Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i Popular Mechanics South Africa

My three-year-old is teaching me that again. The sentiment is at the centre of my quest for knowledge, but it sometimes gets overshadowed by a need to tell my truth and not accept argument. We all do it. And it’s time to stop answering the, ‘Why?’ with, ‘Because.’ ‘Why?’ is curiosity at its most pure, most raw form. ‘Because,’ is cynical. In this issue, I asked why South African manufacturing is presumed dead. I went to the manufacturers that are still churning out export-quality goods and asked them why they’re still operating and, in most cases, expanding. The overwhelming response? ‘Why not?’ Manufacturing is very close to my heart. My dad ran production on the LCV line at Ford Motor Company South Africa for many years, specialising in manpower deployment.…

FRIDAY 14/09 History is being made with the first ever Comic Con Africa. And with big names such as Jason Mamoa (Aquaman) and Kevin Sussman (Big Bang Theory) appearing on the guest panel, it’s bound to be awesome. The event kicks off on the 14th at Joburg’s Kyalami International Convention Centre. WEDNESDAY 19/09 After two decades of campaigning, women of New Zealand became the first in the modern world to gain the right to vote in parliamentary elections. After being enfranchised by Royal Assent on 19 September 1893, white and Maori women alike cast their historic votes in the next elections, held just over a month later.…

E3 2018 is behind us, and one of the annual event’s most important game announcements, CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, left us all wanting more. It also, however, left some of us wanting, well, less. Less in the sense that we’re longing for the days when video games weren’t all about bullets, blood and explosions. The level of cringeworthy violence in video games is casting a shadow on the industry, and research has shown that 18+ video games can sometimes lead to antisocial behaviour, including increased aggression and decreased empathy. But gaming has so much more to offer. Adventure games, for one, teach puzzle solving, and offer interactive stories, exploration, mini-games, and the clever manipulation of inventories and objects in the world around you. They create an immersive space where…

This is according to Mastercard South Africa, which plans to make ‘tap and go’ payments a standard in the next five years. The company is set to implement a series of card and terminal upgrades globally, including the African continent, where its contactless cards are already available. Terminal upgrades are expected to be ready by October 2018, and all new cards issued from April 2019 will have contactless technology enabled. ‘Tap and go’ cards have a specific chip embedded in them that uses NFC technology for contactless payments, whereby the card is simply tapped against a supported payment terminal. These debit or credit cards are already in circulation, identifiable through the wireless symbol, and have been issued by banks including FNB, Nedbank, Absa and Standard Bank, and are supported by…

The idea started in 2011, when the tablets-as-textbooks-replacement cart was placed before the underpriviledged-children-don’t-even-have-electricity horse. Luckily, the founders quickly changed strategy to better serve the needs of the communities they first identified. ‘According to Statistics South Africa, 49 of South Africa’s 213 local and metropolitan municipalities maintain they are “servicing indigent households with at least one form of off-grid energy”,’says Allan Goldberg, MD of Off Grid Innovations. ‘We decided to investigate the possibility of using photovoltaics (solar), but soon realised we would have to rethink our idea because of the required size of the panel needed in order to provide reliable functionality in all weather conditions.’ ‘IHARVEY IS JUST THE BEGINNING, AND OUR PROMISE TO YOU IS TO NEVER STOP EXPLORING AND DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE AND AFFORDABLE WAYS TO BRING BASIC…

Up in Pretoria, BMW South Africa has begun production on the first X cars to be built outside the US. It was quite a coup for the local arm of the company and brought in a R6,1 bn investment from BMW AG. What swung this car our way was the 45 years of excellent production work on the 3-series for the global market. ‘At the time of the announcement, the investment was the highest in the automotive industry in South Africa and symbolic of our long-term commitment to the upliftment of South Africa and its people,’ says Edward Makwana, group communications manager for BMW South Africa. ‘The investment and production of the BMW X3 is in line with the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP), a production incentive run by…

I’ve loved the M5 since I was a teenager. The E39 M5 and its 4,9 L V8 laying down just shy of 300 kW and 500 Nm to the rear wheels via a Getrag 420G six-speed manual gearbox was pretty much automotive perfection for younger me. The only differences between it and the more pedestrian 540i was its more powerful engine, reinforced clutch and a limited-slip diff with 25 per cent locking – even more impressive. With deep love for this brand established, I took to the driver’s seat of the current F90 version with a fair bit of caution and much scepticism. It wasn’t the exhaust note or the ludicrous in-gear acceleration that won over my affections, but the restraint. BMW engineers could easily have made a car that…

A VOLVO XC40 Narrowly beaten out by the impressive M5 for the overall title, the baby Volvo is everything we love about the XC90 distilled into a visually striking package – well, everything except the sensible pricing, because loading all the tech trinkets on to this vehicle is a very expensive exercise. This model drops the finish quality, with Harman Kardon speakers instead of B&W and a less accurate touchscreen than the rest of the Volvo SUV line-up. That said, XC40 is first in line for the built-in Android Auto upgrades and will easily cocoon four adults and their luggage in class-leading safety. It’s also the most visually impressive of the family, so there’s that. B PORSCHE CARRERA T Is this the fastest Carrera? No. Is it the most exclusive?…

Monroe shock absorbers are fitted to more new vehicles than any other locally manufactured brand in South Africa, and the new OESpectrum® shocks hold the promise of a superior ride in a wide range of driving situations. Tenneco Inc SA, manufacturers of Monroe and Rancho shock absorbers recently introduced Monroe® OESpectrum® shocks, a premium range for customers who take their safety and their quality of drive seriously. These advanced-technology replacement shock absorbers feature the revolutionary, patented Monroe R-TECH®2 Rebound Valving Technology™, which provides virtually instantaneous feedback and response to changing driving conditions for exceptional road-holding capability, a smoother ride and increased driver control and confidence. The technology is combined with Tenneco’s new high-speed Impact Control Valve, which helps each OESpectrum® unit deliver world-class control and reduced noise, vibration and harshness.…

May 1962 Is the Indy Race in a Rut? Critics of the Indianapolis 500 said it was dull and formulaic, and the cars were all the same. We went to see if the complaints were fair. April 1964 Satellite Eavesdropper in an Attic. A German ham radio operator – under orders from NASA – listens into Soviet transmissions during the space race to give the US a leg up in the rivalry. May 1964 Our Navy’s Startling Windmill Submarine. For this issue, we looked at a US Navy prototype sub. It was more agile and manoeuvrable than its contemporaries, but never took off. July 1968 The X-24 Wingless Plane That Flies in Space. The ’60s saw the US Air Force test lifting-body aircraft, which mostly dispense with wings, deriving lift…

RIO HONDO COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CALIFORNIA Tesla, the electric-vehicle company, makes three of the five most popular EV models in the expanding US market, and plans to increase vehicle production to 500,000 per year. EVs don’t require as much maintenance as gas-powered cars, but there is some, and a national shortage of mechanics will affect EV owners eventually. Tesla’s new START program fast-tracks students into the field. Here (from left), Tanya Aili Castro, Natalie Dovales-Flores, and Jose Chavez install a front diffuser, which improves undercar airflow, on a Model X. The trio finished 700 training hours in May as part of the second START class. Graduates get a full-time job at a Tesla service centre with zero student debt.…

In a modern car, even basic components are packed with technology. That’s why a 2016 Nissan Altima is so convenient, so safe – and why replacement headlights can cost more than R26,300. Those expensive parts have increased demand for black-market discount alternatives. Pair that with security gaps in features such as remote unlocking and push-to-start, and auto theft is up in the US: 4 per cent in 2017, and 7,4 per cent in 2016. So how can you convince an opportunistic thief to move on to an Altima that’s not yours? We tested three high-tech deterrents – and The Club. VERIZON HUMX The Humx consists of a plug for the OBD port that gathers vehicle data, and a wireless Bluetooth speaker that clips to your sun visor. If you wake…

Here’s the thing about developing markets: At some stage, you just stop developing. The Chinese consumer market has matured, and the country now needs to find its own China to keep up with consumer demand, and offset labour costs for the export market. Luckily for them (and us), there’s an entire continent made up of developing markets that is in desperate need of jobs, hospitals and schools to help lift themselves out of poverty. Africa is also rich in natural resources, and the global rules the world is trying to force China to comply with don’t really apply to our continent. In 1971, the UN General Assembly voted on which government would represent China. The US opposed the People’s Republic of China and was supported by much of the African…

Axelent is a Swedish company with extensive experience in the manufacture of mesh wall systems that are used as protection and partitioning systems for industry, warehouses and construction. Speed, safety and service are watchwords that characterise the organisation, and the company is the absolute market leader within several sectors, keeping people safe from machines in 60 countries around the world. Known by the yellow posts and black panels, the company is seeing an exponential growth in imitation products. In response to the rampant knock-off culture, Axelent developed a unique set of guidelines for how it does business. The Axelent Code of Conduct is available for all customers to download via the Axelent website, and it outlines the high standards to which the company holds its products. The Axelent Safety Book,…

It’s all about the steering. Because Alfa – which has the gall to build the 4C, a modern car with no power steering whatsoever – understands steering. And although the Stelvio is a high-riding crossover, it steers like its sports-sedan cousin, the Giulia. It’s light, but not numb – a rare combination. And great steering is so underrated. You can’t put a number on it, but a communicative wheel can make every drive just a little bit better. Oh, and the rest of the package is pretty fantastic, too. You get a zesty turbo four-cylinder, all-wheel drive, and 0–100 km/h in 5,4 sec. Of course, there’s a Quadrifoglio model, if you need to own a crossover built for the Nürburgring. But the base model is plenty to make you smile.…

While electric cars get ever more capable and less expensive, electric bikes are enjoying the same progress in batteries and motors. From 2016 to 2017, US e-bike sales doubled, and even Harley-Davidson is producing an electric motorcycle next year. We tested three new examples of two-wheeled electric transportation. The Dirt Bike: HPC Revolution ±132 000 The California-built Revolution conforms to US e-bike rules, with 750 W of power and a 32 km/h top speed. At least, until you hack it. If you’re heading off-road, you can reprogram the bike’s software to unlock the hub motor’s full potential, which cranks out as much as 6 000 W. Then, you’re on your way to a top speed of 80 km/h and a riding experience that’s really like that of a very quiet,…

ANATOMY OF THE WORLD’S FIRST ROBOTIC FLY Robotic insects have been a dream of many (spies) for years. In real life, they’re really quite difficult to build: Combining power, propulsion, and brains in some-thing so small is a big challenge. But recently, a team at the University of Washington has built RoboFly, the first totally wireless robotic insect. For now, it can only take off and land – but it is the foundation for a future in which RoboFlies survey crops, detect gas leaks, and (we hope) don’t spy on us. SECURE YOUR EMAIL Recently, I had the service deseat.me analyse the Gmail address I’ve used since 2009. It found more than 200 accounts linked to mine. For the last nine years, I hadn’t worried about the fact that the…

01 Wireless earbuds are all the rage, so it should come as no surprise that Huawei has introduced its own wireless buds. The FreeBuds look remarkably similar to Apple’s AirPods, and even offer analogous gesture controls and auto-pause. However, unlike the 5 hour battery life of the AirPods, the FreeBuds promise up to 10 hours. The buds offer a double-tap control to activate the voice assistant, play or pause music, and to answer or end calls. One of the major complaints with Apple’s AirPods has been that they tend to fall out of some people’s ears. Huawei has addressed this by adding silicone tips to the FreeBuds and including additional tips in a variety of sizes in the box. And unlike AirPods, you can get them in white or black.…

THE FUTURE of the car is written, and we’re not in it. Well, we’re in it – riding in a mobile living room, looking at our phones, possibly pouring a drink while watching Netflix with our fellow car-share commuters. And hey, for the daily ooze down the nearest traffic-choked conduit of drudgery, that doesn’t sound so bad. Thing is, though, that world is still a lifetime away. For now, cars are better than they’ve ever been. Family saloons are faster than the supercars we loved in the ’90s. New supercars accelerate like F1 cars, and bakkies are as comfortable as family saloons. BMW and Mercedes are building four-wheel drive systems you can put in rear-wheel drive mode to do some drifting. Ford has a mode on the Mustang just for burnouts.…

Off-road ability is subjective. The Land Rover wins here, because it augmented my modest 4×4 skills and kept my family in the lap of luxury up and down the Ouberg Pass. The pass isn’t particularly tricky, but has a reputation for slaying tyres, and the vehicle was sporting standard road-biased rubber still inflated to highway pressure. While my own ineptitude is a big part of this story, the most remarkable thing is that I never took the car out of the Terrain Response 2 system’s Auto mode – and my nervous-off-road-passenger wife didn’t really protest too much, instead enjoying the breathtaking views of the Tankwa Karoo basin. The new Disco will go anywhere you have the courage to take it and will chauffeur you in almost Range Rover levels of…

A FORD KUGA TDCI Great driving position, modest rough-road ability and a long list of standard specs when you choose the right package makes this one of the most desirable compact family SUVs out there. Get a diesel variant to be just a little bit kinder on your pocket in the long-term. B SUBARU OUTBACK R-S One of the cheapest six-cylinder cars on the market is pretty handy off the line, and can handle itself well on unpaved roads. Bundled in is a full Android Auto- and Apple CarPlay-ready Harman Kardon audio system, and its EyeSight semi-autonomous smarts to boot. C NISSAN QASHQAI DCI Easily the most fuel-efficient car we’ve tested in the past 12 months. The Qashqai is also the original sub-compact SUV, and it only narrowly missed out…