We've seen the all-in-one flat-screen PCs before, and they always seemed a little half-baked. Sure the CPU was behind the monitor, but that made the monitor something less than svelte. HP's latest concept PC, the Matisse, reduces the bulk by storing all the brains in what it calls "knowledge pods," removable palm-size cartridges that hold everything but the monitor. The keyboard, mouse and Internet connection are wireless, as you'd expect, but Matisse also provides wireless power through a metal rail at the base of the monitor.

Reader Jim Gannon of Kansas City, Missouri, asks: "Are there any new
fuels being used in rockets, besides the stuff that goes into solid rockets?"

I'm about to do a brake job on my daughter's fun-racer, the 1983 911SC Porsche coupe that I spent two years turning from somebody's sorry beater into her loud, slick, tautly sprung street-and-track machine.

Apple PowerBook G4



The latest Apple PowerBook, the honkin' 17-incher, has gone on to become one of the most talked-about products since ... well, the last Apple product launch. We asked Hartmut Esslinger, founder and CEO of design powerhouse Frog Design (and designer of every Apple product from 1982 to 1989) what he thought of it. "I think it is fantastic," he exclaims. "After what companies like Dell have made us put up with, what Apple has done is like a slap to the face."

Just in time for summer, an evolutionary geneticist has devised a plan for what could be the world's most lethal flyswatter. Austin Burt of Imperial College London, has shown how a genetically engineered "selfish" gene could eradicate an entire species of disease-carrying insects in less than a year.

Mojave, CA

4/18/2003

Legendary aviation designer Burt Rutan unveiled Friday what is probably the leading contender for a manned, commercial space-launch system. SpaceShipOne was revealed to the public at Rutan's Scaled Composites headquarters in Mojave, California fully formed—a launch-ready prototype that will, within a few weeks, begin the series of tests that could send passengers into suborbital flight by early next year.

For almost eight years, there wasn't much going on in camcorder technology—if you wanted something small and good, MiniDV was your only real option. Now we have an embarrassment of riches: New formats that promise greater portability, better ease of use and improved picture quality have sprouted up. Which one should you buy? First, define your needs and ambitions, then look at features and, of course, price.

1. The Best of the Basics

MiniDV camcorder

Price: Starts at $399

Discussing the percentage of your body that's composed of fat seems unsavory, but here I am, baring it all, with an Oregon Scientific Personal
Fitness analyzer (PFA112; $100;

Nonlethal weapons could be used to disperse crowds, repel attackers or, as readers learn in "Shoot to Not Kill" (May 2003 issue), test the pain tolerance of journalists. Nonlethal weapons can be acoustic, chemical or electrical in nature, and range from the simple to the highly complex. Here are some selected technologies, at various stages of development, that the U.S. military has considered for its nonlethal arsenal:




Blunt Impact Projectiles: Sting balls, rubber balls, beanbag rounds, baton-shaped rubber projectiles.

When it comes to pure barbecue flavor, nothing beats the black kettle and the pile of costly hardwood charcoal. Gas grills make everyday barbecuing a lot more likely, though, and the multiburner models allow cooks to prepare the whole meal outdoors, side dishes and all. At the high end are the mighty gas giants, with powerful burners, flavor-trapping wizardry, and awesome looks. Coleman, meanwhile, continues to tweak its products in smart, fun ways.