions
PM sat down with director Roland Emmerich to talk about the science behind the film.
Science of Star Trek
It's only logical that PM would be interested in Trek's science and its real world parallels. Set your phasers to stun and read four real science lessons you can learn from Star Trek.This Week's Hot DVDs
Viewtopia looks at the hottest DVDs to add to your Amazon wish list and Netflix queue.
Must-Have Blu-Ray Epics
Every film buff needs a movie library to show off his HD system. These films offer up great stories, evocative soundtracks and dazzling visuals. Here are the movies hi-def was made for.ADVERTISEMENT
Sweepstakes
Win A Modern Warfare 2 LE Xbox 360 Console
The Xbox 360 is more than a game system—it's a media powerhouse. Now it can be yours—for free. We're giving away one Limited Edition Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 console to a lucky reader. Enter now...
It's solar's new dawn. Now new innovations are exiting the lab and plugging into the grid - turning sunlight into serious energy.
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Mythbusters
Mythbusters Central
Jamie and Adam break down today's tech conundrums, from the moon landing to the state of science in the classroom and more!Mythbusters
Jamie and Adam break down today's tech conundrums, from the moon landing to the state of science in the classroom and more!
• PLUS: Enter to win a signed cover of the September issue
Breakthrough Awards '08
Inventing the Future, Today
The early 20th century was a golden age of engineering. A century hence, observers may well look back at our era in much the same way. Welcome to the new golden age.
Breakthrough Awards
Big Ideas, Better World
For PM's third annual innovation celebration, we honor eight inventors (with video from the lab) and 10 products with one IQ-packed party and three discussions for our future.Gaming
Gaming Central
The Web's smartest analysis of the video game industry starts here with regular coverage of the latest from Nerdville.Technology News
Buzzword: Tech Trends
Senior tech editor Glenn Derene forecasts next-gen tech you haven't heard of yet but that's ready to be part of your everyday life.Digital Hollywood
Movies 2.0
Keep up to date with sci-fi news, digital F/X and more with PM's silver screen coverage.Military & Law Enforcement
War Tech 2.0
Breaking news, photos and analysis on the high-tech defense technology shaping America's battlegrounds.Robotics
It's a Bot, Bot World
There's never a dull moment in the world of automated machines, and we cover it bit by bit.Industry
10 Tech Terms for 2008
Machines are getting smaller, handier, and much smarter. Here's what you need to know.Featured Stories
You're Being Watched
Inside America's looming high-tech surveillance society. Have new cameras gone too far?Research
The Top 50 Inventions of the Past 50 Years
In the past half-century, scientific and tech advances have transformed our world. PM convened a panel of 25 experts to identify innovations that have made the biggest impact.The Popular Mechanics Show
Bi-weekly Podcast!
Leading experts and PM editors analyze the science, tech, home and car news you need to know now in a half-hour of brain power.9-11 Myths
9/11: Debunking the Myths
PM's investigation, greatly expanded in book form. Plus, new myths debunked.PM Ad Partner Links
PM Community
Sign Up for PM's New Modder Community!
Got a DIY computer rig, souped-up gaming system or custom mobile device? Upload your project with photos and even video, then show off against other PM readers to win prizes!Current Issue
Out Now: Crash Course
In December, PM tackles plane crashes. What happened to Air France Flight 447, and what new technologies can help prevent similar disasters? Also look for 20 Macgyver repair tips, and our annual holiday gift guide.Technology
PM Gadget of the Week
Powermat Home & Office Charger"Powermat purports to cut the cords—the charging mat uses magnetic induction to wirelessly power up to three devices that have been placed on the pad."
Tech How-To Central
PM Poll
Your Cellphone Rights
Congress is trying to empower the consumer in the tug-of-war with mobile carriers. How much freedom do you want? 