IEEE Spectrum

On May 16 1916, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers had a live meeting with 5,000 attendees in 8 cities. Coming just a year after the first transcontinental phone call, it provoked breathless coverage in the US national press, including a declaration in the Atlanta Constitution that it was “a feat never before accomplished in the history of the world.” https://lnkd.in/eh89H3HB

Touchscreen controls are everywhere these days--but they’re not always the best option, like in cars, where screen-based controls draw drivers' eyes from the road and a pose safety risk. Now, tactile controls like buttons are gaining traction again in user interfaces, from smartphones to stoves. To learn more about the trend, we spoke to Rachel Plotnick, author of "Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, and the Politics of Pushing." In this Q&A, Plotnick discusses the origin story of the button, touchscreen mania, and the rise of re-buttoning. https://lnkd.in/gGSmbDn9

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Take a long winding path with us through recent #robot advances and #AI breakthroughs, with a detour into the Uncanny Valley, to find out how we could build the AI robots of our sci-fi dreams! https://lnkd.in/e-JiWN_n

What does invention look like in the year 2024? IEEE Spectrum's special issue takes readers into R&D labs in some of the hottest areas of innovation, including nuclear fusion, atomic clocks, domestic robots, semiconductors... and even AI-powered invention. The report also features Q&As with inventors like the legendary Dean Kamen and the YouTube star Simone Giertz. Read it all here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eXfFk7BW

A few years after working at Apple, Pete Warden found a flaw in some Apple software that enabled tracking the location of anyone using iOS 4. He reported the problem to Apple, which ignored him. Then it blew up in Apple's face. https://lnkd.in/e7yM5grC

Call it the touchscreen backlash, or the "rebuttonization" of tech. What it means is that physical buttons are back in vogue. And that's just fine with Rachel Plotnick, who wrote the book on buttons. https://lnkd.in/gGSmbDn9

The world's newest stellarator, a type of nuclear fusion reactor, was built quickly and cheaply--an example of how engineers are continuously in the process of reinventing invention. Read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gqHvKGv3 This is part of IEEE Spectrum's Special Report where we look at incredible inventions, like briefcase-sized atomic clocks, and inventors, like Simone Giertz--all to celebrate the creative act and the grindingly hard engineering work required to turn an idea into something world changing. Read our Special Report here: https://lnkd.in/eXfFk7BW #stellarator #nuclear #nuclearfusion #fusion #renewable #renewables #renewableenergy #energy #engineer #engineering #invention #ieee #ieeespectrum #greenenergy #co2 #climate #climatechange

The US Chips Act will channel roughly $52 billion to semiconductor companies. Why would such a stupendously profitable sector need government funding? Samuel K. Moore explains it all in this terrific story following the falling and rising fortunes of one fascinating company, iDEAL Semiconductor Devices Inc https://lnkd.in/e3y67Drp

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