IEEE Spectrum Threads
Leading tech magazine delivering news on robotics innovations, engineering breakthroughs and trends.
LLMs Still Struggle to Master Video Game Play
Large language models still have no ability to play video games well. @juliantogelius , the director of New York University’s Game Innovation Lab, talks about why. https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-video-games-llms-togelius
Stratospheric Airship Promises Faster, Higher‑Capacity Internet
Sceye wants to put internet access in the stratosphere, using an airship floating 20 km up in the sky. The goal is connections with less latency and more capacity than satellites in orbit. https://spectrum.ieee.org/sceye-high-altitude-platform-station
Cloud Outage Halts Connected Cars, Exposing New Risks
Connected Cars Are Working Until The Servers Go Dark A system outage—not a mechanical failure—left drivers unable to stary their vehicles. Tge Intoxalock incident highlights the growing risks of cloud-dependent transportation. https://spectrum.ieee.org/connected-vehicle-risks?share_id=9358666
Spot Gains Autonomy, Yet Surprising Design Choice Remains
Spot can now read gauges, spot hazards, and reason about tasks on its own, but one design choice may surprise you. https://spectrum.ieee.org/boston-dynamics-spot-google-deepmind?share_id=9376931
DIY Arduino Spray Paint Delivers 4,096 Colors for $150
With an Arduino Nano and custom rotary pinch valves, this DIY spray paint system brings a new palette of 4,096 colors to artists' fingertips. It only costs $150 U.S. to make. https://spectrum.ieee.org/spray-paint-color-creator
Scientists Map Light Cues for Optic Nerve Regeneration
Scientists are working on regenerating optic nerves for people who have lost their sight. The first step is done: A map of how changes in light, color, and frequency affect the visual axis. https://spectrum.ieee.org/optic-nerve-damage-electrical-stimulation
BCI Implants Grant Freedom, yet Reveal Real Limits
For people with paralysis, brain implants offer new independence—but also real limits. Early BCI users explain what the technology gives and what it takes. https://spectrum.ieee.org/bci-user-experience?share_id=9362216
Earbuds Soon Recognize Objects and Translate Using Tiny Visual Data
Your earbuds may soon read signs, identify objects, and translate on demand; the key is how little visual data the AI actually needs. https://spectrum.ieee.org/smart-earbuds-smart-glasses-privacy?share_id=9372713
Bourbon Byproduct Powers Next-Gen EV Energy Storage
Researchers have found a way to turn waste grain from making bourbon into high-performance energy-storage materials for EVs. https://spectrum.ieee.org/supercapacitor-electrodes-bourbon-waste
Auburn Coffee Shop Hosts Community AI Conversation
It was not a usual day at this coffee shop in Auburn, Alabama. University students, faculty, and members of the local community joined to discuss their experiences with AI. They voiced concerns, listened, and learned together. https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-community-engagement
AI Compute, Emissions Surge; Index Uncovers Overlooked Trends
AI compute, emissions, and benchmarks are all surging, but the 2026 AI Index surfaces a few trends most people in tech are missing. https://spectrum.ieee.org/state-of-ai-index-2026?share_id=9359180
Data Centers Adopt Direct 800‑Volt DC for Efficiency
Most data centers use AC power, converting it to DC at the server level. But as demand rises for fast, efficient computing, there’s less room for power loss. New designs convert power from the grid directly to 800-volt DC power,...
Storeless Password Manager Creates, Never Stores Credentials
What happens when a password manager generates credentials on the fly and never saves them, anywhere, by design? https://spectrum.ieee.org/storeless-password-manager?share_id=9356368
Meta's 5GW Hyperion Forces Data Center Tech Overhaul
The quest to build @Meta’s 5GW Hyperion data center (the world's largest ever) is pushing engineers to rethink compute, cooling, and network technology. https://spectrum.ieee.org/5gw-data-center
Tenstorrent Launches $9,999 AI Workstation with 384 GB RAM
New Tenstorrent AI workstations are expected to cost US $9,999, with 384 GB of memory, designed to run cutting-edge AI models at your desk. @Nvidia has released its own AI workstation with 748 GB. https://spectrum.ieee.org/ai-workstation-looks-like-pcs
