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Telsa Motors has a couple of surprises in store for us next Thursday, Oct. 9. Founder Elon Musk tweeted yesterday that Tesla was about ready to unveil the D, whatever that might be, and “something else.“View full post on TwitterIf you’re a Tesla follower, you might be saying to yourself, “That’s great, but they haven’t even made the X yet.” Indeed. But the fact that the company has still yet to deliver a production model of the Model X electric SUV did not stop Musk earlier this year from announcing the Model III, Tesla’s more budget-minded car intended as a BMW 3-Series-fighter....

Help ToothachesLemon juice is no replacement for going to see your dentist—and exposing your teeth to fruit acids isn’t a great long-term strategy. But if you’ve already got a toothache, the citric acid in lemons can alleviate some of the pain until your appointment. Apply a lemon slice directly to the area, or try a little lemon juice and salt.Weed Your LawnLemon juice is a natural weed killer. Cover weeds in the juice and they’ll shrivel away within a few days....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe SpecsThe Tucson’s middle-of-the-road nature is engineered into every element of its being. Like virtually all the other vehicles in this class, it’s built around a rugged and stiff steel unibody. The front suspension is, naturally, a pair of MacPherson struts and the rear suspension is a multi-link system on coil springs. There’s a disc brake at every corner and, as is increasingly common, the rack-and-pinion steering system’s power assist comes from an electric motor....

On Sale Date: First quarter of 2014
Base Price: $60,400 Competitors: Acura RLX, Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Hyundai Equus, Jaguar XF Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Powertrains: 5.0-liter V-8, 420 hp, 376 lb-ft; 8-speed automatic; RWDEPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 15/23Wearing new white Sperry Top-Siders, crisp white pleated pants, a double-breasted, six button blue blazer, a red ascot and a jaunty captain’s hat set at precisely the right rake upon my head, I finally felt ready to approach the new 2015 Kia K900....

A mist hangs in the forested valley as dawn approaches. Somewhere a lone bird calls. I sit on my haunches, listening. There are wild pigs in this forest, somewhere. Daylight might draw them up through this thicket to the ridgeline behind me. My quarry is a razor-tusked beast that can weigh several hundred pounds and is famous for exacting violent revenge on hunters. I check my weapons—a wooden bow and a single stone-tipped arrow—and find myself wondering: Is this really a great idea?...

Next June, at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals in California, advanced humanoid robots capable of using tools designed for us—including cars—will compete to take the top prize. Around two dozen teams are expected to field robots whose mechanical descendants could one day help out in first-response and disaster recovery operations.In December of last year, Popular Mechanics went down to Florida to see 16 teams from three countries compete in the DRC Trials at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, which was a little like watching the robot Olympics....

Q: I’ve got a 1994 Ford Ranger with a 3.0L engine and automatic transmission that seems to be leaking oil. After my last oil change, the oil level (cold engine) increased from midrange between the low and high fill marks to about 1/4" above the high fill mark on the dipstick. Also, I can smell gas in the oil on the dipstick.Meanwhile the transmission fluid level is decreasing at a fast enough rate that I have to add fluid just about every week....

Media Platforms Design TeamIn a grainy undercover video (click here to watch), the smuggler stands surrounded by stacks and stacks of lumber, large bales of freshly milled planks held together with steel bands. His gold watch glints as he begins counting money, methodically placing each bill on a desk. Sitting nearby, his partner watches through Coke-bottle glasses. They both appear to be in a good mood, laughing and joking with their clients....

DETROIT – GM wanted everyone attending this year’s North American International Automobile Show that the key word in that name is “show.” So Saturday night, under a huge tent on the grounds of GM’s world headquarters, the Renaissnance Center, on the Detroit River, the carmaker started the pre-preceedings with a bang. And a thump. And a deafening beat in what stands as the loudest music ever played at an auto show event....

Media Platforms Design TeamWant to scare up some excitement this Halloween? Then try your hand at making this simple prop that’s sure to delight the trick-or-treaters at your front door. I call this basic animated prop the Trash Bin Terror (TBT). It makes use of compressed air to extend a cylinder-mounted fright head out of a nondescript trash can when unsuspecting victims draw near. In the right location, the Trash Bin Terror is sure to make trick-or-treaters jump....

Media Platforms Design TeamApple WatchApple finally has a watch. Actually, it has three: They’re called Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition. The difference between each model lies in the material making up the watch itself and the watch band. The Apple Watch has a 316L stainless steel case, sapphire crystal display, and ceramic back. The Apple Watch Edition oozes a bit more luxury; the display is made of 18k gold....

Media Platforms Design TeamTwo years ago, the devastation wrought by the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake and resulting tsunami was laid out for the world to see: Japanese towns destroyed, nuclear reactors melting down, and a staggering loss of life. Geologists, though, are still learning about the underlying causes of the earthquake, and finding that the cataclysmic event had an unusual aftermath.Studies done just after the disaster found that the 9.0 quake caused the ocean floor to slip nearly 50 meters (about 165 feet)....

Media Platforms Design TeamLOS ANGELES — The new S400 is a marriage of propulsion technologies made in heaven. This low-slung, sexy looking saloon is equipped with a powertrain that includes a 20-hp hybrid module (electric assist motor) mated to an ultra-efficient 3.0-liter V6 Bluetec clean-diesel engine. Combined, they produce 265 hp and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. “We’re breaking new ground here as we pave the way for the return of the diesel,” says Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of MBUSA....

Media Platforms Design TeamLow rolling resistance has become the new clarion call from car manufacturers hoping to eke out every last 1/10th of a mile per gallon for EPA ratings, but Michelin’s new Defender tire takes a different tack, claiming the highest mileage warranty yet: 90,000 clicks, up to 21,000 more miles than competitors.The tires combine 3D active siping and variable thickness sipes for improved traction and fuel economy, and Michelin claims their new hoops are capable of stopping 31 feet shorter than Goodyear’s Assurance ComforTread touring tires....

Media Platforms Design TeamIt’s no secret that Netflix wants to be the go-to 4K streaming supplier. With eye-popping resolutions (and prices), 4K is the next evolutionary step in home entertainment but there are a few consumer obstacles in the way before 4K can really take off. One is price, though some sets are finally reaching acceptable sums, and another is content—there just isn’t much of it. Sony offers a few films at 4K levels, but for the most part, it’s pretty limited....

October 1 was the stated deadline for American credit card companies to adopt chip-enabled cards, the kind you can insert into the card-reading machine rather than swiping on the side. You might not have noticed this, since, despite the deadline, stores in the U.S. have been slow to adopt the new and more secure technology. But Netflix noticed.The company took a serious stock hit yesterday when it announced its numbers for new subscribers in the third quarter: only 880,000, compared to a forecast of 1....

Two technicians in coveralls stoop to push a gleaming white plane through open hangar doors into the bright sunshine of southern California’s Mojave Desert. The tailless aircraft is about 18 ft. long with a rounded fuselage and sweptback wings, tips bent upward in pronounced winglets. A pair of canards stretches 13 ft. across the cone-shaped nose. A two-seat cockpit is slung beneath gullwing doors that look like they belong on a ‘54 Benz coupe....

Media Platforms Design TeamWelcome to the high holy week for gamers. The Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles is the largest video game event in the world. It’s here that publishers, developers, and hardware manufacturers flaunt their wares, hoping to impress press and professionals. And this is the first post-console launch E3, so we’ll see titles fully embracing the new platforms, games that were only hinted at last year with brief teaser trailers, and whole new announcements and insights on new titles and technology....

Touchscreens allow for endlessly adjustable interfaces–well, nearly endless. You can’t operate a touchscreen by feel alone, although engineers working in the field of haptics have used vibrating virtual buttons to provide limited tactile feedback. Now, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have gone a bit further, designing a screen with hidden latex air bubbles. When buttons are needed, an air pump pops the bubbles up into physical keys. The team tested the technology in a driving simulator, a situation where users don’t–and shouldn’t–devote full attention to electronic displays on GPS and audio systems....

Media Platforms Design TeamOn the rig floor of the JOIDES Resolution, Joe Attryde turns up the water pressure in the drill pipe to 2500 psi, enough to break the shear pins holding the core barrel three miles below the ship and plunge the barrel another 30 feet into the deep sea sediment. The barrel captures a 2.5-inch-wide cylinder of layered mud and, with a tug of the winch cable, it starts its long trip back to the surface inside the drill pipe, through the “moon pool” hole in the center of the ship and onto the deck....