Consumer Electronics

Online Contents February 2009

AVAILABLE ONLINE 1 FEBRUARY

Carware

Did you know that your car probably has more software running in it than the latest military fighter jets? Or that it has 50 or more embedded microprocessors that control everything from meeting governmental emission-control standards to automatically increasing the volume of your radio as you drive faster? This month, IEEE Spectrum Contributing Editor Robert N. Charette looks at the growth of software technology in cars, from the single microprocessor chip in the 1977 GMC Oldsmobile Tornado to today’s S-Class Mercedes, which has as many microprocessors as the new Airbus A380. He also looks at how software is changing cars—and drivers’ interactions with their driving environment.

Online features:

THE DRAM BAILOUTS: The governments of Germany and Taiwan have stepped in to keep their DRAM industries from collapsing. Get the inside story from reporters on the ground in both countries.

FOR YOUR EARS ONLY: In our exclusive podcast series, Dream Jobbers from all four corners of the globe talk to IEEE Spectrum reporters about what makes their engineering jobs so compelling.

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