Hut, Hut, High-Tech, Hike: PM's Super Bowl Blitz
Football may the most complex sport today, but the NFL's season climax is probably the biggest production of the year: big hits defying the laws of physics, big rigs bringing them to you in super slow-mo, big bets crunching random odds, even big energy credits keeping emissions down. You've definitely got a PM-friendly Super Sunday on deck, and we've got you covered.PM News
Satellite-Strapped Rocket Explodes on Platform (Video)
Sea Launch says it "experienced an anomaly" on Tuesday. That's putting it mildly. Its launch pad blew up, destroying a rocket and its satellite payload. Tech expert Joel Johnson investigates the disaster turned YouTube sensation—and finds out what DirecTV had to do with it.- ARCHIVES: PM's 1999 Cover Story on Sea Launch
- HOW-TO CENTRAL: Joel Johnson Keeps Your PC from Heating Up
- PLUS: Joel's New Tip on Forcing Out that CD Stuck in Your Laptop
Underwater Robots: Only the Strong Survive
In the first of a miniseries for his bi-weekly column on why robots are tougher than you, PM's Resident Roboticist goes in-depth (literally) with autonomous underwater vehicles—the Navy's metallic Jacques Cousteaus mapping the sea floor, immune to Mother Nature but vulnerable to five treacherous danger zones.
Remembering Columbia: 4 Years Later
On Feb. 1, 2003, disaster struck: The Space Shuttle Columbia was lost in thin air, killing seven on board and sparking years of debate. Four years after one of our saddest days in space exploration, we look back at PM's groundbreaking investigation of what went wrong.- ARCHIVES: Buzz Aldrin's Reaction to Columbia Disaster
- PLUS: Is the Shuttle Still Worth the Risk?
- PODCAST: What's Next for the Shuttle
February Home To-Do List: Warm Up, Clean Up
This is a hard, full month of winter, but it’s also a month with light at the end of the tunnel. The days are getting longer, and spring is coming soon. In the meantime, give your sweetie a Valentine’s Day present by catching up on some deferred cleaning and maintenance.
Finding the Will to Fight Global Warming: Analysis from the Energy Family Blog
Plug-in electric hybrids take on more urgency in the face of the upcoming report on climate change—a moral issue that we should commit ourselves fully to, because to not would be a failure of the human spirit.
Jay Leno's (Not-So-Mean) Green Cleaning Machine
The Tonight Show host's system is large enough, versatile enough and safe enough to clean most any internal engine part—and some external ones, like carburetors. It’s amazing to see what only a few minutes of those soapy sound bubbles can do for a rusty old Allen tool. Check out VIDEO inside the Green Garage.
Toshiba Portégé R400 Tablet Laptop: Gadget of the Week
The R400 is the rare example of a laptop whose high-end price tag has less to do with high performance components and more to do with cramming as many features as possible—some of them relative industry-firsts—into one streamlined package.- ANALYSIS: Toshiba's Tech Evolution
- OUT OF THE BOX: Device Sends HDTV to Your Laptop
- LAST WEEK: SpaceNavigator Controls Google Earth
Windows Vista: Should You Switch?
After much delay and fanfare, Microsoft has finally released Vista. We’ve played with beta incarnations for months, watching it evolve from a glitchy mess into a relatively polished product. But now that Vista is in stores, should you update to the latest operating system?- PLUS: Inside Vista Launch Party Goodie Bag (That We're Afraid to Open)
- HOW-TO CENTRAL: Install a Graphics Card for Vista
Buzzword: Smartphone Modem
You may already be carrying a high-speed wireless modem in your pocket and not realize it. With a few tweaks, the devices your company gives you for e-mail can share their connections with a laptop. Learn how inside Glenn Derene's weekly tech trend column, with video.- VIDEO: Out of the Box with Pal Treo 750
- EMERGING TECH: Power-Efficient TV on Your Cellphone
- BUZZWORD: Joost IPTV
Human-Assisted Web Search: The Next Big Thing
Algorithmic search engines, such as Google and Yahoo, have redefined how we gather information. But critics believe that, for some subjects, no machine's analysis can replace old-fashioned human thinkin'. Enter ChaCha.com and our three big questions for web search 2.0.
Tool Watch: Drill Bit Blowout (with Video)
It's about as feel-good a test as you can get: an old-school tool holding its own, a radical design paying off and a pallet in our woodworking lab getting absolutely torn ups.- UPDATE: Lithium-Ion Power-Tool Domination
- WISH LIST: Laser Level
- NEW TOOL: Better Carpenter Pencil
- MASTER TIP: Planing Thin Wood Stock
Palm Treo 750: Out of the Box with Video
As an e-mail and organization device, Palm's new entry into the exploding smartphone market is truly splendid, but it is not necessarily so impressive next to the devices it is competing with — and certainly not the iPhone. Learn more with a full review and hands-on video.- ANALYSIS: Why the iPhone Has Reinvented Smartphones
- PODCAST: Beyond the iPhone
- EMERGING TECH: Power-Efficient TV on Your Cellphone
- TEST DRIVE: Motorola Q vs. Helio Hero
How-To Central
Tech How-To Central
Follow our three easy steps for destroying your hard drive, then let gizmo guru Joel Johnson solve your problems, whether you're a total geek or just plain clueless.
Home How-To Central
Learn fundamental skills you're afraid to ask about (read: drywall), then choose from dozens of DIY projects illustrated by how-to masters, such as installing a sliding door.
Jay's Green Garage
Welcome to the Green Garage!
Like most of us, Jay Leno has been looking hard at his footprint on the planet. In a long-term project with PM, he's upgrading with environmentally friendly equipment. WITH VIDEO!
Technology News
CES 2007
Get hands-on with the newest innovations from PM's tech team: 24 videos, live blogging from Instapundit Glenn Reynolds, podcasting and a cheaper iPhone.Automotive News
Detroit Auto Show
Motor City madness: 30 new cars, industry analysis and animated evidence of the rebirth of the electric car.Industry
Movies 2.0: Digital Magic
PM goes to Hollywood to explain the revolution in digital cinema. Plus, the top 10 F/X scenes ever, podcasts with industry insiders, video of hot new flicks and more.Military & Law Enforcement
Global Strike: America's New Quick-Hit Weapons
The mission: Attack anywhere in the world in less than an hour, with weapons like this X-51 hypersonic cruise missile. Will it work?Transportation
Panama Canal 2.0
After a century, the world’s greatest engineering project is getting supersized. PM goes inside the plans with an in-depth preview.Home Improvement
Extreme Makeover: Farmhouse Edition
Our House of the Year restoration brought an 1890s "folk Victorian" back to life — with tips you can use.Automotive
Technology
Featured
Want To Own A Vintage PM Cover?
See a cover you'd like to own? Browse the Popular Mechanics vintage cover art collection on art.com for framed prints of your favorite PM covers. Save 20% off your order when you use code PM22 at checkout.Troubleshoot
Got a Home Repair Problem? Ask Here!
Jobs that used to "require a pro" are now child's play with the right tools. But with greater projects come greater glitches, so we'd like to help. Send us your zinger questions, and our home editors will help you out — maybe even in the pages of PM!