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Technology Quarterly
How to disappear
Advances in camouflage, concealment and deception are revolutionising an age-old art of warfareSep 4th 2008
Also in this Technology Quarterly
The meek shall inherit the web
Computing: In future, most new internet users will be in developing countries and will use mobile phones. Expect a wave of innovationSep 4th 2008
Gas, gas, quick boys
Chemical sensors: A new nanodevice able to detect low concentrations of chemical agents could help to thwart terrorist gas attacksSep 4th 2008
Tailpipe power
Thermoelectric devices: Generating electricity directly from wasted heat is becoming more practical, in both vehicles and buildingsSep 4th 2008
Whirlybirds go green
Transport: Switching to diesel engines could make helicopters, and other aircraft, more efficient and less damaging to the environmentSep 4th 2008
Liquid logic
Computing: Liquid cooling could improve the performance of computers, allow waste heat to be recycled and make solar cells more efficientSep 4th 2008
The computer says no
Computing: Image-processing software could help to identify artists by their characteristic brushstrokes—and spot forgeriesSep 4th 2008
Following the crowd
The internet: The idea of “crowdsourcing”, or asking crowds of internet users for ideas, is being tried out in some unusual quartersSep 4th 2008
I, human
Robotics: They are staples of science fiction. And it seems that humanoid robots may make people feel more at ease than other designsSep 4th 2008
Virtual fencing
Electronics: A new way of corralling cattle, using satellite-tracking and warning signals rather than fences, is being tested in New MexicoSep 4th 2008
Armchair archaeology
Computing: Archaeologists are using free satellite imagery from Google Earth to make discoveries, develop theories and plan expeditionsSep 4th 2008
Moving pictures
Consumer electronics: High-definition video cameras are getting cheaper, but sometimes it is better to keep things simpleSep 4th 2008
Swallow the surgeon
Biomedicine: Tiny medical robots are being developed that could perform surgery inside patients with greater precision than existing methodsSep 4th 2008
Touching the future
Computing: Touch screens are becoming an increasingly popular way to control mobile phones and other devices. How does the technology work, and where is it heading?Sep 4th 2008
Home, green home
Energy and the environment: Even as housing markets in many countries collapse, demand is growing for low-impact “green” homesSep 4th 2008
Another green revolution
Most homes are in the developing world. They are going green, tooSep 4th 2008
The car of the perpetual future
Transport: Mass-produced hydrogen fuel-cell cars have been promised for a decade. Where are they?Sep 4th 2008
The frugal cornucopian
Amory Lovins began making the case for resource efficiency decades ago, long before it became fashionable. Now things are going his waySep 4th 2008
Offer to readers
Sep 4th 2008
Technology extras
TECHNOLOGY MONITOR: Pollution
Green iron
Treating industrial wastewater with scrap iron can be cheap and effective
Earlier Quarterlies
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Previous Quarterly
Tapping the oceans
Desalination turns salty water into fresh water. As concern over water’s scarcity grows, can it offer a quick technological fix?Jun 5th 2008
Watching while you surf
Online advertising: New ad-targeting systems, which determine users’ interests by monitoring which websites they visit, are proving controversial Jun 5th 2008
Stop that car!
Transport: New technological tricks and devices are being developed to enable police officers to track and halt suspect vehicles Jun 5th 2008
The rise of the low-cost laptop
Computing: The ambitious “$100 laptop” programme is having a few problems, but it may have catalysed a whole new market Jun 5th 2008
An internet of sorts, on rails
Transport: The Ruhr may eventually host an underground miniature railway, capable of carrying freight on automated trains Jun 5th 2008
Your number’s up
Networking: The internet will run out of addresses unless a new numbering system is adopted. After years of inaction, there are now signs of progress Jun 5th 2008
A new twist for offshore wind
Energy: Floating wind-turbines are being developed that can be used at sea in deep water, and do not need to be permanently fixed in place Jun 5th 2008
Fridges of the world, unite!
Energy efficiency: Smarter appliances that turn themselves down at times of peak demand should mean fewer brown-outs Jun 5th 2008
Checks in the post
Communications: A new tracking device, small enough to be slipped into an envelope, can pinpoint hold-ups within postal services Jun 5th 2008
Mr Neutron
Security technology: A new scanning technology, which can see things X-rays cannot, could help to beef up the inspection of air freight Jun 5th 2008
Rummaging through the internet
Computing: New techniques to navigate and gather information online promise to revolutionise web browsing Jun 5th 2008
Changing gears
Automotive technology: A baffling range of new types of car gearbox has broadened the choice far beyond manual and automaticJun 5th 2008
From blueprint to database
Computing: Aircraft and cars are designed using elaborate digital models. Now the same idea is being applied to buildings Jun 5th 2008
The coming wave
Energy: Enthusiasm for renewable energy means wind turbines and solar panels are popping up all over the place. But what happened to wave power? Jun 5th 2008
Telemedicine comes home
Medicine: Telemedicine permits remote consultations by video link and even remote surgery, but its future may lie closer to home Jun 5th 2008
Open sesame
Consumer devices: Revealing the underlying technical details of electronic gadgets can have many benefits, for both users and manufacturers Jun 5th 2008
The free-knowledge fundamentalist
Jimmy Wales changed the world with Wikipedia, the hugely popular online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. What will he do next?Jun 5th 2008
Offer to readers
Jun 5th 2008
