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ANAHEIM, Calif. – By their vary nature, DARPA-funded medical devices are a grim, gruesome bunch. They tend to focus on keeping troops alive until they can be evacuated, which also gives such programs a dose of heroism. These are gadgets that run the entire spectrum of treatment, from keeping patients breathing and staunching gushing wounds to helping amputees lead a more normal life. Attention is paid to potential civilian applications, but with casualties continuing to mount in both Iraq and Afghanistan, there’s a sense of urgency to these programs–we need them, and right now....

Media Platforms Design TeamCredit: AP / World Wide PhotosNearly a year has passed since pilot Jimmy Leeward lost control of his modified P-51 during the Reno Air Races and plummeted into the crowd. The fiery crash killed 10 spectators and Leeward.In the early days after the accident, the cause appeared to be a piece of the plane called the elevator trim tab. As PM contributor Jeff Wise wrote last September, the tab has been linked to similar accidents in the past....

Media Platforms Design TeamIf your toilet won’t shut off, try jiggling the handle. It might work. When you get tired of that, and you will, it’s time for a more proactive approach—and that doesn’t mean picking up the phone.Residential toilets are remarkably simple and most can be fixed for under $25. The trick is in diagnosing the problem.Toilet TypesThere are three main toilet types: gravity flow, pressure-assist and a few older, silent-flush models....

Today is our older son’s fifth birthday. So far, we’ve been been sledding, drilling (he’s obsessed with drills; for his birthday, I gave him an antique hand drill), and reading. In other words, whatever he wants. It’s rather exhausting. Speaking of exhausting, we’re in a cloudy stretch, which has forced quite of bit of generator action of late. Bummer. Because we run our house so lean, there’s really not a lot of power-sucking fat we can cut, short of candlelight and shutting down the water pump....

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Which is why you should still be suspicious of the “emDrive,” a theoretical propulsion system that supposedly could propel objects to near-relativistic speeds, despite this week’s headlines touting the technology.The emDrive, invented by Roger Shawyer, purportedly works by repeatedly bouncing microwaves back and forth in a chamber. Though it would appear to violate the laws of physics, the idea is to create a propellant-less thruster that can move a spacecraft at extraordinary speeds if enough pressure is applied....

No offense to J.J. Abrams, but J.J. Abrams is not why Star Wars: The Force Awakens is good. Yes, he was responsible for the casting. Daisey Ridley and John Boyega are incredible. They’re nuanced and likable—the kind of people you can root for in at least two more films. But Abrams is more curator than creator in this one, and that is a very smart thing. Episode 7, The Force Awakens, feels like walking through a museum of the clips and characters we love from the classic Episodes 4 through 6, with just enough inoffensive new stuff sprinkled in to entertain us as we get to the next familiar bit....

VERONA, Italy—The Fiat 500 was the rave retro hit of 2008 in Europe, and some are predicting that this car will come to the U.S as a result of the new Chrysler–Fiat alliance should it be finalized in the next few months. If the deal is inked, the 500 will likely retain the proud red Fiat badge on its hood too—this won’t be re-badged as a Chrysler like the reports say, as the Grande Punto we test drove recently will be....

Media Platforms Design TeamAs a kite boarder, zipping back and forth across the surf, Corwin Hardham experienced firsthand the power of wind. As an engineer, he wanted to harness that energy with the ease and flexibility of the sport. Makani Power, which Hardham co-founded, now leads a small pack of startups eagerly attempting to tap into an unexploited resource—the strong, consistent winds blowing above 1300 feet.To do so, Hardham, with engineers Kenny Jensen and Damon Vander Lind, did away with 90 percent of the mass of a conventional turbine—namely, the tower—and instead mounted Makani’s technology on a glorified string....

The newest phone from Japan’s Kyocera isn’t particularly fast, or particularly thin. It doesn’t have a mind-blowing camera or force-touch screen. It’s biggest feature is a little more pedestrian; it’s washable. But that’s a better idea than you might think. Yes, waterproof phones already exist, but to be completely washable, Kyocera’s Digno Rafre had to go a step further and be soap proof, a challenge that’s a bit harder according to the Wall Street Journal....

Media Platforms Design Team1) The Turmoil’s Not OverThough rebel forces have entered Tripoli, loyalist fighters are counterattacking and international reporters still hear gunfire rattling the capital. Gaddafi is missing; he may have already fled to Venezuela, although he could still be in the country. Either way, the capital is not secure, and other cities will also pose serious problems. Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte may be the last place to surrender. It’s well guarded, strategically located and loyal to the regime....

While many of us were still chomping Thanksgiving leftovers on Sunday, the last of 279 C-17 Globemaster III airlifters built at Boeing’s long-lived Long Beach factory took off for delivery to Qatar’s air force, ending an era of large-scale aircraft manufacturing in southern California.Related StoryWhy the A-10 Warthog Is Such a Badass PlaneThe mighty C-17 (“Buddha” or “Moose,” as U.S. Air Force crews call it) traces its origins to the need to replace the Air Force’s aging C-141 Starlifter in the late 1970s....

Media Platforms Design Team NEW YORK — Nissan is finally gearing up to bring its quirky-yet-cool Cube to this side of the Pacific. The official announcement comes nearly two years after rumors of its impending stateside arrival began to emerge from the land of the rising sun. One of the pioneers of Japan’s multipurpose vehicle segment, the Cube is big enough on the inside to seat five comfortably, but not so big on the outside that it blocks traffic when parked on the street....

In a suite on the 36th floor of the Venetian Towers during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I’m surrounded by members of a little gaming company that seems poised to take off in a big way. They’ve been triple-booked all day long, but have squeezed me in for a demo in the early evening hours. That demo was of the Oculus Rift, a prototype head-mounted virtual reality display hacked into a pair of Scott ski goggles....

View full post on YoutubeGiven the shifting landscape of racing these days– from the introduction of small displacement hybrids into Formula 1 cars to the IMSA/Grand-Am merger that became the United SportsCar Championship– it seems only fitting that a young upstart series would be working extra hard to exploit its niche and garner more eyeballs.As such, the folks who devised Red Bull Global Rallycross saw an opportunity for something “young and quick and fast,” in the words of CEO Colin Dyne, when the series took to life three years ago as part of the X Games....

Software: Apple Bootcamp; Microsoft Windows XP service pack 2Price: Windows, 179.99; Bootcamp, freePlatform: Apple Macintoshwww.apple.comWhen Apple announced it was going to use Intel chips—instead of the old Motorola PowerPC chips—in all its new computers, I didn’t pay much attention. I’m a custom PC builder, and a chronic Mac skeptic. To me, Apple owners are part of a small cult that worships little white toys. Sure, if all you want is simplicity, get a Mac....

Media Platforms Design TeamFor many years now, huge—and hugely expensive—sports arenas have struggled to compete with the common sofa. The couch-sitter’s view of a game broadcast on a high-definition TV beats the tar out of the view from a stadium seat. Digital recorders allow you to skip commercials and rewind key plays. And broadcasts provide a litany of statistics, commentary, and points of view (slow-motion, anyone?) that live venues simply can’t deliver....

A new sound detector that mimics how a parasitic fly uses its extraordinary hearing to pinpoint its victims, could one day help soldiers track down snipers and lead to better phones and hearing aids that stifle background noise.The new invention was inspired by the ear of a small yellow nocturnal fly, Ormia ochracea. The fly can identify the origin of sounds with uncanny accuracy—and uses that ability with deadly force. When a female of the species hears the mating song of a male cricket, she flies onto the back of the singer and deposits her offspring, which invade, consume and kill their host....

Q: I’m trying to remove the screws that hold the latch plate onto the B-pillar of my antique car. They don’t look particularly rusty. I can’t get them to budge, however. My Phillips screwdriver doesn’t fit very well, and the screwdriver bit simply pops out of the screwhead when I try to turn it.A: Start by using some penetrating oil. That might mean finding a way to squirt some oil on the threads inside the B-pillar where you can’t see them unless you remove some trim–or even drilling a 18-in....

Q: I got sideswiped and was told by the insurance company that they had to total the car because it would cost more to fix than what the car was worth. I decided to keep the car since it was in fairly decent shape. I basically use it to go to the beach and as an emergency second car. I’ve noticed that there are some bubbles and some white discoloration in the paint....

PM: If you were having a drink with astronauts planning to head for the moon in Orion, the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), what advice would you give them?ALDRIN: I’d tell them to look out the window, have a good time and make sure you know what to do if something goes wrong. You have to prepare for contingencies.PM: Like what?ALDRIN: One problem might be loss of communication, in which case you’d have to do your own navigating....