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Media Platforms Design TeamU.K. investigators say Friday’s fire on an Ethiopian Airlines 787 at London’s Heathrow Airport was a “serious incident” that produced “smoke throughout the fuselage and extensive heat damage in the upper portion of the rear fuselage,” the UK investigators said. But they don’t think the problem came from one of the plane’s two lithium-ion batteries. That might—or might not—be good news for Boeing, which was only just recovering from the that grounded its new Dreamliner for four months earlier this year....

Of all of the projects out there that will probably destroy us someday, one of our favorites is ATRIAS, coming out of the labs of Oregon State University. It looks like half a horse and moves like a dainty dog, and is, in general, adorable. You may remember ATRIAS from that time researchers pummeled the hell out of it with dodgeballs. You know, for science! Well, here they’re taking it out for a walk in the park, because it’s a good boy....

Media Platforms Design Team(Photo Credit: CPI/YouTube)This vision of the airliner of the future could be revelatory or nightmarish—depending upon how you feel about being constantly reminded that you’re 35,000 feet in the air. A British technology firm called the Centre for Process Innovation just released these images of a passenger plane that instead of windows has enormous smart screens showing you a picture of the world outside.CPI wants to mount flexible OLED screens along the walls of the airliner’s cabin and cameras on the exterior....

RONDA, Spain — A race car for the road? It’s something we all dream about, but here’s the reality: You’ll get flies in your teeth, raindrops that scar for life and a ride like a trolley jack. Okay, KTM’s X-Bow (pronounced “crossbow”) drives better than a floor jack from Sears, but without a hood or windscreen, this carbon-fiber two-seater—really more go-kart than Indy car in the growing garage of land rockets—is more suited to track days than to a daily commute....

Media Platforms Design Team Chicago—The 2009 Acura TSX is a rewarding sedan with one of the slickest five-speed manual transmissions on the market. But it is not a quick ride. That changes with the TSX V6 scheduled to go on sale this summer. It will come equipped with a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6. The V6-powered TSX will fill a gap in Acura’s lineup between the four-cylinder TSX and the larger TL sport sedan that moved a notch upscale after its redesign this year....

Media Platforms Design Team The current Fusion, which debuted back in 2006, has been Ford’s best mid-size car since, well, we can remember. But to keep the model fresh, Ford will unveil the new 2010 model at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. Deep technical details are scarce at this point, but we do know that its powertrains have been updated for efficiency. The biggest news however isn’t what’s under the hood—it’s what’s behind that dashboard....

PM’s science editor, Jennifer Bogo, braved airport delays, jetlag and an excruciatingly early wake-up call to bring you news from the American Academy for the Advancement of Science conference in San Francisco. This annual gathering highlights the hottest topics in science and technology today.San Francisco, Feb. 17 —I’ve spent the last few years smiling and nodding in response to what I’m sure was scintillating conversation from companions in crowded restaurants—unfortunately, I couldn’t pick any of it out of the background noise....

Media Platforms Design TeamEntrenched interests in the Garden State won this round. Barring some last-minute turnaround, Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors will not be allowed to sell its cars in New Jersey as of April 1. The reason, as we reported last week, is that New Jersey is the latest battleground in the state-by-state war between Tesla, which wants to sell its EVs directly to consumers, and associations of local car dealerships, which want to preserve the franchise system they’ve come to enjoy and block direct-to-consumer sales....

Media Platforms Design Team A wounded, leaking oil tanker dumps its entire load into the sea because bickering governments can’t decide who must admit it to port. The Canadian Coast Guard must rescue as many as 100 ships returning from a Newfoundland sealing expedition that get stuck in ice when a cold snap strikes. Seven of 11 crew members die when their fishing boat floods and sinks off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands....

Media Platforms Design TeamHere at the Buttonwillow Raceway in California, race driver Marino Franchitti struggles for something more descriptive, more dramatic, to describe what it is like to drive the DeltaWing, the car that could change racing.“It…” he says, “…it feels, like a car.” This really is a dramatic assessment, however, because the DeltaWing certainly doesn’t look like a car. The bullet-shaped nose leads to a pair of Michelin racing tires each just four inches wide....

Media Platforms Design TeamWhen did you get interested in designing guns?I work for a company that makes tools related to the construction industry, and about six years ago, a coworker showed me some of his hunting rifles. I thought their construction was fascinating and I ended up getting my license within a few months of handling a real gun for the very first time.What about 3D printing?I got into 3D printing, also through my work, in May....

Media Platforms Design TeamMany states now allow digital proof of insurance for motorists. Iowa is taking the next step, launching an app that will store a digital copy of a driver’s license or state-issued ID.The free app is set to launch sometime in 2015 and will use a PIN for verification. The digital ID is meant for motorists to use during traffic stops and at airport security check-ins, so it might not be accepted right away at, say, the local liquor store in Des Moines....

Drones are becoming a big problem for armed forces worldwide. They’re small, difficult to detect, and operated by armies and terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. The drone threat isn’t just limited to the Middle East: in 2014, South Korean authorities found North Korean drones had overflown the Blue House—the official residence of South Korean President Park Geun-hye.This week at the Defence and Security Equipment Industry in London, German defense contractor Rheinmetall Defence Electronics showcased a new sea-based anti-drone laser system....

Media Platforms Design TeamUp until now, the web has been organized using only a handful of generic top-level domains (gTLDs)— a fancy description of the words that come after the dot in a URL, such as .com, .net, .gov. But now, the Internet will face the biggest virtual land grab in its history. Starting today, 100 new top-level domains will be available through registrars like GoDaddy and Namecheap. This massive expansion is overseen by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a non-profit organization charged with governing these new domains....

Media Platforms Design TeamThe advent of has made it possible for do-it-yourselfers to lay tile like a pro. The reason: For most installations, it eliminates the need to set tile in a thick bed of mortar. Instead, you can use thin-set mortar, which greatly simplifies the installation.cement backer boardCement backer board creates a much flatter, harder substrate than plywood, which can warp, sag, or rot. If you’re still not a believer, consider that pros use backer board on just about every job, including walls, floors, and countertops....

Media Platforms Design TeamI admit this sounds strange, but I admire molded polystyrene packing material. It’s secure, clean and nearly indestructible. So I developed a similar, if less elegant, system for shipping stuff that’s too important for the run-of-the-mill balled-up-newspaper packing strategy. My method is simple. Wrap the item in a plastic bag and hold it in place using the same foam sealant you use to seal air gaps around the house....

Media Platforms Design TeamStay tuned, America, because Popular Mechanics and the National Science Foundation are teaming up this week to present the “Bridges to the Future” conference, with a live webcast beginning on Thursday at 12:30 EST right here and live blogs, analysis and podcasting from PM’s editors at Rebuilding America Central throughout the day. Linda Figg (Figg Engineering), Patricia Mulroy (Southern Nevada Water Authority) and other leading experts in topics such as the electrical grid, water availability and bridge engineering will discuss the best ideas for improving American infrastructure and building a better, safer future....

Rarely does an outboard motor come along that stands the marine industry on its ear. But, at the Miami International Boat Show, one such motor–the all-new-from-the-skeg-up Mercury Verado–was unveiled to the thunderous silence of competitors’ jaws dropping. The product of a 5-year, $100 million development program, the Verado family of four engine packages–the 200, 225, 250 and 275–is designed and built in the good ol’ U.S. of A.Seeking a long-term engine platform, Mercury wanted an engine that could outpower 2-strokes of equal displacement, and outsmooth and outquiet the current 4-strokes....

ZHUKOVSKY, RUSSIA-Some military equipment rises to the level of celebrity—and in Russia, tanks immediately spring to mind. At a military exposition held over the weekend at Zhukovsky, a town just outside of Moscow, some lesser-known vehicles from the current Russian arsenal were on display. These trucks, missile launchers, communications systems and engineering vehicles are the real backbone of any modern land force. Land battles are a priority here, thanks to Russia’s impossibly long land borders....

Baby, it’s cold outside. Sure, January offers plenty of reasons to stay close by the fire with a good book (preferably a home improvement title), but you can get a lot done around the house if you put your mind to it… and put on your long johns. —Roy Berendsohn OUTDOORS Bundle up and get outside to tackle a variety of rough and ready projects.1. Clear brush. Take advantage of firmly-frozen ground to get out there and deal with unwanted shrubs, saplings and the like....