The problem with forced-air heating is that as it gives (heat), it also takes away (humidity). The result: chapped lips, parched furniture, and lots of static electricity. So why not add moisture back at the source? The Humidifier Register replaces your floor-vent cover; fill it with water periodically and it sends moist warm air into the room when the furnace kicks in. Price: $15.

If all goes according to plan, Coleman Powermate will introduce the world's first practical home fuel cell this month. But don't look for it at Home Depot: It'll only be available at www.colemanpowermate.com.

When it comes to matters of the heart, big is usually better. But big and floppy is another story. After a heart attack or other assault that weakens the heart's muscles, the organ begins to enlarge. The stress can kill so many cells that the heart begins to look like a "big floppy bag," says Dr. Hani Sabbah, the inventor of a mesh-like jacket that protects against the stretching that leads to heart failure. It's currently in clinical trials.

Japanese automakers have finally figured out what the Germans have known for years: Family sedans don't have to be boring. Following on the heels of Nissan's exhilarating overhaul of the Altima, Mazda will soon introduce the zoomy 6 sedan. With a sport-tuned suspension, svelte styling, optional 219-horsepower V6, and yes, room for five, the 6 should be the perfect antidote for your Accord-inspired doldrums. Honda, are you paying attention? Available late this year. Price not set.

Timeline March 1947

Well here we are again. Back in Las Vegas for the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show. This is PopSci.com's second annual inside peek at the enormous trade show that spotlights the brightest and best technology innovations we can expect to see in the months ahead. Once again I 'll give you the viewpoint of the most average of Joes (yours truly).

You could probably get through winter without an ergonomic ice scraper, but why? The Ice Dozer gets the job done quicker and better. The wild-looking Dozer has micro and macro teeth for clearing ice, and a straight edge that flexes to follow the curve of the windshield. A pistol grip lets you put your full weight behind each push. Price: $15.

They're semi-intelligent, loud, and hellbent on a path of destruction. Not teenagers, but rather a new creation designed for them: Bio-Integrated Organisms, or Bio Bugs for short. The new toy from Hasbro represents a breakthrough of sorts -- it's only $40, yet it's hardwired with artificial intelligence created at Sandia National Laboratory. The result: These toys can work together to complete tasks.

Nike's new speed skating suit, which promises reduced drag, will debut on United States, Dutch, and Australian teams during the 2002 Winter Olympics.




Whereas previous speed skating suits used only one textile, Nike's suit employs six -- each specific to the aerodynamic properties of that body area.




Developers used body-mapping technologies to study movement, and the effects of natural and artificial elements on those movements. Wind tunnel testing helped determine specific aerodynamic properties optmized by the different fabrics.

As athletes trained for Salt Lake City, physiologists, chemists, physicists, and engineers were in their own race: to make faster, more powerful, lighter gear. The 2002 Winter Games will feature new equipment in almost every sport-from supershort slalom skis to faster snowboards coated with indium. But the most spectacular hardware will likely be the simplest: a wee sled known as the skeleton, on which athletes travel headfirst up to 90 mph. Skeleton is a featured event for the first time since 1948.