Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Popular Mechanics South Africa

WHEN TAPS RUN DRY MIDWINTER IN THE CAPE. On a typical working day, over the top of my PC display, through the window I’d see the trees across the road being lashed by wind and rain. This year, I’m seeing a sky that’s blue and only the flimsiest leafy twigs are – at best – giving me a feeble excuse for a wave. Not good news. Particularly on the back of the City of Cape Town’s decision to finally cave in and do what it should have done ages ago: implement water restrictions that really, really hurt. Even if, for some, the freshly mandated hundred litres a day per body is sheer luxury. And even if rules without enforcement are futile. Back in December 2015, our wide-ranging report from the…

It has advanced radar, forward-looking infrared cameras and laser rangefinders. All of these are used to help the 13-man crew direct a barrage of lethal fire to the ground from 12 000 feet. But for all of this advanced technology, the vision of the US Air Force Special Operations Command gunships can be thwarted by the threatening adversary known as a cloudy sky. The Air Force has a solution: launch a small unmanned aircraft from the gunship to drop below the cloud cover and serve as the eyes of the AC-130’s crew. Special Operations officials last year spoke publicly about using a drone called the Coyote. The wings of the Coyote unfold as the drone launches from a 15-centimetrewide tube. A higher-endurance version is in development. Weapons are getting smarter…

THE REVOLUTION IS AFOOT and the children are marching through the Palace of Versailles in search of the monarchy. They know where they’re going, too: they built the palace, according to historical data that they researched, and the exercise actually isn’t linked to the French Revolution, but is rather about the period architecture. What’s revolutionary is that this is all happening inside Minecraft, a game that the planet’s younger citizens can’t seem to get enough of and is now being used within a school curriculum. Minecraft: Education Edition is a riff on the popular open-world game that encourages creativity and problem solving to meet curriculum objectives within an environment that children actually want to immerse themselves in. Stephen Reid of Scotland-based Immersive Minds is Microsoft’s global champion and main consultant…

HOW MANY SPIES ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES? Shhh! They’re watching us. Over there. Don’t look! Bloody amateur. Listen, I’m leaving now. Wait nine minutes and follow me out. Make three right turns around the block to see if you’re being tailed, then head to the park, by the carousel. Ask the vendor for a blue cotton candy “with extra gravy.” In the paper cone, you will find the answer to your question, which will be: nobody knows for sure, but educated estimators put the number in the low thousands. US Government agencies, including the FBI, CIA and NSA, declined to hazard a guess, or, indeed, to offer any comment at all. But figure it thusly: there are many different types of “spies” working to ferret out the…

WRITE TO US, ENGAGE IN DEBATE l popularmechanics@ramsaymedia.co.za WINNING LETTER DROUGHT? BUILD A PIPELINE THE WESTERN CAPE and Southern Cape are presently suffering what is reported as the worst drought in history… while the Highveld has floods! This is the historic annual pattern of weather in SA as the atmospheric pressure bands shift northwards and southwards and it is overlaid by a 5- to 10-year cyclic flood/drought condition. The trend seems to be deepening, based on a longer overlay, with the effects of El Niño and other global warming knock-ons. While the other ailments continue, unabated, this trend will not be reversed. It is pointless increasing the water storage capacity in the drought areas if there is no promise of rainfall in the catchments. Increasing storage capacity should be limited…

01 MINIATURE AIR-LAUNCHED DECOY (MALD) • MALD is a trailblazer. In the mid-1990s DARPA started researching this small jet-engine-powered craft, fired from a warplane’s wing, that could fly along GPS waypoints and emit signals to mimic a full-size aircraft. Hidden air-defence systems shoot at MALD and expose themselves to counter- attack. After a stutter-step start, the technology caught up with the idea and in 2009 Raytheon delivered the first MALD to the Air Force. Recent upgrades include a carbon-composite fuselage that lightens the airframe. An upcoming datalink ability will enable pilots to reprogram MALD’s flight path after launch. • Status: Currently deployed. 02 COYOTE • Dropped from an aeroplane, these disposable drones are launched from a 15-centimetre tube and unfold in flight. They are currently launched from US National Oceanographic…

TV presenter, actor and voice-over artist KATLEGO MABOE is about as close as it gets to beng a household name. His favourite gadget? The Samsung AKG earbuds that came with his Samsung Galaxy S8. (AKG’s parent company Harman is now owned by Samsung.) Q What makes you love these particular headphones so much? A I travel frequently, so being able to whip them out easily to listen to my favourites songs while waiting on a delayed flight is super convenient. The sound quality is amazing, as well. How long have you had these headphones? I have only had them for few months, but I really love them. Who are your favourite artists you listen to on your headphones? John Legend, Bruno Mars and Cassper Nyovest. What edge do these particular…

PEUGEOT’S DESIGN LAB has turned out some stunning work – a notable example in recent years being the piano created for Pleyel (below) that looked more like a streamlined yacht hull than anything else, partly thanks to the lowering of the mechanism flush with the keyboard. The striking looks have functional advantages: you can see the pianist from any angle and the sound projection is said to be improved, too. On a more real-world level, the lab is behind Peugeot’s new line of ten bags and leather goods, from everyday items to luggage, with prices ranging from €59 to €239, in two collections. The styling of the contemporary design collection is a nod to the interiors ofnd out more, visit boutique.peugeot.com and peugeotdesignlab.com HELP, A SCREEN-TOUCH AWAY Smart itinerary management,…

UBTECH ROBOTICS One of the most precise human movement-aping robots (Alpha 1 Pro) is in the country alongside built-it-yourself kits (Jimu) that teach coding as well as low-level mechatronics. It’s a perfect gift for the winter months. FROM R2 500, TAKEALOT.COM DAYMAK C5 BLAST GO-KART Even in “Standard” specification, this go-kart will outrun most performance cars. You can, for $50 000 more, buy the “Ultimate” specification and experience 0-100 km/h acceleration in 1,5 seconds. The difference between the two? The ultimate edition augments the 10 kW, 48 V brushless motor with eight 120 mm 840 KV electric ducted fans (EDF) on the side and four 140 mm 720 KV EDF units at the back, controlled by 12 Hobbywing HV 200 A platinum electronic speed controllers. Daymak was on a mission…

The Russian-made Ural motorcycle is a three-wheeled movie star. The bike can’t go anywhere without getting some attention, whether it’s from the motor-head in the parking lot, the woman who wants to sit in the sidecar, the nice older couple who offer you free coffee because they think you’re driving around the world, or the toll-booth collector who won’t let you ride on without answering a bunch of questions. Kids stare, men and women take photos with their phones, drivers accelerate to pass and give a hearty thumbs-up. People connect with the bike. It’s like they’re interacting with a piece of history; and they are, sort of. I’m riding a 2016 model, but the original Ural dates back to the Eastern Front during World War II. The Russians needed reconnaissance…

•1. Use a mitre saw to cut two 270 mm lengths and two 50 mm lengths of wood. • 2. On one of the 270 mm boards, mark the position of the motor holes according to the diagram (opposite page). Bore the holes using a 24 mm spade bit and a drill press or cordless drill. • 3. Test-fit the motors and launch wheels to verify proper spacing. Use a hot-glue gun to fasten the motors so that their tops are flush with the top of the launch platform. • 4. On the lower-left corner of the wooden piece with the launch wheels, use a drill and a 12 mm bit to make a hole for the push-button switch. Line the hole with a little hot glue and insert the…

When I’m running to a volunteer job or helping out a friend, I can’t take everything with me. And since I don’t always know exactly what we’ll be doing, I have to improvise. I need tools that can handle wood, metal and plastic. PVC and sheet metal. I prefer cordless tools, because you never know what the power supply will be, but my heavy-duty tools are corded. After decades of refinement, this is the most versatile group of tools I’ve discovered. The real trick is getting it all to fit in the car. BOOT EDGES Sawhorses • No matter the job, you’ll always need to get something off the ground, whether it’s for cutting or painting. Slide them along either side of the boot. Hand trolley • For demolition or…

1964 Introducing the Headshrinker. No, it didn’t actually shrink anybody’s head, but golfers, in the quest for the elusive perfect swing, were offered this device to get their heads straight. The metal ring placed around the head was meant to remind the golfer not to sway or duck as he went through the swing. 2003 In celebrating 100 years of Ford, we ruminated on Henry Ford’s creation of one of the world’s great car companies and the various styles and designs of the car over the years. In this month’s issue, we once again explore Ford’s legacy – a legacy that has recently been at risk – and commence our test of the Ford Kuga to determine if it is still a quality purchase. 1962 In the days when the…

Your robo adviser* (*Itransact’s words, not ours) HERE’S THE SET-UP: asset management fees erode your returns at an alarming rate. Using AI, instead, eliminates most of the human cost and also makes exchange trading more accessible to ordinary people. Not convinced? Okay. Assume an investment period of 20 years with gross returns of 15 per cent per annum and inflation of 6 per cent. With 3 per cent asset management costs, you lose almost 42 per cent of your returns. And that’s in an ideal situation. Now consider that ETFs (exchangetraded funds) regularly outperform the market, sometimes by close to 80 per cent. What does that mean? Simply put: services that track an index are getting better returns than professional asset managers trading in real time. And did you know that…

Q My home’s ultra-violet water purifier gives off a steady buzzing noise. What can I do to stop it? A Water purifiers use ultraviolet lamps to zap germs. As with fluorescent bulbs, it’s normal for a purifier light to give off a low hum. That said, sometimes a hum is created by the failure of the bulb or its ballast, which regulates power. To determine if your noise is a problem – and to avoid replacing parts that might not need replacing – check the owner’s manual for the longevity of the system components. If the bulb or ballast is nearing the end of its life span, go ahead and replace it. The other culprit could be loose components. Tighten any screws on the purifier or any apparatus mounting it…

NEW IDEAS THAT COULD CHANGE THE WORLD l Compiled by NIKKY KNIJF (nikky.knijf@ramsaymedia.co.za) RISING SEA LEVELS are a certainty and an everyday reality of climate change. Eustatic change – a change in the volume of water in the oceans – threatens coastal regions and island nations across the globe. In the near future, this will directly impact the habitats of approximately 100 million people. Sadly, the effects can already be felt. Many small islands report severe coastal erosion and face overcrowding in large towns and cities. The little-known island nation of Kiribati located in Oceania is one of the many nations facing a siege of rising tides. According to Kiribati Government, the islands are so narrow the citizens have nowhere to go. Another of the damning effects of climate change is…

JUST THE FACTS ENGINE 2,0 turbopetrol OUTPUT 177 kW/350 N.m TRANSMISSION CVT, awd ECONOMY 8,5 L/100 km SERVICE PLAN 3 years/75 000 km PRICE R597 000 When you make an unconventional range of cars that stretches from certifiably insane at one extreme to “sensible shoes” at the other, you might expect polarised responses. Yet: thanks to universally loyal owners of all types, response for Subaru is enthusiastic across the board. Still, it remains a minority brand in this market. Buyers prefer to stick with the conventional and the established. They won’t be swayed by the argument that much of the Subaru value proposition lies under the skin, in the engineering. There’s a perception that Subaru’s prices are on the high side and a rash of contenders in the crossover and…

THIS STEP-STOOL is a practical, multi-purpose unit for when you need to step up in the home or workshop and a stepladder, even a small one, would be overkill. What you see here serves as a set of steps, a seat and a stand, all in one. Standing 400 mm high, 400 mm wide and 235 mm deep when the step is turned in, the unit is constructed out of 250 mm x 25 mm and 100 mm x 25 mm boards. ABOUT THE WOOD DIMENSIONS All dimensions are given in millimetres. The size (width and thickness) of the wood referred to throughout this project is the “actual size” or “true size”; that is, the size of the lumber when it has been finished or planed. Before the lumber has…

“ I get excited about fire, whether it brings people together, or how it takes care of our ecosystem. It’s a high level of responsibility to intentionally set things on fire for a living. I think about that.” THE SUBJECT: AMANDA STAMPER THE JOB: Fire management officer at The Nature Conservancy THE LOCATION: Eugene, Oregon, USA HARD HAT In forested environments, fire loosens branches and rocks. We have to wear hard hats to protect our heads from falling debris. On grass fires, there’s little likelihood we’ll end up with debris falling on our heads. But it does protect your hair. I braid it and throw it under my hard hat to protect it from smoke and ash. BENDIX KING RADIOS We use powerful two-way radios to communicate. In theory, if…

WINNING TIP WAIST NOT Gentlemen, if your waist is as large as mine, most hangers are too small for your slacks. Cut the bottom bar off and replace it with a 10 mm dowel, drilled and cut to size, using two small ties. GERALD LUCAS WESTVILLE BATTLE OF THE BULB Downlighter globes are notoriously difficult to remove and re-install, especially when they have been there for a while. After struggling to replace one and getting myself cut trying to grip the flat side of the globe with the tips of my fingers, I thought that there must be a better way to do this. While administering first aid to the bloody tips of my fingers, I came up with a devilish plan to beat the bulb. I took a screw-on…