IEEE Spectrum
@spectrum
The latest technology news and analysis from the world's leading engineering magazine.
Every Fourth of July display you see comes from a history of experimentation with explosives, pigments, and electronics, keeping the spectacle in the sky instead of on the ground. spectrum.ieee.org/history-of-f...
Tools, systems, and engineers helped to create an independent United States. How will that tradition of industry and self-reliance continue in the future? spectrum.ieee.org/us-engineere...
A student in a research lab made a mistake and forgot to connect a part of their transistor. But that led to their lab discovering how a transistor could function more like a neuron, which could make processing data way more efficient. spectrum.ieee.org/artificial-n...
A new augmented reality system reduces blur and shadows, enhancing the illusion that its images are real. spectrum.ieee.org/shadow-free-...
In #Sardinia, Italy, #renewable energy projects are extremely unpopular. But it’s not just because of “not in my backyard” attitudes. Energy Editor Emily Waltz travelled to the island to find the deeper causes of opposition. spectrum.ieee.org/sardinia-ren...
New York City startup Every Electric is pairing air conditioners with batteries, taking a load off the grid during peak hours. This turns energy drains into a virtual power plant that can ease stress on the power grid. spectrum.ieee.org/battery-powe...
Happy tenth birthday to the Megaprocessor, a giant #CPU built from 42,300 hand-soldered transistors. Explore the full seven-panel, two-meter-tall wonder in our interview with creator James Newman. spectrum.ieee.org/the-megaproc...
We’re hitting the limits of how small transistors can get, so chipmakers are going 3D. Two new records in “hybrid bonding” pack up to a million connections into a square millimeter, tightening the links between stacked chips. spectrum.ieee.org/hybrid-bondi...
In many different ways, #AI is affecting how mathematicians do math. Some are worried that the ease of AI will take away the at times lengthy thought process of pure mathematics, while others are excited by the prospect of advancing knowledge. spectrum.ieee.org/ai-in-mathem...
The 6 GHz radio band is becoming the most contested slice of wireless spectrum on Earth. Wi‑Fi players want it unlicensed for multigigabit home and enterprise networks; mobile operators want it licensed for #6G coverage and capacity. spectrum.ieee.org/6g-wifi-unit...
#Origami that routes current: LiqMetCraft shows how a sheet of liquid-metal-impregnated paper—costing about US $1.80 to make—can be folded and cut into circuit traces that integrate LEDs, motors, and other components. spectrum.ieee.org/origami-circ...
#CFETs are future stacked transistors: a p-channel and n-channel field-effect transistor stacked vertically. Intel, Samsung, and TSMC are building both the top and bottom device at the same time, while IBM has committed to a sequential construction process. spectrum.ieee.org/cfet-ibm-plan
Radio frequency integrated circuit design is a complex art. AI can learn it and do it orders of magnitude faster than humans. spectrum.ieee.org/ai-radio-chi...
The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is asking grid operators to report their plans for power generation and explain how they will meet upcoming large loads. spectrum.ieee.org/ferc-data-ce...
This chip is a Wi-Fi receiver that still works inside a nuclear reactor. It can endure 500 kilograys of radiation. spectrum.ieee.org/robotics-in-...
#5G’s unexpected application: home broadband, delivered via cell towers without any cables. spectrum.ieee.org/fixed-wirele...
Most of the time, the U.S. grid is only working at half its capacity. Better use of tools like battery storage, smart thermostats, managed EV charging, and flexible data centers could unlock substantial latent capacity and help keep #electricity rates in check. spectrum.ieee.org/united-state...
If #AI is going to read our faces, voices, and biometrics, it needs more than labels like “happy” or “sad.” Only human-context AI that fuses situational, personal, and behavioral signals in real time can keep machines from misreading us when it matters most. spectrum.ieee.org/emotion-ai-c...
Large physics models are the latest application of #AI, trained on physics simulations. These models are accurate enough for early ideation and can speed up initial physics simulations from weeks to hours. spectrum.ieee.org/large-physic...
The #EU is taking steps to end its dependence on US technology, with its Tech Sovereignty Package. Here’s the breakdown: spectrum.ieee.org/europe-tech-...
This “atom camera” can map an atom’s intensity and polarization at tiny scales, which could help scientists see inside certain #quantum computers. spectrum.ieee.org/single-atom-...
Sound waves could speed up #neuromorphic computing, according to new research. A new acoustic synapse can have multiple parallel computations, with lower power costs than conventional electronics. spectrum.ieee.org/neuromorphic...
Salome Mikadze-Struk built and sustained a software company through Covid-19 and war in Ukraine, then turned those lessons into mentorship on resilience, AI adoption, and long-term careers in tech. spectrum.ieee.org/mikadze-stru...
Come with @stephencass.bsky.social on a field trip to Vintage Computer Festival East! It has exhibits, workshops, and talks, but most importantly for Stephen, it’s a place to source unique #retro electronics for his stash.
The founders of Modos share how they created the Modos Flow, a complete #e-paper monitor. ”We want the whole thing open source, so all our parts need to have open documentation with nothing gated behind an NDA.” spectrum.ieee.org/modos-e-pape...
How do you design a #robot’s personality? Mike Forst, the lead UX Sound Designer for Amazon's Astro, shares how he weaved sounds, motions, and reactions to create the robot’s character. spectrum.ieee.org/amazon-astro...