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June 2010 Issue

Features

In-depth articles from top experts, Spectrum editors, and contributors

In the American Southwest, the Energy Problem Is Water

Energy producers on the Colorado River are struggling

13 min read

Australia’s Drought-Busting Water Grid

In the driest continent, saving water means spending watts

15 min read

News

Insight and analysis on the latest advances in technology

Opinion

Spectrum editors and columnists comment on major tech trends

Departments

Articles on DIY projects, engineering careers, and tech history

Cross-Platform Smartphone Apps Still Difficult

Too many platforms create challenges for smartphone developers

5 min read

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June 2010 Issue

Our thirst for water competes with our hunger for energy. Only radical new ideas will get us out of this mess

New drilling techniques have increased the amount of gas that’s accessible, but whether it’s truly recoverable may hinge on whether concerns about water are addressed convincingly

Predicting river flows in decades to come is tough, but there’s still lots of hydropower potential to be had

These water and energy schemes are so crazy they just might work

Singapore’s toilet-to-tap technology has saved the country from shortages—and a large electricity bill

Irrigating biofuel crops on a grand scale would be disastrous

Desalination takes too much energy, but emerging technologies will help

Energy producers on the Colorado River are struggling

The world’s first multiutility grid should save water and money

A massive water diversion project aims to slake the north’s thirst

Cheap energy endangers India’s ability to feed itself

Coal power’s carbon savior could double its water woes

In the driest continent, saving water means spending watts

An all-digital random-number generator will help keep encryption strong and data safe for chips with features 45 nanometers and smaller

Future exaflop supercomputers will consume too much power without new software

Start-up Prysm demos low-power Blu-ray laser-based displays

MIT engineers are developing a circuit that gets enough out of ultracapacitors to make them usable in medical implants

"Hot carrier" solar cells could be twice as efficient as today's

Researchers report a ring oscillator based on silicon nanowires

Antiquated regulations have made radio spectrum artificially scarce. Rethinking the way we manage the airwaves could open up vast amounts of bandwidth

Broadcasting the intimate details of one's life has become mainstream

Controlling home thermostats can be done on the cheap

Plotting trade-offs from wind to coal

Too many platforms create challenges for smartphone developers

A new documentary tackles the big question

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