mechanic

DARPA funds mechanical nanocomputer

DARPA-funded researchers are racing to develop an energy-efficient, heat-resistant mechanical nanocomputer that could be used in everything from cars and toys to dishwashers and machine guns.

Mechanical computers depend on millions of microscopic moving parts instead of solid-state transistors and other components to push the electrons to perform calculations. Gates, pillars, levers, and pistons create the binary switches, which compute the ones and zeroes that drive modern computers, explains the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Because they are more rugged and can perform at much higher temperatures than conventional silicon chips, scientists … Read more

More alternative-energy innumeracy

As an engineer, I hate to see bad engineering treated like a good idea.

I've written recently about questionable proposals for human power generation, electric vehicle recharging and fuel cells. In some cases, there's nothing really wrong with the underlying technology, but it's being implemented and promoted using bad math and misleading promises.

The latest example of innumeracy comes from Shawn Frayne, an independent inventor here in Silicon Valley. Frayne's Windbelt is a low-cost wind-power generator that uses a fluttering membrane instead of rotating blades to convert wind power into mechanical motion; a simple linear generator … Read more

'Popular Mechanics' 2007 Breakthrough Awards announced

Popular Mechanics holds its 2007 Breakthrough Awards tonight to honor the people and products that helped push the limit of technology. The party might be tonight, but we have the information now. Check out our gallery to read about the 10 products Popular Mechanics is honoring tonight.

Searching for the lost, from home

After Jim Gray, a technical fellow for Microsoft Research in Silicon Valley, was lost at sea in January, Amazon.com set up its Mechanical Turk service to let the public help examine Digital Globe satellite photos of the ocean outside of San Francisco Bay for signs of Gray's sailboat. Unfortunately, Gray was never found.

I spent an evening going through these images on Mechanical Turk because I knew who Gray was (coincidentally, his home page at Microsoft Research was the first entry in my "People" bookmarks collection) and because… Read more

Sweaty rocket arm proves faster, curls more

Scientists at Vanderbilt University have adapted a miniaturized rocket motor from space to power a stronger, faster prosthetic arm here on Earth.

Actually, the power is generated by what amounts to an advanced steam engine. It contains hydrogen peroxide and a catalyst that causes it to burn at 450 fahrenheit, producing steam. NASA uses the same principle to scoot the space shuttle around in orbit.

It's "roughly the size of a pencil" and provides enough energy to operate the prosthetic for up to 18 hours. The prototype arm also weighs less because the motor eliminates the need … Read more

E3 after-hours party: Geeks on a bull

We can't work all the time, you know. Those of us at this year's E3--reporters, analysts, game developers, and so on--have been more or less running back and forth between meetings and events at various hotels around the Santa Monica coast, wishing we were sitting on the beach rather than being tragically forced to try out new Xbox games that aren't on the market yet. (Woe is us.) But that all changes after about 6 p.m., when a whole host of software companies make us feel better by throwing parties and treating us to free food and an open bar.

One of the E3-related shindigs on Wednesday night was the Bethesda Softworks party at a delightfully cheesy Sunset Boulevard joint known as the Saddle Ranch Chop House.

It was a good half-hour drive out of the way, and there were plenty of other game companies that threw parties that night, but this one had a mechanical bull. (Not sure about where you're from, but on my home turf, ride-the-bull attractions are pretty rare. I think there's a total of two of them on the entire island of Manhattan.) Check out what happens when a bunch of geeks invade a bar that looks like it fell out of Disney World's Frontierland...and try to conquer a piece of "interactive entertainment" that doesn't involve a console or a joystick.

As you can see from the extensive footage above, the average E3 attendee does not appear to be particularly good at bull riding. Maybe the Wii Balance Board could help with that.… Read more

We like this watch but can't tell the time

Crave is always thankful to see an innovative watch design that doesn't involve LEDs or have the word "pimp" in its name. And we're particularly fond of retro designs that shun unnecessary technology.

But even though we're intrigued by the "Cabestan" from Vianney Halter and Jean-Francois Ruchonnet, it unfortunately falls into the ever-growing category of watches we don't understand. Gearfuse's brief description alone is enough to boggle our tiny minds: "The displays are controlled through chain links and fusee wound by a winch." (Isn't that sailing lingo?) And … Read more

Motorbike gets monster truck engine

No, we don't know why someone would want to outfit a motorcycle with a monster truck engine, but that's not important. There are even larger questions in life, such as why anyone would want to build a 31-foot motorbike. (Crave tends to ponder existential questions on the weekend.)

Regardless of the reasons, the two-wheeled "Rapom" is equipped with an 8.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, according to Spluch. Its Dr. Frankstein wannabe creator says the bike was the unholy offspring of "the unusual marriage of convenience and nativete."

iolo System Mechanic 7 Professional for $13.99 after a $40 mail-in rebate

Buy.com has the iolo System Mechanic 7 Professional for $13.99, after a $40 mail-in rebate, plus free shipping >> Regular price is $53.99 >> Offer ends 1/16/2007 >> Click here for deal