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Media Platforms Design TeamThis remarkable video on YouTube demonstrates the power of good engineering in the most Germanic way possibly. In the video, a black beret-wearing member of the German Army’s panzer corps pours a beer into a stein mounted on a tank’s 120-millimeter gun barrel. The Leopard II main battle tank then rolls across bouncy terrain and doesn’t spill a drop. Tanks are fearsome weapons, combining firepower, protection, and mobility in a single package....

border=2>MATERIALS LIST–DESKKeyNo.Size and description (use)A23/4 x 25 x 28-7/8" plywood (side)B23/4 x 15 x 28-7/8" plywood (shelf)C33/4 x 5 x 15" plywood (cleat)D13/4 x 2-3/4 x 16-1/2" poplar (toe kick)E43/4 x 3-1/2 x 9-3/4" poplar (short rail)F23/4 x 3-1/2 x 20-3/4" poplar (mullion)G43/4 x 3-1/2 x 23" poplar (rail)H43/4 x 3-1/2 x 27-3/4" poplar (stile)I21-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 9-3/4" poplar (short rail)J11-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 20-3/4" poplar (mullion)K21-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 23" poplar (rail)L21-1/2 x 3-1/2 x 27-3/4" poplar (stile)M11/4 x 16-1/2 x 25" plywood (back)N13/4 x 5 x 28-1/2"plywood (cleat)O113/4 x 8 x 28-1/2" plywood (back cleat)O213/4 x 3 x 27" plywood (cleat)P13/4 x 30 x 46-1/2" plywood (desktop)Q113/4 x 7/8 x 48" poplar (edging)Q223/4 x 7/8 x 30" poplar (edging)R43/4 x 8 x 9" plywood (partition)S13/4 x 8-1/4 x 45" plywood (top)T13/4 x 8 x 45" plywood (shelf)U23/4 x 6 x 8" plywood (shelf)V23/4 x 8 x 20-3/4" plywood (side)W23/4 x 8-1/4 x 31-1/4" plywood (side)X143/4 x 7/8 x 5-7/8" poplar (facing)X223/4 x 7/8 x 8-7/8" poplar (facing)X323/4 x 7/8 x 30-7/16" poplar (facing)X423/4 x 7/8 x 31-5/16" poplar (facingX513/4 x 7/8 x 31-3/8" poplar (facing)X613/4 x 7/8 x 44-7/8" poplar (facing)Y11/4 x 31-3/4 x 46" plywood (back)Z23/4 x 4 x 18" poplar (drawer side)AA13/4 x 4 x 12-1/2" poplar (drawer front)BB13/4 x 3-1/2 x 12-1/2" poplar (drawer back)CC11/4 x 13 x 17-1/2" plywood (drawer)DD13/4 x 5-1/4 x 14-3/4" poplar (drawer face)EE*118" drawer tracks (Accuride No....

Media Platforms Design TeamNASA technology is often a mix of proprietary technology and some things you probably have out in your toolshed. The Curiosity rover, for instance, can perform high tech spectroscopy, but to get the samples, it needs to use a bit of fairly old tech: a modified drill press. Of course, the rig itself is a little more complex without a human hand to guide it down and steady the cut....

Media Platforms Design Team Before you invite the neighbors over for burgers and beer, you’ll want to make sure your yard is in top shape to host a relaxing summer cookout. Here are seven quick chores to ensure things go smoothly next time you break out the beef patties or ribs. —Roy Berendsohn___ Scrub the grill (or rebuild it, if you have to)___ Scour the ice chest___ Provide comfortable seating:1. Fix wobbly benches2....

Media Platforms Design TeamOn-Sale Date: Spring 2014Base Price: $21,245 to $24,895 Competitors: Chevrolet Sonic, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Smart ForTwo Powertrains: turbocharged 1.5-liter I-3, 134 hp, 162 lb-ft; turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, 189 hp, 207 lb-ft; six-speed manual or six-speed auto, FWDEPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy, mfr. est.): 30/41-42 (Cooper Hardtop), 23-28/37-40 (Cooper S Hardtop)In 2002, the Mini Cooper’s cute styling and cartoonish, diminutive proportions crashed the U.S. car scene. Ever since then, automakers have tried to bottle that lightning....

Media Platforms Design TeamTest pilot Jon Beesley has ridden in history’s cockpit. Having flown in the development phase of every operational U.S. stealth aircraft—the F-117 Nighthawk, F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II—he has witnessed the evolution of modern aviation from a position envied by historians, warplane buffs and fellow pilots. All his skills and experience are now at work getting three variants of the F-35 (or Joint Strike Fighter) into the air for Lockheed Martin and its global customers....

View full post on YoutubeWith data rapidly becoming the next frontier for automotive shoppers, buyers weighing the cost of in-car wi-fi might be drawn to the just-announced alliance between Audi and T-Mobile.Using the Audi connect software which was first introduced in 2011, the automaker’s in-car multimedia interface enables a range of Google-based informational services like weather and POI searches, as well as Sirius XM traffic and wi-fi for up to eight devices....

Media Platforms Design Team"Okay," the Zodiac driver says. “You go first. Swing your feet over the side, hook your elbow into mine, and lower yourself slowly into the water. The cold is going to be a shock. Just try to keep breathing.“I look out over the wind-battered bay. All around, hundreds of beluga whales are feeding, their pale, bulbous heads arcing out of the water and then disappearing again. Try to keep breathing....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe human skeletal system is a structure millions of years in the making, consisting of bones that handle all the stresses and pressures of a running or contorting human body with optimal efficiency. And automakers want to steal the secrets of our bones.You might have heard of biomimicry, a catchall term for projects in which scientists and engineers try to copy the talents of plants or animals that nature has honed over the eons....

A new kind of search engine is allowing law enforcement officials to mine huge amounts of data for clues about sex trafficking that could lead them to catch crime rings.The tool, called Memex, combs publically available information into a database. In this current iteration, it looks through online sex ads, which amount to $500,000 a day of income for crime rings—money often used to fund other criminal initiatives, including drug trafficking....

Media Platforms Design TeamInspired by Volkswagen’s sand buggies of the 70s, the Dune concept VW rolled out for its global debut in Detroit is aimed at the more adventurous set. The most prominent feature is a rear rack on the hatch for holding skis, snowboards, or sandboards. New sheetmetal and engine vents in the hood give the Dune a tougher look, and the trapezoidal honeycomb grille follows modern styling trends. Wheelarch extensions provide room for larger tires while making the Dune’s body 2....

Using a braided bit of sewing string, Disney engineers have figured out a way to make strong muscles for robot arms, helping their automatons to grow even more life-like. They used conductive sewing thread, like that used in smartphone-friendly gloves, and wound it in a shape that resembles a drunken DNA strand or a tangled-up guitar string. The result is a highly tensile muscle that produces swift, strong movements. How strong?...

Media Platforms Design TeamMan, software can be expensive. With a fully loaded Microsoft Office suite costing up to $350, and the pro-level version of Adobe Photoshop costing an extra $1300, the price of basic software utilities can easily trump the cost of even a high-powered new computer.So, much as doctors may find themselves recommending generic drugs over pricey name-brand pills, I increasingly find myself advising people to procure free, open-source or Web-based alternatives to expensive programs....

Apps have spread far beyond phones and tablets. Consumer tech companies have tried to shoehorn apps into everything from TVs to refrigerators, mainly because apps provide customization and personalization while also, ideally, adding functionality without any cost to the manufacturer. Just set up the app environment and let the developers take over.Carmakers, though, have struggled to find the right way to introduce useful, up-to-date apps into their vehicles. Recognizing this, Ford and General Motors today announced new app development programs for their respective infotainment systems....

Media Platforms Design Team(Image Credit: New York State Thruway Authority)Twenty miles north of New York City, something loud and historic is happening. For the first time in a half-century New York is building a new bridge—a 3.1-mile, $3.9 billion span over the Hudson River. And, this being New York, it’s gotta be big. Real big. If you count the 40-foot gap for a possible future commuter rail between the spans (and we do), this will be one of the widest bridges in the world....

Media Platforms Design Team(Photograph by Peter Scholey)Q:I recently noticed a dirty patch of insulation in my attic. When I peeled the insulation back, I found a big gap that was letting air through (a large hole had been bored to allow a pipe to pass through the framing). I want to seal this hole with expanding foam. Can I also use the foam to seal around a sheet-metal chimney that passes through the attic?...

Q: I want to read my personal e-mail at work without the IT department looking over my shoulder. Is there any way for an employee to browse the Web anonymously on a company computer?A: According to the courts, your employer has the right to monitor what you’re doing if you are using their computer on their network, so you really can’t expect any privacy. That being said, it is possible to secure your browsing to some degree, but no solution is unassailable....

If engineering could keep up with the hype, we would all be driving hydrogen cars by now, whirring about in emissions-free wonderboxes like the Jetsons. But hydrogen, for all its potential, presents some serious technical challenges. As a gas, it requires gigantic, heavy tanks to store, and as a liquid, it must be kept impracticably cold–below 423 degrees Fahrenheit. Researchers at Rice University, however, recently tested a third option.“What if, instead of one big tank, you have millions and billions of tiny little nanoscale containers?...

• Wheeled GoddessEos splits the difference between Rabbit and Passat while offering what neither one does: a folding metal top.Greece’s Aegean coast is ideal for driving an open-top car. And VW’s Eos is an excellent car for the task. Sharing mechanical bits with both the larger Passat and smaller Rabbit, the four-seater is admirably solid and shakefree, while the turbo engine is smooth and willing. More good news: The Eos is surprisingly quiet, top down or up....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe bubble-tailed Porsche Panamera seemed like a gamble when it was introduced on the heels of a massive global recession in 2009, but the German manufacturer has enjoyed the last laugh. No fewer than nine Panamera variants are currently available, ranging from the $78,100 base model to the new $161,100, extended wheelbase Turbo Executive version.The most technologically notable of the Panamera’s latest iterations is the new S E-Hybrid model, which packs an electric motor producing 95 hp—more than twice the power of its predecessor—for a total system output of 416 hp....