Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i Popular Mechanics South Africa

2002 16 years ago we wrote about the blazing new data speeds we’d be able to achieve on our cellphones. That speed was GPRS. The best phones such as Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson, Siemens and Psion would be capable of reaching transmission rates of 43 kbps. The cellphone itself was also in a state of transition in 2002. SMS was still fairly new and had kinks that needed to be worked out and the messaging culture that’s become the norm today, had not yet begun to blossom. 2002 Spotify, Netflix, Apple Music and YouTube are just some of the media services that we get to enjoy on a daily basis, but back in then the landscape was entirely different. Morpheus was the newest file sharing service at that had taken the…

To avoid drowning a new tree, water it based on its size. Set your garden hose to a trickle and place it over the root ball. Let it run ten minutes for every 2 cm of the trunk’s diameter. (Five centimetres across means 20 minutes.) Or for conifers, he says, give the tree two minutes for every thirty centimetres of height. Begin watering weekly, and then adjust for the soil. Clay soil traps water, requiring less work on your part, while loose and sandy soils drain fast. A simple test to tell if your tree is getting enough water, says Barton, is to stick your finger in the planting hole and wiggle it around. It should be moist, not wet or dry. NOTIFY When digging in front or side yards…

Huawei’s newest family of smartphones – the P20 series – is available in South Africa. Not only do they carry refreshed designs complete with a trendy screen cut-out for the earpiece, Huawei’s also ditched the 3,5 mm headphone jack on two of the handsets. P20 Pro is the company’s flagship device is the first to come with three camera lenses on the back, while the P20 and P20 Lite each boast two. According to DxO, the P20 and P20 Pro have achieved a 102 and 109 score, the respective highest scores achieved by an smartphone under those test conditions. On top of all of that, Huawei’s also manage to improve its artificial intelligence features and crammed in a battery that suprpasses those found in Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+. Overall,…

Silently cruising to that business meeting with a new client, the peace is shattered as your child’s school phones with an emergency notification that you need to reroute and meet them at a local hospital. Panicked by the very real concern only a parent can know, you are confronted with an awful reality that a rerouting will mean there’s no getting home in your own car later, because you’re driving a battery powered electric vehicle (EV) and the carefully planned range allowance for your out of town journey simply won’t accommodate a detour. If you live outside of Gauteng, it’s not nearly as strange a scenario as one would imagine and illustrates one of the issues limiting EV ownership in South Africa. For rural motorists, even those who live in…

Rolgear multibit screwdriver A Canadian-made beauty with a rolling ratchet mechanism with seamlessly smooth action, and seven double-ended bits. R770 Adendorff Hydraulic Air Riviter Squeeze shut all common rivets with a simple pull of its trigger. R1 200 Klarus G35 1 000 lumen Extended Range Compact Searchlight You know everything about this flashlight from the name, but to summarise: It’s bright, rugged and good value. R2 000 Bosch 20,4 V handheld vacuum Powered by a powerful motor, this device can punch above its weight as a highly competent workshop or car cleaner. R1 200 Milwaukee M18 Right Angle Impact Wrench This cordless 12 V power tool makes up for its small size with 76 N.m of tightening torque. R4 100 Yeti Rambler 26oz bottle A drink container built like a…

THE SCIENCE Fun fact: Lissajous figures are patterns that result when different frequencies (or wavelengths) are applied to the same object. In this case, our object is a cold drink bottle that drops a line of sand as it swings in two directions at the same time. When the bottle-pendulum is suspended by a single string [Fig.A], it travels the same distance side to side as it does forward and backward. As the pendulum slowly loses energy, the sand trail spirals inward in a circular or elliptical pattern. But if you hang the pendulum by two strings [Fig. B], it moves more quickly in one direction than the other. The lengths of the strings determine the patterns created. To change the patterns, all you have to do is change the…

On the topic of the O2 powered car: this is the first I’ve heard of a local patent. The problem with oxygen is that it’s actually quite a heavy gas, even heavier than petrol when in the same state. Then you have to consider the energy needed to cool the gas down to shrink it enough or separate it from atmospheric nitrogen (the air we breath is only about 21 per cent oxygen). You can get a performance boost from a richer in oxygen mix, or by adding nitrous-oxide into the combustion. N2O liquifies under pressure quite easily, but I don’t see it being a viable primary fuel source. The world has engineered itself to be dependant on fossil fuels, but there are a couple of hydrogen prototypes lurking in…

At my local garden center, an employee got a tractor stuck in the mud. Another guy came along and sprinkled white powder on its tires and the surrounding soil. The machine magically gained traction and became unstuck. I asked him what the stuff was and he said “Pixie dust.” What could it be? THE WISE GUY probably used lime. Road builders and excavation contractors also use lime to dry out and stabilise muddy soils, a process that has the approval of the US National Lime Association. (Its motto: “Lime. The versatile chemical.”) To be clear, we’re talking about quicklime or hydrated lime here, not agricultural or aglime, which is pulverised limestone. Quicklime is made by baking crushed limestone in a kiln and then grinding it into a powder. Hydrated lime…

It’s the same thing every year. New wearables launch and I review them in the gym and on the road. They’re usually missing something and people who ask for my advice get the following: if you’re on an iPhone, get an Apple Watch; for Android users, get the Polar M600. But this year is different. This year two activity trackers stand head and shoulders above the competition. I’m beginning to believe that we may have turned a corner in wearables. From Fitbit clones we now have respectable specifications lists and better integration into wellness programmes. That’s actually the point. I’m firmly of the belief that improved performance metrics are the only true marker of physical improvement, but getting discounts or cash back on groceries is a very good reason to…

TRAIN In 2010, Amtrak tested a 20 per cent beef-tallow-based biodiesel. Results showed the fuel didn’t damage the engines or make emissions worse. BOAT A R63 million yacht uses solar- and wind-generated electricity to split hydrogen from seawater, feeding a fuel cell that can power the boat. CAR A Toyota test car adds microorganisms to solid waste. Remove the CO2 from the resulting biogas, add water vapor, and you have hydrogen. TRACTOR At a farm co-op in France (of course), duck fat is heated to 120°C to boil off the water, then combined with alcohol and potassium hydroxide to create biodiesel that is mixed with diesel to run the tractor.…

How can I take better vacation photos? Take photos early morning or late afternoon, around sunset to avoid the glare of the midday sun. Try and get high up or get close up, don't try do both. Then take your time. Enjoy the moment and be patient. Your third pic will usually be way better than your first. Play with angles, depth of field and the rule of thirds. Don't think about what other people will like, think about what you find beautiful and it will make your photo even more special. There are a lot of regulations around flying drones in South Africa, how do you manage to get such amazing footage on your travels? When I’m in SA I try to fly my drone on private property –…

Bitcoin millionaires don’t rely on a couple of passwords to access their funds. Many high rollers use a digital wallet, a R1 200 piece of hardware that you plug into a computer when you want to spend or make exchanges. These devices generate a tic-tac-toe grid of nine randomized numbers that you type into the computer to verify your identity. The most popular model is from a company called Trezor and it’s deliberately low-tech. No Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no way to get at your bitcoin unless it’s really you. Investors we asked about them who didn’t use one all said the same: “I don’t, but I should.” WHERE YOU CAN SPEND IT…

CORD WRAPPER I cut these from scrap 20 mm plywood. The one here is 250 mm wide by 660 mm long. Its handholds are 50 mm wide by about 150 mm long, set 25 mm in from each outside edge. It easily holds a 15 m 12-gauge cord. Mark out the pattern and saw it to shape with a jigsaw. Use a belt sander to knock off any irregularities, then run counterclockwise around its perimeter with a rounding-over bit in a router. Do this on both faces to ensure nicely rounded surfaces that won’t damage the cord or give you a splinter. Some guys skip the handholds while others cut a slot to tuck in both ends of the cable. I don’t. If it doesn’t give me a splinter or…

Depends on the drone. “The larger a drone, the more power and lift it needs to get off, and stay off, the ground,” says Aimee Vakharia, senior manager of Product and Technical Programs for Amazon’s drone delivery program, Prime Air. “Think of it like trying to jump with a heavy backpack; the heavier the backpack, the more energy you need to jump into the air.” Here are three different sizes of drones, along with their payload, or the maximum amount of weight they can carry. DRONE Prime Air A smaller cargo capacity means Amazon’s drones can travel up to half an hour. DJI S1000+ A charge lasts 15 minutes, so it can’t go far, but can carry a lot for its weight. Boeing eVOTL This prototype weighs 338 kg and…

Despite the benefits there are issues with I6 too and the most pronounced amongst these is packaging. An I6 engine will always be longer than an equivalent capacity V6 and for those brands offering front-wheel drive luxury cars, that makes them nearly impossible to fit transversely and accommodate a gearbox. Mercedes is in the fortunate position of primarily producing rear-wheel drive configuration vehicles, but although this solves the issue of engine/gearbox packaging with a longitudinal layout, it creates a crash safety problem all of its own. Ensuring frontal impact pedestrian safety compliance requires a larger margin between the longitudinal in-line engine’s forward mounting points and the grille/bonnet energy deformation zone, enforcing a longer bonnet structure. Preventing the longitudinally mounted engine from puncturing the cabin during a severe impact is a…

Curry Powder Power We have all had that problem, you start the car and then you notice the temperature warning or the dreaded “check engine” light. You think to yourself: “I just filled the radiator yesterday!” You’ve just sprung a leak and don’t have the money or the time to buy a new one – then still have to take it to a reliable mechanic to have it installed. One easy solution: tumeric, or curry powder as everyone else calls it. A couple table spoons in the radiator and it seals the leak almost instantly. My son used to race karts, when he was younger at Killarney Race track in Cape Town. During one of his races, a leak sprung in his radator. He pulled in to the puts said…

We used to love smartphones. We used to wait in line for them and dress them up in pretty cases and show them off to our friends. Many of us still do, but things seem . . . different. People are using words like invasive, co-dependent, junkies, addiction – serious language meant to suggest our total submission. In the last six months, a backlash against smartphones has arisen from all corners of the country from luminaries and musicians and even former tech executives. Now, for the first time, several of them have spoken to Popular Mechanics about why, exactly, they chose this moment to use their considerable power to try to stop devices from turning our society into a Mad Max hellscape. “Last year was a pivotal year in our…

PEOPLE ALWAYS ask me, “Roy, when’s the best time to plant a tree?” For as long as I can remember, I’ve answered without needing a second to think: in the fall. That gives the tree a chance to acclimate to its surroundings, I tell them, before the stress of summer comes on. I’ve known this since boyhood. “Then why do garden centers always have an acre of great-looking trees out in the spring?” a colleague asked me recently. I thought for a second. It was true. “Because they want to sell you stuff,” I said. At his insistence – and to prove myself right – I dialed three tree experts for corroboration. It took only one call to prove me wrong. Carrie Hennessy, a horticulturist at Johnson’s Nursery, in Menomonee…

There’s a fifty per cent chance that you’ve heard the word blockchain, but there’s an even greater chance that you’ve heard of Bitcoin. The two have become synonymous and interchangeable, much like the terms 4G and LTE. All of that is wrong. Yes, Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and yes, it uses blockchain technology, but limiting blockchain to Bitcoin or any cryptocurrency is a mistake that’s being made far too often. Understanding what exactly blockchain is, is more complicated than you’d think because there is no standard definition for this rapidly emerging new technology. The most widely used one is that blockchain is a digital ledger in which transactions are made and recorded publicly. But even that does not fully encompass the full potential of blockchain technology. I headed to the…

I’D NEVER SAILED BEFORE. This wasn’t a problem, however, because we were not sailing. We were hobbling. My new boat, bought for R58 000 from a man who told us only after we’d paid that we had two days to move the boat before he was kicked out of his slip, puttered out of the Alameda Channel and into San Francisco Bay. A 1974 Tartan 34C, No Bubbles fulfilled the promise of its name. At full throttle, the 10,4 kW outboard motor I’d lashed to the transom moved us wakelessly toward the Oyster Point Marina, 16 km across the bay. It would take six hours to get there. When I bought No Bubbles, I knew it needed work. The previous owner had taken the engine out to do repairs and…

Go offline It’s always a good idea to have a map app on your phone that has offline capabilities. The last thing that you want is to get lost in in unfamiliar city. If you already use Google Maps then you’re in luck because you have the ability to download maps and get directions while offline. While in the Google Maps app, tap the menu icon on the left hand side (the three lines) and then tap on "Offline Maps" and follow the instructions. If Google Maps isn’t quite your thing then MAPS.ME is a great option. Available on both Android and iOS, the app has turn-by-turn navigation, directions to points of interest and more. Stay switched on Security or customs officials could ask you to switch your devices on,…

LIFE JACKET Safety first. Wear a life jacket on any body of water, but especially on the rough waters of the Hudson. A standard vest will work, but consider one specifically for paddling that has less padding around the shoulders. OUR PICK: ASTRAL YTV, ASTRALDESIGNS.COM DRY BOX A small handy dry box to keep things like phone and wallet easily accessible will make communication and buying lunch a whole lot easier. OUR PICK: OTTERBOX 3250, OTTERBOX.COM SUN PROTECTION Beware of the sun in all seasons. Not only does it come from above but it can burn you when it bounces off the water. OUR PICK: BLUE LIZARD AUSTRALIAN SUNSCREEN SPORT, BLUELIZARD.NET BOAT Traditional canoes work great, but new paddlers are often more comfortable in more stable kayaks, some even use…

Things have changed in construction. Houses are more energy efficient than those we were building when I was a teenage carpenter’s helper wearing a canvas nail apron borrowed from my boss in the morning and returned to him at quitting time. Still, there are things I miss. When I was a kid, carpenters built, didn’t buy, their toolboxes and a lot of their day-to-day work aids. I admit, it’s hard to beat the store-bought tool bags and parts organisers in wide use today. Wear-resistant fabrics, plastics, and extruded aluminum are all strong and lightweight. Score one for industrial designers. On the other hand, when you make your own boxes, bins, jigs, and sawhorses, you get exactly what you want, not somebody else’s idea of efficiency – with a free T-shirt…

Twenty years ago, Mercedes-Benz seemingly ceded a crucial advantage to its arch rival, BMW, by abandoning Stuttgart’s revered in-line six (I6) engine configuration. As Mercedes adopted the V6 to benefit from its packaging advantages and ease of manufacture, BMW was able to leverage the justifiable marketing lead of being the only German luxury car brand with an I6, the engine configuration which, despite its packaging issues, has always been unparalleled for smoothness. Now Mercedes is returning to the I6 it abandoned in 1998 with a new engine, codenamed M256, and the question is why? There are few manufacturers as meticulous in their planning, or more considered in their engineering details than Mercedes. The Stuttgart company spends more than R100 m on R&D per day and it benefits handsomely from being…

You hint could win you hamper chocked with a 44 mm-wide zinc-plated coloured padlock, M1 Excell padlock and an armoured cable motorbike lock. The Masterlock 44 mm fusion coloured padlock has a 44 mm-wide zinc plated body for durablility and strength. Dual locking levers, shrouded hardened steel shackle and a front access keyway add extra toughness and ease of use. Masterlock M1 Excell padlock. Masterlock, owner of over 40 patents, used the toughest boron alloy material and cutting edge technology to create Excell. This solution is 50 per cent stronger than a standard padlock and is a truly high security padlock. These laminated steel padlocks are available in different sizes for a wider range of applications, both indoor and outdoor. Excell is ideal for securing store front gates, sheds or…