Dream Jobs 2008 Sigrid Close Studies Shooting Stars with the World’S Biggest Radars Australia’S Transcontinental Solar Car Race Wireless’S Virgin Territory
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Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out For navigation instructions please click here Search Issue | Next Page THE MAGAZINE OF TECHNOLOGY INSIDERS 02.08 SPECIAL ISSUE: DREAM JOBS 2008 SIGRID CLOSE STUDIES SHOOTING STARS WITH THE WORLD’S BIGGEST RADARS AUSTRALIA’S TRANSCONTINENTAL SOLAR CAR RACE WIRELESS’S VIRGIN TERRITORY Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out For navigation instructions please click here Search Issue | Next Page A SPECTRUM Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page BEF MaGS _______________ A SPECTRUM Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page BEF MaGS A SPECTRUM Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page BEF MaGS volume 45 number 2 international 02.08 FRONT UPDATE 7 CANCER SCREENING IN A TANGLE A controversial breast-cancer technology is coming to market. By Morgen E. Peck 8 BIG JUMP IN MICRO- PROCESSOR MATH 9 REINVENTING THE WHEEL 10 CAN WIND ENERGY KEEP GROWING? 11 ELECTRONIC GENE THERAPY 12 BRAKE-BY-WIRE FOR FREIGHT TRAINS 14 THE BIG PICTURE Cranial calculations. OPINION 5 SPECTRAL LINES Format wars at the Consumer Electronics Show: one down, more to go. 6 FORUM The (relative) safety of Tasers, the tainting of online gaming, and measuring entropy. 21 TECHNICALLY SPEAKING The snowclone: A higher-order cliché? THE EXTRA SPECIAL REPORT By Paul McFedries MILE: David Downey designs and then fi eld- 23 DREAM JOBS 2008 DEPARTMENTS tests fi tness When your day job is this much fun, can you really call it “work”? 3 CONTRIBUTORS products; Roger Hill builds 4 BACK STORY computers to 40 GADGETS GAB AT 60 GHz track penguins in To juggle gigabits of high-defi nition video, wireless networks 17 CAREERS Antarctica; must move way, way up the spectrum. By Behzad Razavi Here are a few tips to make the most the Nuna 4 solar of your business trips. By Carl Selinger car races through Australia. 46 ACROSS THE OUTBACK 18 PHOTOS: DOWNEY: COLBY TOOLS & TOYS LYSNE; HILL: RICK DAHMS; ON PHOTONS ALONE We take an all-electric motorcycle for PENGUIN: EUREKA/ALAMY; NUNA 4: HANS-PETER a spin. By Brian Santo & Mark Santo VAN VELTHOVEN Solar car racing teams recently tested their mettle, their survival skills, and some cutting-edge EV technology. By Sandra Upson 19 INVENTION COVER: CHIP SIMONS 20 BOOKS A science writer faces his lifelong demon: chess. By Vasik Rajlich 56 THE DATA How free, really, is solar energy? _____________WWW.SPECTRUM.IEEE.ORG FEBRUARY 2008 • IEEE SPECTRUM • INT 1 A SPECTRUM Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page BEF MaGS A SPECTRUM Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page BEF MaGS volume 45 number 2 international 02.08 WWW.IEEE.ORG/______________ THEINSTITUTE____________ AVAILABLE 7 FEBRUARY ON THE INSTITUTE ONLINE NASA HELPS SOCIETY CELEBRATE 50 YEARS Learn how the IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society was able to get its commemorative anniversary pin on the recent Endeavor shuttle mission. NASA mounted the pin on a plaque and presented it to the IEEE. THE LUKE AT SPECTRUM ONLINE ARM [above] empowers its users to handle DEAN KAMEN’S a cordless drill as artfully as a set of ARTIFICIAL ARM keys; Dean Kamen [right] hopes Dean Kamen—perhaps best known WWW._______ to start clinical trials this year. SPECTRUM._____________ for inventing the Segway—let IEEE PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: DIRK VAN DER MERWE; IEEE.ORG__________ Spectrum’s Sarah Adee tour his com- DEKA RESEARCH; NASA pany, DEKA, where he has been working on a prosthetic arm for the U.S. Defense Department. IEEE COMPUTER The Luke Arm, named for the extraordinarily lifelike SOCIETY LAUNCHES prosthesis worn by Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, can be CAREER SITE Keep up with technology advances adapted to any amputation and any user interface: it can and new business approaches on the even be wired directly into the nervous system. Kamen IEEE Computer Society’s Build Your Career Web site, which features online explains how he is reinventing the prosthetic arm to take technical courses, training aids, and it from “the Flintstones,” as he says, into the 21st century. columns that address industry issues. CONFERENCE ONLINE FEATURES: ALSO ONLINE: COVERS RFID Find out about the technical and policy FEELING A LITTLE FLAT? Spectrum’s • Webcasts challenges facing radio-frequency Josh Romero looks at how long-promised • Radio identifi cation technologies at the IEEE technologies will fi nally let you capture, • News International Conference on RFID, set display, and re-create the three- • Audio downloads to take place 16 to 17 April in Las Vegas. dimensional world in all its splendor. • Podcasts • Jobs Topics will include antennas and LEARNING FROM KATRINA In the next • Career Accelerator Forum security and application issues. installment of the video series exploring • IEEE Xplore® digital library engineering lessons taken from Katrina, • Interviews Denise Wilson examines the continuing • Opinions impact of the disaster on local residents. • More! IEEE SPECTRUM (ISSN 0018-9235) is published monthly by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2008 by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., 3 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5997, U.S.A. The editorial content of IEEE Spectrum magazine does not represent offi cial 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/institutions: $205. POST MASTER: Please send address changes to IEEE Spectrum, c/o Coding Department, IEEE Service Center, 445 Hoes Lane, Box 1331, Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offi ces. Canadian GST #125634188. Printed at W224-N3322-Duplainville Rd., Pewaukee, WI 53072-4195, U.S.A. IEEE Spectrum circulation is audited by BPA Worldwide. IEEE Spectrum is a member of American Business Media, the Magazine Publishers of America, and the Society of National Association Publications. 2 INT • IEEE SPECTRUM • FEBRUARY 2008 _____________WWW.SPECTRUM.IEEE.ORG A SPECTRUM Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page BEF MaGS A SPECTRUM Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | Next Page BEF MaGS IEEE MEDIA STAFF DIRECTOR; PUBLISHER, IEEE SPECTRUM James A. Vick, [email protected] ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, SALES & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Marion Delaney, [email protected] RECRUITMENT SALES DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Michael Buryk, [email protected] BUSINESS MANAGER Robert T. Ross MARKETING & PROMOTION MANAGER Blanche McGurr, [email protected] ________ DEAN ADAMS MORGEN E. PECK, INTERACTIVE MARKETING MANAGER Laura Book, [email protected] is a journalist and one of our interns in LIST/RECRUITMENT MARKETING MANAGER Ilia Rodriguez, [email protected] television producer 2007, wrote the lead REPRINT SALES +1 212 221 9595, ext. 319 based in Bangkok. story in Update [p. 7], DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATOR Faith H. Jeanty,______ [email protected] He traveled to about a questionable ADVERTISING SALES +1 212 419 7760 TELEPHONE ADVERTISING/SALES REPRESENTATIVE northwest Thailand to interview technology for breast-cancer John Restchack +1 212 419 7578 ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER Felicia Spagnoli Salinee Tavaranan [p. 36] and screening. Using her background SENIOR ADVERTISING PRODUCTION COORDINATOR found the experience enlightening. in neuro science, Peck has reported Nicole Evans ADVERTISING PRODUCTION +1 732 562 6334 “[It] made me understand that on electronic treatments for IEEE STAFF EXECUTIVE, PUBLICATIONS Anthony Durniak alternate sources of energy are migraines and the eff ects of brain IEEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS much easier to implement and implants on human behavior for PRESIDENT & CEO Lewis M. Terman maintain than I’d thought possible. Spectrum Online. +1 732 562 3928 Fax: +1 732 465 6444 [email protected] PRESIDENT-ELECT John R. Vig Approached thoughtfully, they TREASURER David G. Green work with nature, rather than VASIK RAJLICH is the pro- SECRETARY Barry L. Shoop PAST PRESIDENT Leah H. Jamieson against it. It opened my eyes.” grammer of Rybka, currently the VICE PRESIDENTS highest-rated computer-chess Evangelia Micheli-Tzanakou, Educational Activities; John Baillieul, COLBY LYSNE, program in the world. He was Publication Services and Products; Joseph V. Lillie, Member & Geographic Activities; George W. Arnold, President, Standards based in Kansas profi led in our 2007 Dream Jobs Association; J. Roberto B. de Marca, Technical Activities; Russell J. Lefevre, President, IEEE-USA City, Mo., has report [February]. This month DIVISION DIRECTORS shot suits, ath- the former inter national chess Giovanni De Micheli (I); Thomas G. Habetler (II); letes, and artists for master reviews King’s Gambit: Curtis A. Siller Jr. (III); Edward Della Torre (IV); Deborah M. Cooper (V); Irving Engelson (VI); dozens of national magazines. A Son, a Father, and the World’s John D. McDonald (VII); Thomas W. Williams (VIII); Frederick C. Mintzer (IX); William A. Gruver (X) “Photographing Dave Downey Most Dangerous Game by Paul REGION DIRECTORS at Garmin’s world headquarters Hoff man [p. 20]. Howard E. Michel (1); John C. Dentler (2); William B. Ratcliff (3); Robert J. Dawson (4); David J. Pierce (5); Loretta J. Arellano (6); was a blast,” Lysne says [p. 27]. Ferial El-Hawary (7); Jean G. Remy (8); Enrique E. Alvarez (9); Janina E. Mazierska (10) “We didn’t even get in trouble for BEHZAD RAZAVI, DIRECTORS EMERITUS watering the floor. Now that’s a an IEEE Fellow, Eric Herz, Theodore W. Hissey great corporate culture!” is a professor of IEEE STAFF electrical engineering EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & COO Jeff ry W. Raynes, CAE ROBB at the University +1 732 562 5400, [email protected] HUMAN RESOURCES Betsy Davis, SPHR MANDELBAUM, of California, Los Angeles.