SPECIAL REPORTS

CES 2011
Originally published January 2011

Complete coverage from the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada

Top 11 Technologies of the Decade
Originally published December 2010

The most powerful technologies take a while to mature. But when they do, they can rapidly retire mainstays that are decades old

The Future of Lighting
Originally published December 2010

As incandescent light bulbs fade from use, LEDs and compact fluorescents vie to replace them

Holiday Gifts 2010
Originally published November 2010

Still don't know what to get for the geek who has everything?

Telepresence
Originally published September 2010

Our remote controlled robotic future

Antarctica: Life on the Ice
Originally published July 2010

IEEE Spectrum adventures

Water vs. Energy
Originally published June 2010

Only radical ideas will prevent the coming clash

Engineers of the New Millennium: The Energy Revolution
Originally published May 2010

Plug yourself into our special report on energy

Top 10 Tech Cars 2010
Originally published April 2010

For at least a decade, carmakers have been professing their deep and abiding interest in electric-drive vehicles whenever possible. But until recently, it wasn’t always clear which of them were really sincere.

Dream Jobs 2010
Originally published February 2010

The willingness to jump off an obvious career path, make a sudden change in direction, and, sometimes, take advantage of a stroke of luck landed these 10 technologists their dream jobs.

Winners & Losers VII
Originally published January 2010

Again we cast flowers and stones at a wide selection of well- and poorly conceived technology projects, all due for major milestones in the coming year.

Engineers of the New Millennium: Robots for Real
Originally published November 2009

In this special report, we meet some of the world’s most creative minds in robotics to find out how their robots will transform our lives—for real.

Global Water Challenge
Originally published September 2009

Water is such a basic human need that it takes real ingenuity to find new ways to control, retrieve, and share this critical resource.

The Smart Grid
Originally published June 2009

Taking the latest in computing and communications technology to make the electrical system more interactive, efficient, and robust is not a new idea.

Why Mars, Why Now?
Originally published June 2009

It’s been 40 years since Apollo astronauts took humanity’s first baby step into the cosmos. Now it’s time to take the next one.

25 Microchips
Originally published May 2009

One day a machine will blink into consciousness, but it’s just wishful thinking to believe that people could escape death by uploading their minds.

Top 10 Tech Cars of 2009
Originally published April 2009

If necessity really is the mother of invention, then surely the auto industry is on the verge of an era of blinding brilliance. Times are that bad.

Dream Jobs 2009
Originally published February 2009

What does it mean to be an engineer? The answer may surprise you. In this year’s Dream Jobs for Engineers report, we look at 10 technologists who love what they do for a living.

Winners and Losers 2009
Originally published January 2009

Our past experiences with this annual special issue suggest that some of you are going to go to your computers in the next day or two and compose a little message to us.

The R&D Interactive Calculator
Originally published December 2008

We know our readers like to get their hands on the raw data and draw their own conclusions..