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A Humanor a Machine? THE MAGAZINE OF TECHNOLOGY INSIDERS SPECTRUM.IEEE.ORG THERE’S A STORM RAGING AROUND YOUR PLANE. AS IT LANDS, WHO DO YOU WANT BEHIND THE CONTROLS– A HUMAN OR A MACHINE? U.S.A. $3.99 CANADA $4.99 DISPLAY UNTIL 3 JANUARY 2012 12.Cover.INT.NA.indd 1 11/17/11 3:20 PM 6G speeds are fast approaching Digital homes, super tablets, cloud computing and paperless healthcare are just of few of the innovations that promise to change our world. Realizing that promise requires new innovations to design 6G networks and products. How will engineers create the 100 Gbps channels of the future? What’s the secret to designing tomorrow’s 6G devices and networks? Contact ANSYS to find the answers to your 6G questions. White Paper: The Race to 6G Read how simulation promises to get you there faster. www.ansys.com/electronics 1.866.267.9724 REALIZE YOUR PRODUCT PROMISETM 12a.Cov2.NA.indd 2 11/14/11 9:01 AM volume 48 number 12 north american 12.11 38 cover story 28 a cloud 34 the Strange 38 When Will You can truSt Birth and long While cloud computing offers life of unix SoftWare huge benefits to users, confidence Unix turned 40 last month. The in the cloud will continue to story of how it came to be, and have the right lag until providers address the reason it has aged so well, will security concerns. By Christian surprise you. By Warren Toomey Stuff? Cachin & Matthias Schunter 44 nanodYnamite Although military robots 28 The next generation of have proved their flying chops, nanosystem technologies need commercial versions must clear very small sources of power, and carbon nanotubes might be up a higher bar. By Philip E. Ross to the task. By Michael S. Strano COVER: sEan mcCba E & Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh This page, Top: NorThrop grummaN; boTTom: quickhoNey S pectrum.ieee.org december 2011 • Ieee spectrum • NA 1 12.Contents.NA.indd 1 11/16/11 4:40 PM A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE TALENT POOL IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE At Experis™ Engineering, we go further to find top engineering talent that’s often hidden beneath the surface. We tap into over 40 years of industry-leading professional resourcing experience to create ideal matches for contract and permanent positions. We overlay Six Sigma analyses to prove and enhance our processes. We position our recruiters as experts within engineering talent communities. And with a wide range of specialized project solutions, we bring talent and expertise together to deliver cost-effective, accelerated results. All this, to lead your company to the top. Learn more at experis.us/ieee ©2011 ManpowerGroup. All rights reserved. 12.p2.NA.indd 2 11/14/11 9:02 AM volume 48 number 12 north american 12.11 S pectrum.ieee.org availaBle 1 decemBer The World’s Most Powerful Patent Portfolios, Revealed Our annual Patent Power Scorecards, compiled and analyzed by the team at 1790 Analytics, show 11 that U.S. companies like Apple, Yahoo, Microsoft, u pdate departmentS and Google are inventing their way to dominance. 11 CRaCkIng down on 4 BaCk SToRy Conflict MInERalS our reporter wonders And Chinese companies the flow of patents from the electronics industry why military aircraft can like Huawei have started Japanese and German is bracing for tough new dispense with pilots but to make inroads, even as companies slows. rules. By Eliza Strickland civilian ones can’t. 13 BRazIl BooSTS its 6 ConTRIBUTors ChIP IndUSTRy 18 ThE BIg PICTURE thein Stitute.ieee.org availaBle 6 decemBer 14 a PRETTIER Pylon 3-d holographic movies deliver surround sound for making the jump IEEE stanDarDs 15 PhoTogRaPhy’S audiences’ eyes and ears. into games nEw anglE assoCiation takes on In our special handS on Virtual worlDs issue on gaming, 16 gEoThERMal’S 20 Kids, robots, and gift these 3-d environments learn what it PRoMISE and PERIl giving—what could go wrong? are still considered by takes to enter this By David Schneider growing industry. some as best suited for opinion 22 A new book promises to games and entertainment. help you fix anything. help with other people see them as getting your 10 spectral lInes Reviewed by Paul Wallich a potential business tool— remembering John game on if certain challenges can mccarthy, the man who ToolS & ToyS A variety of skills made Lisp. 23 mathematica and maple are needed to be overcome. the Ieee By Steven Cherry keep up with the times. make it as a game standards Association By Kenneth R. Foster developer. Ieee recently gathered together 26 technICally 24 two new tools simplify offers several virtual-world experts and SPEakIng music programming. products and users to foster cross- data mining is so 2008. services that By Mark Anderson industry collaboration today we mine patterns, can help, from videos, and even crowds. 76 ThE daTa continuing educa- and reach a consensus By Paul McFedries New technologies don’t all get tion courses and on how best to address assimilated at the same rate. tutorials to webinars these challenges and set By Prachi Patel and journals. standards for the industry. ONLINEW eBinarS & reSourceS availaBle at http://spectrum.ieee.org/webinar 1 December: Better simulation accelerating Development of the emerging technology m odeling and simulation of of Dielectric Barrier Discharge smart grid power electronics Forum series: reinventing heV and eV power electronics plasma actuators using VORPAL Control systems with rCp infrastructure for high speed rail and hil techniques 15 December: Fluid structure plasma modeling with y images; y images; interaction simulation getting more Benefits Comsol multiphysics new product release library: N TT with Comsol From modeling Vacuum http://spectrum.ieee.org/static/ electronic Devices the ieee emerging technology new-product-release-library Desig T electrostatic actuation with Forum series: silicon Valley’s oyer/ge irs Comsol multiphysics power system Contingency impact on the automotive industry m f analysis and security Constrained TT ce a N Big Demand Drives small solutions– optimal power Flow in matlaB requirements management’s m : T scalable Baseband solutions key role in the nuclear industry ef l xperie e ; op N IEEE SPECTRUM (IssN 0018-9235) is published monthly by the Institute of electrical and electronics engineers, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2011 by the Institute of electrical and electronics T engineers, Inc., 3 park Avenue, New york, Ny 10016-5997, u.s.A. the e ditorial content of Ieee spectrum magazine does not represent official positions of the Ieee or its organizational units. canadian post International publications mail (canadian distribution) sales Agreement No. 40013087. return undeliverable canadian addresses to: circulation department, Ieee spectrum, box 1051, Fort erie, oN L2A 6c7. cable address: ItrIpLee. Fax: +1 212 419 7570. INterNet: [email protected]. ANNuAL SUBSCRIPTIoNs: Ieee members: $21.40 included in dues. Libraries/ carlso institutions: $399. POST­MAster: please send a ddress changes to Ieee spectrum, c/o coding department, Ieee service center, 445 Hoes Lane, box 1331, piscataway, NJ 08855. periodicals N postage paid at New york, Ny, and additional mailing offices. canadian Gst #125634188. printed at 120 donnelley dr., Glasgow, Ky 42141-1060, u.s.A. Ieee spectrum circulation is audited ha by bpA Worldwide. Ieee spectrum is a member of American business media, the magazine publishers of America, and Association media & publishing. Ieee prohibits discrimination, T a harassment, and bullying. For more information, visit http://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/whatis/policies/p9-26.html. N lockwise from from lockwise c jo S pectrum.ieee.org december 2011 • Ieee spectrum • NA 3 12.Contents.NA.indd 3 11/16/11 4:40 PM back story ed itoriAl Editor in chiEf Susan hassler, [email protected] Ex EcutivE Editor Glenn Zorpette, [email protected] Editorial dirEctor, diGital harry Goldstein, [email protected] Manan Gi G Editor Elizabeth a. Bretz, [email protected] S Enior EditorS Jean Kumagai, [email protected]; Samuel K. Moore (news), [email protected]; tekla S. Perry, t.perry@ ieee.org; Philip E. ross, [email protected]; david Schneider, [email protected] S Enior aSSociatE EditorS Steven cherry (resources), [email protected]; Erico Guizzo, [email protected] Ass ociatE EditorS r achel courtland, [email protected]; Marisa Plumb, [email protected]; Joshua J. romero (online), [email protected]; Eliza Strickland, [email protected] Ass iStant Editor Willie d. Jones, [email protected] S Enior coPy Editor Joseph n. levine, [email protected] c oPy Editor Michele Kogon, [email protected] Editorial rESEarchEr alan Gardner, [email protected] E xEcutivE ProducEr, SPEctruM radio Sharon Basco Ass iStant ProducEr, SPEctruM radio francesco ferorelli, [email protected] a dMiniStrativE aSSiStantS ramona foster, [email protected]; nancy t. hantman, [email protected] itnn Er Katie M. Palmer, [email protected] c ontriButinG EditorS John Blau, robert n. charette, Peter fairley, david Kushner, robert W. lucky, Paul Mcfedries, Prachi Patel, carl Selinger, Flying the Robotic Skies Seema Singh, William Sweet, John voelcker At or & pr DuctioN S Enior art dirEctor Mark Montgomery have so transformed the U.S. hat’s Senior Editor Dep uty art dirEctor angela howard Philip E. Ross standing military that the Air Force is now Ass iStant art dirEctor Brandon Palacio Tbeside an RQ-4 Global Hawk, training more ground controllers Photo Editor randi Silberman Klett a Northrop Grumman unmanned than pilots. But what Ross wanted d irEctor, PEriodicalS Production SErvices Peter tuohy aerial vehicle stationed for the to know was when, or whether, Editorial & WEB Production ManaGEr roy carubia moment at the Naval Air Station pilotless planes will start carrying se nior ElEctronic layout SPEcialiSt Bonnie nani Patuxent River, in Maryland.
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