SUVs make a powerful comeback

In the rock 'em, sock 'em heyday of the SUV, manufacturers couldn't make enough of them to meet demand.

But the price of a gallon of gasoline went from under a buck to almost $4, and the truck-like comportment of SUVs caught up to them.

Manufacturers have gotten the message, though, and analysts see a fresh wave of SUVs that haven't sacrificed size or power poised for a comeback to match the recovering economy.

Edmunds.com features editor Mike McGrath recommends the following five SUVs for buyers ready to stretch out a bit:

Jeep Grand Cherokee

"Jeep hasn't forgotten its roots and the Grand Cherokee is proof," McGrath said. "The Grand Cherokee is comfortable, sure, but it's also terrifically capable with four-wheel-drive and a host of off-road assisting tech." An additional appeal is a starting MSRP below $30,000, a price tag that gives the Grand Cherokee an advantage. (MSRP: $29,995, MPG: 22/30)

Ford Expedition

"The Expedition isn't all-new like Ford's aluminum-intensive new F-150, but it has been thoroughly refreshed into one of the best offerings in the large SUV class," McGrath said. A twin-turbocharged V6 makes the Expedition "faster than it needs to be," according to McGrath. "If you need a real SUV, take a serious look at this one." (MSRP: $43,845; MPG: 16/22)

Toyota Sequoia

McGrath gave a nod to Toyota's best offering, the Sequoia. "There's still a strong market for real, tough, truck-based SUVs, and the Sequoia is Toyota's entry into this field," he said. Sequoia's big V8 engine cranks out 381 horsepower, giving it stellar towing capacity of 7,400 pounds. (MSRP: $44,395, MPG: 13/17)

Chevy Suburban

The Suburban is the king of large SUVs, and unlike the Expedition, it's all new. "And it shows," McGrath said. "Inside and out, it looks fresh and modern, even if its V8 is outclassed by the Expedition's more powerful V6." (MSRP: $48,250, MPG: 16/23)

BMW X5

The BMW X5 has dynamic styling, luxury to spare, a little more trim profile and a ridiculous array of power options. "It's your luxury pick if you want your SUV with a side of horsepower," said McGrath. The base engine produces 300 horsepower while the xDrive50i makes 445. Not enough? The X5 M makes a staggering 567 horsepower. (MSRP: $53,900, MPG: 24/31)

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Device improves your pics in a Flash

Nova Flash (various retailers, $59 and up)

Between Pinterest and Instagram, the competition for good smartphone photos is fierce. This wireless, Bluetooth-enabled flash is supposed to give you an edge. Nova, a former Kickstarter product, is going mainstream, but does it live up to the hype?

The good: This is a great flash that comes in the size of a playing card, with an internal battery that is charged using a Micro USB cable. Just holding it off to the side of your smartphone camera will make your photos look like they could not possibly come from a smartphone. Apps for both iPhone and Android are available.

The bad: It can be a little tricky to hold your phone in one hand and the flash in the other. Some sort of stand or hold mechanism would be nice.

The bottom line: This is a must for anyone who wants to take their mobile photo game to the next level. Yes, it lives up to the hype.

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Booting Up: Picture app popular in health care field

A new mobile app — like an Instagram for doctors — has taken the medical community by storm.

Figure 1, developed by a Toronto-based startup, is not for those with weak stomachs. But for more than 150,000 doctors, nurses and dentists who have uploaded case photos, and for an estimated 30 percent of medical students nationwide who use it, Figure 1 is a tool that makes digital collaboration simpler and easier than ever.

And for people like you and me, it's a rare, unfiltered window into the medical world. Some of the sights I came upon include: an extremely rare brain melanoma that was just removed, a 25-year-old with a pocket knife embedded in his skull, and an X-ray of a child's stomach after he swallowed a coin. But for every bit of morbid curiosity Figure 1 satisfies, there are many things of poignance and interest.

One user, PunkRockDoc, posted a photo of a brain harvested from a dementia patient. Upon viewing the photo, which showed an atrophied frontal lobe, one registered nurse commented: "My dad is in the last stages of Alzheimers … This is very interesting and very sad to see what my sweet dad's brain looks like."

Some photos elicited spirited debates, while others overwhelmed with sadness. "Please keep us updated," wrote one user to the pediatric orthopedic surgeon who uploaded a photo of a severely deformed infant.

The app has the ground rules of medical privacy one would expect — faces are automatically blurred, users must manually block any identifying marks like tattoos, and the rarest conditions found only in a few patients are not permitted to be featured, for fear of compromising anonymity. Only verified doctors who have provided credentials are allowed to post, according to the app-makers. And the app's founder, Dr. Josh Landy, has vowed to reject sensationalist images that do not have an educational purpose — though I'm not sure how a 25-year-old with a pocket-knife protruding from his skull is educational. Doctors are advised to seek written permission from patents before posting.

What's so striking about this app is that it doesn't try too hard. It's simple. Other medical image-sharing services aren't as simple — they require subscriptions, are highly curated and include the dense articles you'd expect from a medical journal.

This app — just like Instagram — is all images and comments.

"I have learned A LOT from this app," wrote one nursing student. "I am mostly a visual learner and the pictures posted here are awesome."

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Crossing over? Five best bets

When searching for a vehicle, some New England buyers like trucks and SUVs for their rugged versatility in our tough weather but don't want to give up the convenience of a car.

Enter the crossover, a more compact SUV with the car-like qualities buyers desire. Traits like better fuel economy usually top the list followed by smaller size (especially sought by city-dwellers with parking issues), handling (for those who fret over top-heavy behemoths) and affordability.

"Before deciding to buy, shoppers should research as much as possible," said Michelle Krebs, director of automotive relations at AutoTrader Group, the parent company of AutoTrader.com and KBB.com. "The average age of a car on the road today is 10 years. Trucks are 11 years old. Cars have changed so much, so it's extremely important to do an honest self-assessment: What do you have to have, what are your needs, and how does it fit your budget? Look at the total price, not just the monthly payment."

In the crossover segment, Edmunds.com features editor Mike McGrath chose five great values for buyers:

Jeep Cherokee

"A different animal altogether than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Jeep Cherokee is a compact crossover with wicked good looks. Beyond the exterior, the Cherokee is available in Trailhawk trim that gives this little crossover serious off-road cred." (MSRP: $22,120, MPG: 22/32)

Subaru Forester

"The Forester is a staple of the New England landscape for good reason. It's compact enough to be nimble and easy to drive, but big enough for a weekend worth of gear." All of these vehicles are available with all-wheel-drive. (MSRP: $22,195, MPG: 24/32)

Nissan Rogue

McGrath calls the Nissan Rogue "deceptive." "It looks and drives smaller than it actually is, because beneath that tidy exterior is an optional third-row seat." He also praises the available around-view camera that helps in parking — never a bad quality in Boston — and Nissan's "Zero Gravity" seats. "They are some of the best we've ever sat in." (MSRP: $22,790, MPG: 25/32)

Toyota RAV4

The popular Toyota option is "no longer the blandest kid on the block. The new RAV4 brings some actual style to one of the safest and least visually interesting segments around." One knock on the RAV4 has been on its 176-horsepower engine; the trade-off is solid fuel economy and Toyota's legendary reliability (and resale value). (MSRP: $23,680, MPG: 24/31)

Hyundai Santa Fe

On the other end of the power spectrum, Hyundai's Santa Fe has a snarly 290-horsepower V6 engine. "That's a lot," understates McGrath. And when the Santa Fe is outfitted with all-wheel-drive, it's sure-footed and darned quick. "Not bad for a seven-passenger SUV that received a five-star safety rating from NHTSA." (MSRP: $24,950, MPG: 18/25)

Check out the e-Edition of the Presidents Day Automotive Section

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Vehicle makers rev up tech advances

Vehicle manufacturers are embracing new technology, but things have moved so fast in the past few years, some buyers have no idea what is available.

"Car shoppers are spending more time considering and evaluating the consumer electronics and technology they want in their cars and ultimately are spending more money on the technologies they really want," said Michelle Krebs of AutoTrader. "But it's like Rip Van Winkle waking up. So much new tech has been developed since a lot of buyers have shopped for a new vehicle.

"Consumers want protection, and tech helps prevent accidents and make life more convenient."

Not all tech advances are safety-related. Navigation systems have a safety benefit, but they're also a convenience feature that delight owners — as are charging ports, Bluetooth capability, remote start and keyless entry.

Robert O'Koniewski, executive vice president of the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, said carmakers are casting "a wide net" in exploring new tech.

"Manufacturers are all trying to come up with next big thing,' said O'Koniewski. "They're looking to find an edge to offer something useful to attract customers. For example, in the truck market, Dodge has been developing self-contained Wi-Fi for the Ram because contractors are looking for that capability. Ford and Chevy are doing the same thing."

Ron Montoya, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com, listed five relatively new car technologies that buyers might want to look into:

BMW i3 carbon fiber-reinforced plastic chassis

"BMW's i3 electric vehicle has a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell and chassis that is extremely strong and lightweight," Montoya said. "There's a chance we could see more cars made of these materials if the costs come down. The fuel economy and performance benefits would be huge."

Tesla's autopilot system

"We haven't had a chance to test this, but if it works as advertised, it would be the earliest implementations of automated driving in a vehicle," said Montoya. "Tesla says the system is smart enough to read stop lights and drive in stop-and-go traffic."

Rear back-up cameras

"These aren't new," said Montoya, "but the fact that they are appearing on more cars is. In fact, they will become standard on all vehicles by 2018. These cameras are becoming a 'must have' feature as rear visibility on some newer cars can be an issue."

Front crash prevention

"This technology includes forward collision warning and autonomous braking systems. These systems will alert the inattentive driver that he is getting too close to the car in front of him and in some cases will hit the brakes for them. It's like having an extra set of eyes on the road," said Montoya.

Heads-up display

Heads-up displays give basic information (navigation directions, speed) and are widely available. "They have tremendous potential to change the way we get information in a car," Montoya said. "They were once found only on luxury cars, but now you can get it on the inexpensive Mazda 3."

The bottom line on vehicle tech remains safety enhancements, the most potentially revolutionary of which is the "smart car/smart highway" concept of self-driving and self-monitoring vehicles that reduce or eliminate human error.

"This technology is potentially game-changing with respect to traffic safety," said John Paul, senior manager of traffic safety for AAA. "This is all part of the ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems); the stepping stone to self-driving cars."

Check out the e-Edition of our Presidents Day Automotive Special Section.

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Docs track patients live via mobile apps

Boston area doctors are relying more on mobile apps and social media to keep tabs on their youngest patients — giving new insight into a group whose health updates can get lost in translation, experts say.

"Children use behaviors and code language at times to communicate symptoms that wouldn't be used by adults," said Dr. Alisa Niksch, a pediatric cardiologist at Tufts Medical Center. "It is very difficult to interpret, and they need that extra tool to help discern what's happening."

Niksch said she tracks about 15 to 20 of her patients using an AliveCor monitor and free mobile app which collects data with a heart-monitoring device that reads activity from the patient's fingertips or chest wall and attaches to a mobile phone.

"Parents of children with heart issues are afraid that things like an irregular heartbeat won't be caught early enough," she said. "It's important to get some actually objective data."

It's not just patients with physical ailments who benefit from remote monitoring, according to Dr. Marilyn Augustyn, a pediatrician at Boston Medical Center, who gets updates on patients with Attention Deficit Disorder through an app from Boston-based startup mehealth for ADHD.

The app allows doctors to gather more information for diagnosis and assessment, Augustyn said, and gives teachers and parents easier ways to report their own observations.

"It's really useful for children with certain behavioral and developmental problems to see them in different settings. I may see them in my office, but that's not where they live or where they learn," she said.

Ken Tubman, chief technology officer for Optimal Medicine and its mehealth for ADHD app — which was founded in 2009 and gained venture capital funding in 2012 — said health apps are gaining traction with doctors.

"Health care is a growing industry, especially in software," he said. "As far as I can tell, it'll continue to grow over the next 10 years or so."

Dr. Joseph Kvedar, director of Partners Center for Connected Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, which conducts research on health care outside of medical centers, said using tools like apps and social media can be especially useful for teenagers, who are most comfortable with digital interactions.

He said the center just wrapped up a yearlong study that used Facebook to connect teens with asthma to one another, which helped them be more in tune with their illness, and as a result they were more aware of their symptoms.

"During the trial, the kids were so enthusiastic that we had to ask for an extension on the study because they didn't want to leave the group," he said.

He added that using technology like apps can also be effective in diagnosing and managing autism spectrum disorders, because different cues are used to make assessments.

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Booting Up: App shows drivers the best Waze to go

Something is very wrong when Google has better traffic data than government transportation departments. That's why I applaud Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh for successfully ensuring Boston was one of 10 cities in the world selected to share and receive data with Waze, the groundbreaking social navigation app that Google scooped up for 
$1.3 billion two years ago.

Waze, which integrates with social networking apps, allows users to report road hazards and accidents in real-time. But the real gamechanger is how it calculates the best routes: by tracking the speed of its users in real-time rather than relying on traffic cameras. Waze recalculates your route frequently, adapting to a live-stream of traffic data and basically putting every other navigation service to shame.

Hub officials say the city will be able to share information on expected road closures with all of Waze's 400,000 users in Greater Boston, making the mobile navigation app even more accurate for those users. Waze, in turn, will provide streams of traffic data to the city's Traffic Management Center, which is akin to our municipal command center. City officials promise that engineers will use that data to better calibrate the city's 550 intersections with traffic signals.

"This partnership will help engineers in the TMC respond to traffic jams, accidents and road hazards quicker," said Boston Transportation Department Commissioner Gina Fiandaca.

"And, looking forward, the Waze data will support us in implementing — and measuring the results of — new congestion management strategies."

The Waze data-
sharing partnership launched several weeks ago after months of development. Time will tell whether — or when — these new data efficiencies will trickle down to the commuters on the ground. Road relief doesn't appear to have happened yet, but that should be motivation for Boston drivers to use Waze. The more drivers use it, the more accurate it becomes.

It's natural to wonder why this new partnership didn't prevent Boston from becoming a commuter abyss over the last week. I wondered the same thing while chatting with Fiandaca yesterday, but then I remembered: that black hole of vehicle gridlock and agonizing public transit? The MBTA's fault.

So while this is a great example of government embracing innovation, we're only as strong as our weakest link, or in this case, rail. Here's hoping Waze and Google turn their attention to public transit next.

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Stored Honda CR-V picks up a bad case of rotor rust

We stored our 2013 Honda CR-V in our detached garage last winter. When we drove it last spring there was a loud grinding when the brakes were applied. The Honda dealer told us that the brake rotors had rusted over the winter and that to remove the build-up was not covered by warranty and would reduce the longevity of the rotors. They told us it would disappear with usage but the grinding has not gone away. Is this condition permanent? Is there anything we can do to ensure this doesn't happen again when we store the vehicle?

A light buildup of corrosion on the surface of cast iron brake rotors after a period of non-use is not uncommon. In fact, our Passat develops enough to feel and create a light grinding sound after being parked for just a few days in damp conditions. Applying the brakes while driving the car quickly "cleans" the rotors and eliminates the noise.

Carmakers typically do not cover normal "wear" components such as brake pads and rotors so I wouldn't expect any warranty coverage. It's worth having the rotors carefully inspected to see if "turning" them to remove the rust is viable. If so, this should eliminate the grinding without dramatically reducing rotor life.

However, since the grinding hasn't been eliminated during normal driving, the rust may be deep enough that replacement is warranted. To prevent this from happening again, spray the brake rotors with an aerosol rust preventative when you store the car for the winter, then flush the rotors with aerosol brake cleaner prior to driving in the spring.

...

My 2012 BMW 750Li is just over two years old and has 25,000 miles. Whenever it gets below 15 degrees F, I get warnings that the battery is running low and I should put it on external charge. I have had it into BMW service at least five or six times and they say it is fixed, but as soon as it gets cold — same thing. Last time I complained, they said BMW has no known solution.

Ask the dealer to check BMW service bulletin No. SI B61 03 13 dated August 2013. It deals with the high battery discharge warnings compounded by frequent short trips and cold weather placing a high demand on the battery. The bulletin recommends testing, and if necessary, replacing the original 90AH battery with a 105AH battery.

...

What is the correct way to rotate the tires on my 2011 Chevy Silverado? I just had them rotated, but not according to the owner's manual.

Your owner's manual recommends rotating the tires every 7,500 miles by moving the front tires to the opposite side on the rear, and the rear tires straight forward to the same side on the front.

I've seen suggestions that include crossing the rear tires to the opposite front and moving the front tires straight back, just switching the tires front to back on the same side and alternating the rotation pattern at each rotation.

The amount of tire wear "wastage" due to failure to rotate tires is staggering. In my opinion the method of rotation isn't nearly as important as the need for tire rotation every 6,000-7,500 miles, period.

...

I have a 1999 Camry 2.2-liter with 160,000 miles. It has developed a series of oil leaks from the valve cover, timing belt shaft, oil pan gasket and now the rear main seal. My mechanic says that excessive crankcase pressure due to worn valves or rings is forcing oil out of the assorted seals. Any suggestions?

The engine is "tired." The KISS principle says to check, clean and frequently service the PCV — positive crankcase ventilation — system and valve and make sure there are no air leaks into the engine that could defeat the PCV system.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number.

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Startup makes core change to reactors

A three-person startup in the heart of Kendall Square is trying to reinvent the nuclear power plant to make it safer and more efficient with the help of $2.5 million in new venture funding.

"If we can develop a new type of design that directly addresses those problems, then we can develop a type of power that will be more acceptable," said Leslie Dewan, chief executive of Transatomic Power. "We felt that in order to properly address climate change, the world needs more nuclear. There's so many hurdles to broader adoption."

Transatomic is developing a "molten-salt" nuclear power plant, which Dewan says will be meltdown-proof and will be able to extract more power from nuclear fuel. The system is based on gravity, liquid fuel and a fail-safe in case of a complete power failure. Transatomic's power plant can also run on existing nuclear waste.

"Having a power plant that will burn waste and make electricity, that's a no-brainer," said Ray Rothrock, chairman of Transatomic and a venture capitalist who started his career as a nuclear engineer.

The government has said nuclear waste could be stored at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, but the project has stalled as Republicans and Democrats find themselves on opposite sides of the issue.

"The utilities want very much to get this waste off of their sites," Dewan said.

Transatomic uses liquid fuel, which Dewan says makes their design more efficient than existing nuclear plants.

"There are some inherent problems with using solid fuel, and that's primarily because you can only keep that solid fuel in a conventional reactor for three or four years," she said.

The uranium rods wear through their metal containers well before the energy is spent, she said. Liquid fuel can be kept inside the reactor indefinitely. Dewan said 96 percent of the energy in liquid fuel can be extracted, compared to 4 percent for solid fuel.

The $2.5 million in venture funding from Founders Fund, Acadia Woods Partners and Armada Investment, comes on top of $2 million in funding secured last summer.

Transatomic recently began experiments with the help of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to test components for a prototype power plant. The company hopes to start construction by 2020.

Dewan and her co-founders are part of a new generation of nuclear engineers. Dewan and Rothrock said high profile accidents such as Chernobyl and Three Mile Island drove a generation of potential nuclear engineers to other industries. Now, a new wave of engineers is coming.

"There are, by last count, about 43 nuclear innovation companies in the United States and Canada and about $1 billion of private capital has been applied," Rothrock said. "University nuclear engineering departments are bursting at the seams."

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Homeowner tax breaks appear safe, for now

WASHINGTON — Tax reform is revving up again on Capitol Hill, with the heads of key committees pledging to work toward a simpler and fairer tax code, possibly one with lower tax rates. Sounds intriguing.

But what might that mean for homeowners — many of whom benefit from tax breaks such as mortgage interest and property tax deductions, plus tax-free writeoffs of up to $250,000 or $500,000 of home sale capital gains, depending on whether they file returns as singles or married couples? Renters get none of these.

Homeowner writeoffs become targets for cutbacks or elimination whenever tax code reforms get serious attention because of their costs in uncollected federal revenues. The mortgage interest deduction alone cost the Treasury $113.4 billion in fiscal 2015, property tax writeoffs $27.8 billion, according to estimates by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.

President Obama kicked off the tax legislative season with a budget proposal that would limit mortgage interest and other deductions for upper income taxpayers. No surprise there. He called for essentially the same change last year, and this year's version was widely viewed as dead on arrival in a Congress controlled by Republicans.

But what might Republican tax reformers themselves have up their sleeves? Last February, the top Republican tax writer, Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan, the then-chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, came out with a tax code overhaul blueprint that would offer lower tax rates and a big increase in the standard deduction in exchange for drastic cutbacks in special-interest deductions and credits, including the benefits traditionally enjoyed by homeowners.

Camp's plan would have shrunk marginal rates for most taxpayers to just two brackets, 10 percent and 
25 percent; phased down mortgage interest deductions from the current
$1 million limit on eligible mortgage amounts to $500,000; eliminated deductions on home equity loans and credit lines altogether; and stretched out the time period needed to qualify for tax-free capital gains exclusions from the present two years out of the preceding five years to five years out of the preceding eight years. Camp's plan also would have eliminated homeowners' writeoffs of local property tax payments and ended penalty-free withdrawals from IRAs to assist with first-time home purchases.

Camp retired from Congress at the end of the last session. His reform plans — considered too controversial to pass in an election year — never moved out of committee. But the impetus for some sort of wholesale reform of the sprawling Internal Revenue Code remains alive and well. Is anything likely or even possible this year, and if so, could it create problems for current or future owners?

Conversations with tax experts and Capitol Hill legislative analysts suggest a couple of things: There is bipartisan support for the broad concept of streamlining the tax code. The new Ways and Means Committee chairman, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said on NBC's Meet the Press that he is prepared to work on reforms with the White House — even compromise on some issues — "if we can find common ground." Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) Senate Finance Committee chairman, has created working groups tasked with coming up with tax reform plans with the objective of introducing a bill, probably by late this spring.

And there is already common ground to build on: bipartisan support, including at the White House, for a broad package of tax changes affecting businesses. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew recently said the administration could support reforms that lower top tax rates for big corporations, eliminate unfair loopholes and simplify the entire system for businesses. Republicans generally are on board, but insist that small businesses be part of the solution.

So there's a chance that a bipartisan corporate tax reform bill could be cobbled together this year.

What about comprehensive tax reforms for individuals of the type that inevitably would involve significant changes in current preferences for homeowners and tax increases for higher income households? Highly unlikely.

Bottom line: Homeowner tax breaks are safe for the time being, probably until 2017 at the earliest.

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