Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Popular Mechanics South Africa

I DON’T SLEEP very well. At least not with any regularity. It’s probably a common state of existence for many people, but I hadn’t given it too much thought until quite recently, when a couple things occurred that made me consider it a bit more deeply, and realise that it’s probably impacting how well I function during the day. First, I attended the launch of the new Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch, a device that’s intended to improve our quality of life through a variety of interesting and cool features. What really grabbed my attention during the reveal was the sleep-monitoring functionality. I have not worn a watch in years, but that same night I decided to strap the review unit I received on to my wrist and head for bed.…

PRODUCED: CHINA TIME TO DISASSEMBLE: 2 HOURS, 45 MINUTES NOTES: E-bikes are booming: The US imported at least 215 000 electric bicycles in 2017, up from 64 000 in 2012, according to industry experts Ed Benjamin and Frank E Jamerson, PhD. However, brand-new rides are expensive. Instead, in the US you can buy a conversion kit, and electrify any pushbike for around $1 000. We’d start with the G310: The motor employs decades of hub-motor development to pack up to 500 watts of power into a lightweight and silent package – a first for geared hub motors. ‘As soon as you experience a motor that’s totally silent under assist, you never want to go back to one that makes a buzzing sound,’ says Justin Lemire-Elmore, founder and owner of Grin…

Strategy #1: DECREASE YOUR STARTING VELOCITY If you jump from a train moving at 10 metres per second (m/s), you’ll hit the ground hard and fast. During impact, you will have a vertical velocity, because the train is higher than the ground. As you fall, the gravitational force will increase your vertical speed, as if you jumped off a stationary train. If the train is one metre high, you’ll travel at 4 m/s. But keep in mind you’re also moving horizontally along with the train. So jumping would mean that upon impact, you’d move 4 m/s down and 10 m/s across. And it’s not the speed that causes injury, but rather the acceleration, or the change in velocity divided by the change in time. Just as speed tells you how fast…

KALIBER KNIVES My mom let me play with knives since before I was 10 years old, and I have many scars on my hands to prove it probably wasn’t the best idea. Yet, my love for knives never died, and I still get excited every time I see new works of art. The Kaliber knife collection at Cape Union Mart kept me entertained for hours, as I got to play (more carefully this time) with every model. The Kaliber CF and CF2 with their exceptionally high-quality D2 stainless-steel blades and super-light and strong carbon-fibre handles really impressed me. But the pinnacle of the range is definitely the Kaliber Damascus gift set, which boasts the ever-elegant Damascus steel. its price probably makes it more suited to the discerning collector, though. The…

It’s important to have a regular watering programme for your newly planted lawn. Not enough water leads to dry patches, and overwatering can lead to fungi and diseases developing. Water the lawn every day for the first two weeks until it starts to show signs of growth, then reduce watering according to weather patterns. It’s best to water the lawn early in the morning or late afternoon, to reduce evaporation, which is at its highest in the heat of the day or during excessively windy conditions. Minimise foot traffic during the first month or two to allow the lawn to become established. High traffic on newly planted lawns leads to uneven surfaces and wear and tear on the grass. Mow the lawn as soon as it reaches mowing height and…

CHEWING GUM is a grand human tradition, as archaeologists have discovered. A study published in the journal Communications Biology shows that the first people to settle in Scandinavia more than 10 000 years ago left traces of themselves behind in ancient gum – the oldest Scandinavian DNA on record. They didn’t have Wrigley’s, but ancient Scandinavian and Nordic cultures were big fans of chewing on tree bark. In 2007, a boy in Finland found 5 000-year-old gum made from birch bark. But at 10 000 years old, this gum – found by scientists in Sweden this May – also birch-based, offers scientists a chance to study ancient hunter gatherer societies. ‘DNA from these ancient chewing gums has an enormous potential not only for tracing the origin and movement of peoples…

CASSETTE, RIM, SPOKES / The Bafang G310 replaces the rear hub on your bike, so you’ll need to integrate it into your bike’s rear wheel and drivetrain. The motor has a Shimano compatible freehub body that fits a 10-speed cassette, and you’ll want appropriately sized spokes to lace the hub into the rim. Alternatively, you can buy a pre-laced G310 that’s already integrated into the wheel. BATTERY / The lithium-ion battery is the most expensive component in any e-bike build. A $538 (±R8 000) battery houses 40 Panasonic cells – smaller batteries with fewer cells are cheaper, but have less range. MOTOR CONTROLLER / The motor controller takes input from your pedal-assist sensor or throttle and tells the battery how much power to send to the motor. This one fits…

The augmented-reality helmets worn by F-35 pilots are huge feats of engineering. In previous-generation aircraft, pilots determined the locations of friendly and enemy forces by constantly monitoring multiple screens and read-outs. With the F-35, that cockpit data – along with information from on-board sensors, other aircraft, and ground assets – is compiled and projected on to the visor of this $400 000 noggin cover. And since each helmet is custom-built based on a 3D scan of the pilot’s head, the info is displayed directly into his or her field of view. This display feels like being in a video game: Enemy aircraft (and their vital statistics) and friendly forces are colour-coded so you know who’s who at a glance. At night, data from the Distributed Aperture System – six infrared…

‘I had been fortified by trauma, the way a bone, once broken, grows back stronger than it had been.’ THE QUOTE ABOVE by Charles Blow, author of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, is him talking about recovering from his troubled adolescence and going on to thrive. If taken literally, though, it could easily be applied to a recent major disruptive breakthrough in biomedical technology that accelerates and improves the healing of serious fractures, with fast-growing children and adolescents being the biggest beneficiaries. Quotes are too often interpreted as truisms, however, whereas life is actually a bit more complex, whether in psychology or physiology. Difficult fractures or surgically-corrected bone deformities do not always grow back stronger. More often than not, they require metallic implants that can cause problems such as…

A FRIEND INVITED me to his fencing group’s open day. Nervous but excited, I joined a crowd of newcomers, and along with the regulars we each grabbed a protective mask. First came stretching and jogging, and then we broke into two groups. My team’s initial lesson was in backswords (fake ones, in our case), giant single-handed weapons that were used throughout the ages by various infantry. Going slowly, we took turns practising attack and defence stances. The movements with these weapons are rhythmic: There’s action and reaction, performed progressively faster until someone lunges forward to strike their opponent, or (especially in the case of us beginners) someone swings their sword the wrong way. Longswords and backswords are only championed by select few enthusiasts, but they are grand weapons, and a…

1 KREG K5 METRIC POCKET HOLE JIG THE K5 is the most advanced Kreg Jig to date and is built for remarkably quick and easy cabinet production. The front-mounted clamp handle with a ratcheting clamp mechanism adjusts for differing stock thicknesses and lets you clamp your material quickly and firmly without having to reach over your work. The built-in extension wings provide material support and offer an easy storage solution for your pocket-hole drilling accessories. The 32 mm swivelling dust-collection port accepts standard vacuum hoses while the stop-collar setting block makes drilling depth set-up a snap. For joinery tasks away from your workbench, the quick-release drill guide block can be removed from the base of the K5 Jig. The K5 Jig accepts the optional micro-jig and heavy-duty-jig drill guide blocks…

PEEL AWAY My tip is a pretty simple one, but it really makes enjoying my favourite fruit a whole lot easier. I really love oranges (and tea and coffee, as it happens), so I took a regular teaspoon and modified it into a handy orange peeler. It took a bit of filing here and there on the handle, but the end result means I can still make a cuppa with the spoon the usual way, or cut through orange peel with the top of the handle and then pry the peel away from the juicy fruit with the bottom of the spoon. My pics show this quite clearly. Also, a spoon with a bit of heft to the handle is a better option. Koos de Swart…

1 FOR LEAKS For low-pressure water leaks, like a hole in your rain gutter, first scrub the area around the hole with a piece of steel wool to clean away any debris. When thoroughly dry, stick a wad of already-chewed gum on the inside of the hole so the pressure of the liquid will push it against the hole instead of away from it. Adhesives in general, gum included, tend to improve over time – the longer they stay there, the more permanent the bond. 2 FOR A HOLE IN YOUR TYRE If you put already-chewed gum on the inside of the hole – provided it’s a fairly small hole – the gum will probably be quite effective, maybe even permanent. The gum sticks because as you chew it, you’re…

THE STEAM-DRIVEN locomotive might seem like a relic of bygone days. But tell that to the people who cheered and waved as Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 – the largest operational steam locomotive ever – pulled into Ogden, Utah. Its arrival last spring in the US marked the 150-year anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Big Boy’s roaring up the ceremonial rails seemed improbable, considering that all eight existing units of the Big Boy-class steam engines had been decommissioned long ago. The 4014, built in 1941, went to bed in 1961, and spent the next 52 years resting at RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California. At 40.2 m long, the Big Boys’ frames had to be hinged so they could navigate curves. They weighed 544 310 kg,…

FOUR game-changing technologies (artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain and bioengineering) are evolving at a rapid pace, but sometimes these technologies cause more anxiety than anything else. Futurist John Sanei, however, sees them as the pillars of a hyper-intelligent, hyper-efficient, hyper-personalised and hyper affordable future, which he explores in his latest book. FOREsight, Sanei’s third non-fictional book, is an interesting mix of technology and perspective that will help anyone to think beyond the obvious answer and equip them for the future. Through 20 of the most remarkable scenarios – which he names ‘SHOTS’ – Sanei uses four perspectives, ‘HINDsight’, ‘PLAINsight’, ‘INsight’ and ‘FOREsight’, to explain each SHOT. HINDsight refers to people who live in the past and use memories to try and make sense of the future. PLAINsight relates to the…

When he was asked to quantify the technological advancement his product represents, Professor claassen had this to say: ‘The step from newton to Einstein’s world is the same as the step from titanium to magnesium. This is the game changer we’ve all been waiting for. From a banking perspective, it’s predicted that we have found the holy grail of medicine. There is huge patient advantage with no extra cost to the system across the entire value chain. global health systems will save billions of dollars, and over the next 20 years, at least one billion people will be positively impacted, exponentially improving their quality of life with knock-on benefits to the environment and society. In the same way steel was disrupted by titanium, magnesium is disrupting titanium.’…

IN ESSENCE, The MakerSpace is all about unlocking human potential. But, for founder Stephen Gray, this innovative space also represents so much more. Leaving a career in financial services, Stephen was looking to start something based on what motivated him personally – working with people, working with technology and working in a uniquely creative environment. And, just like that, The MakerSpace was born. Located in Durban, the idea was to create a community workshop where people could get their creative juices flowing and make things using equipment that’s typically only accessible to those working in particular industries – things such as laser cutters and 3D printers. Beyond giving people access to the best tools, there’s also an emphasis on creating a community, explains Stephen. ‘A maker is someone who decides…

I FOUND THE BEST coffee in the world in Dingle, Ireland, one summer in university when I was aimlessly backpacking around. I’d wandered into a small stone-carving shop to cool off a bit, and made friends with the dog that was keeping idle guard – apparently a good enough reason for the proprietor, an old Italian man, to offer me a coffee. I can’t remember if he served it with cream or with a lemon peel; if there were floral notes or chocolatey undertones; if it was espresso or Americano or simple drip coffee. What I do remember is sitting in the tiny garden beside his home as he talked to me about his art and what he missed about Italy, while I sipped slowly and felt both calmed and…

As ubiquitous as the cropped, green suburban lawn is now, it’s not a naturally occurring landscape in the US. Kentucky bluegrass is from Europe and parts of Asia. Other popular varieties come from Africa and South America. Lawns as we know them originated in the cool, wet British Isles, where grasses thrived and sheep were natural lawnmowers. ‘The idea of a perfect weed-free, super-green monoculture is a post-World War II invention,’ says Ted Steinberg, author of American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn. In the post-war years, perfect lawns fitted into the suburban embrace of bright colours and easy living. And comfort. Turf really is the best plant to walk on. So keep it where the kids and dogs run and play – then integrate other plant life…

SERVING AS A prequel to the film franchise on which it’s based, John Wick Hex follows the titular hero as he shoots and fights his way to save Winston and Charon, manager and concierge of the Continental Hotel. There’s a sinister new villain looming, who goes by the name of Hex, who is seeking to claim what he believes is his by birthright. John Wick Hex is a strategy game unlike any other. Entering an area, players must engage in combat according to a specific time frame and decide what precious seconds to use to execute different manoeuvres. One-and-a-half seconds to reload your gun may not sound like much, but in that time, a thug has cocked his weapon in your direction. Running up to confront him takes two seconds,…

Master Lock Small Security Chest: The continuous jamb and waterproof seal completely insulate contents from water. Ideal for protecting valuables from fire and water damage. Resistant to fire for half an hour, up to 840°C. Master Lock Excell Solid Steel Padlock: The octagonal boron-carbide shackle is 50 per cent harder than hardened steel, and the ball-bearing locking system offers maximum pry resistance. The five-pin cylinder is also highly pick-resistant. The shackle is 51 mm, and the body 54 mm. The reinforced body bumper can’t get scratched easily. Master Lock Spin Dial Combination Lock: Anti-shim technology withstands attempts to tamper with the latch mechanism. Features a 48 mm-wide double-reinforced stainless-steel body, 22 mm-tall hardened shackle, and a three-number dialing combination lock. Send your tips to popularmechanics@ramsaymedia.co.za with the subject line: ‘Do It…