Popular Mechanics March 2013

Our January cover feature, "In the Digital Crosshairs," told the story of 16-year-old Tyler Yagerhofer, whose home was raided by police when a hacker called 911 and claimed a crime was occurring at the Yagerhofer address. Reader Sam Veith of Swarthmore, Penn., lives near where the incident occurred. "News helicopters circled overhead and dozens of government agents invaded the area," he wrote. "I felt incredibly violated as well. What's to stop this from happening to you?" Reader John Ruckman of Yreka, Calif., found the article interesting but lacking. "I would like to see a more comprehensive article on how to fight back," he wrote. Thanks for the suggestion, John. Look for a story in our next issue on protecting your identity online. ? Our Web story touting wood-burning stoves as…

Bun Reseachers in Iran demonstrated in late 2012 that a computer-vision system can predict how crusty bread will be. Bread's texture depends on moisture loss, air velocity, oven temperature, and bake time. A talented baker could adjust these variables to produce the perfect hamburger bun. Meat It's tempting for meat producers to cut costs by adding offal or pork, among other things, to ground beef. Scientists in Ireland and Egypt have figured out how to use near-infrared spectroscopy—studying chemical bonds' vibrations to identify which molecules are present—to verify if adulterated meat is on market shelves. Lettuce It doesn't take much exposure for lettuce to turn brown as it succumbs to the enzymes that are released when it's torn or cut. But blasting it with high-intensity light cuts down on the…

WINDOW STICKER The best way to clean windows is to have the job done for you. The Winbot 7 Series ($TBA) by Ecovacs clings to a pane via vacuum suction, zigzagging and buffing away blemishes. Sure, there are limitations. It's impractical for small windows, it requires the user to spritz cleaner on a removable pad, and it's hard-wired. Still, the Winbot is one step closer to a fully autonomous domestic helper (Ecovacs has one in the works), and it's the best thing to happen to glass houses since Philip Johnson. —JENNINGS BROWN We discovered Winbot in January at the ultimate gadget fest, the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Turn the page for more from CES. 2013 DIGITAL PREVIEW PopMech's tech editors stormed the sprawl of display booths…

TEST DRIVES TOP TECH HOT RIDES RUDOLF DIESEL'S ENGINE IS SET FOR A COMEBACK 100 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH. As consumers clamor for cars with higher mpg numbers and with rigorous new federal fuel-economy standards on the horizon, carmakers are exploring all their options. This has largely meant improving the gasoline internal combustion engine's efficiency and offering a few hybrid and electric vehicles. Conspicuously absent from many lineups in the U.S., however, have been vehicles with diesel powerplants. And understandably so: The Ameri can public has been reluctant to embrace diesels ever since General Motors and other automakers sold noisy, dirty, and unreliable versions back in the '80s. But modern diesel systems are clean, powerful, and fuel-efficient. Recent diesel options in the U.S. have largely been limited to luxury European…

CUE THE EXPLOSIONS, STUNTS, AND COOL FX! PM SALUTES THE YEAR'S BEST SCI-TECH FILMS. Since the days of Thomas Edison, POPULAR MECHANICS has covered the technology of motion pictures, from hand-cranked cameras to wide-screen Technicolor to immersive 3D. In our first annual roundup of the year's best sci-tech movies, we continue that century-old heritage by honoring the outstanding achievements of the technical talents whose often- underappreciated brilliance enables directors to work their transformative magic—special-effects wizards, CGI and makeup artists, animators, model-makers, and stunt coordinators. A panel of experts worked with PM to define the categories and select winners who dazzled film lovers this year with rooftop chases, paranormal mayhem, alternate universes, and unknown pockets of the one we inhabit. So here, without further ado, our first 10 winners of the…

Take the 1962 Daimler SP250 I'm currently restoring. The original owner, a man named William Brzozowski, lived in Baltimore and never garaged the car. It sat outside in the snow and the rain for 40 years. Bob Brzozowski, William's nephew, inherited the car when his uncle died. He wanted to restore it but didn't have the room at his place in upstate New York, or the money. He contacted me, we talked a lot, and I offered a very fair price, considering that the car hadn't run in 10 years and would need pretty much everything. Buying a vehicle sight unseen is a cardinal sin for car enthusiasts, so you can consider me the president of the More Money Than Brains Car Club. But this SP250 intrigued me: It had…