Play for tomorrow
Reporting from the head offices of LEGO, the company that wants to encourage the child in all of us. E&T finds it has some serious ambitions for the little bricks.
From a sad hobby of lonely social dropouts, hacking has turned into a multi-billion-dollar industry and a real threat to global security.
E&T discovers how educational charity FIRST is using Lego to inspire the next generation to follow a career path into science and technology.
As the UK increases its use of wind power, the power grid will come under growing pressure to balance the load, as E&T discovers.
E&T looks at Lego and the future of engineering, with some intriguing tales of industry's use of Lego as a learning and development tool. This issue also focuses on hacking, wind energy, precision moulding, Swedish suburbs and much more in our sector-specific articles. Plus, industry news and regular columns.
Inner space still expanding 
Don't be daunted by the unceasing data deluge: emerging advanced storage technologies are ready to help mop up the flood.
Switching sees the light
Photonic interconnects will accelerate data transmission by enormous magnitudes at botdevice and component levels.
The real era of virtualisation
Virtualising the data centre seems to be a win-win situation, and could play a major part in protecting IT revenues against the recession. E&T reports.
Building on a dynasty
Despite the success of its products, Lego has faced challenges in its manufacturing operation, as E&T discovered when he visited the factory in Denmark.
Toyota's ecologically friendly car plant
It is not just on the road that automotive manufacturers are striving to be ecologically friendly, as E&T discovers.
Network of standards
A European project may have created the building blocks for the world's first practical communications network secured by quantum theory, E&T explores.
Spaghetti me not
We'd all like less tangle in our lives. But can the 'wireless wire' standards that are emerging to help us cut the cord thrive in this economic climate? E&T went to Las Vegas to find out.
The hands-on manager
Mike Kobold owns a US-based watch manufacturing company, where he runs the business, designs the products and totally embraces the brand's core value - adventure. He talks exclusively to E&T about his 'hands on' style of management.
Security? What security?
Continuing our series of on-the-spot coaching advice, chartered engineer and qualified management coach Janet Wright answers your engineering management dilemmas.
Events
Unless otherwise stated, see www.theiet.org/events for details and updates.
Creating a scene
English seaside town Margate is built on a heritage of seaside attractions, and E&T finds that its future may rest in providing a home for retired rides.
Inventors’ inbox
Our resident and far from infantile inventors, Mark Sheehan and Patrick Andrews, exchange emails on how to create educational and environmentally-friendly children's toys.
Analysis: Chipmakers given a glimmer of hope
The semiconductor business is going through a horrendous time, but market-watchers think the worst may soon be over.
Lego for life
E&T profiles Bee Thakore, the engineer who wants to change the world with a little plastic brick.
Falling for technology
Do Lego, old radios and microscopes help form tomorrow's engineers? E&T reviews a book which argues that they do.
Gadget speak
This week we pit two emerging 3D TV technologies against one another and we take a back-to-basics approach to picking the right flat screen.
The ascent of the smartphone
Smartphones are evolving rapidly in sophistication. What will they be capable of in a year or two or even five years' time? First, you have to define what a smartphone is, says E&T.
Diy society
Could technology one day be so simple that consumers will build their own gadgets? We went to the Consumer Electronics Show and met the companies inspired by Lego.
Head to head
Altera and Xilinx are limbering up for their next bout for the top of the programmable-logic market.
Forklifts under fire
MIT's entry for the Grand Challenge race is leading to a forklift for handling vital supplies in some of the most deadly places in the world.
Living the good life
The struggles of a Malmö suburb to become the blueprint for the city of tomorrow prove just how difficult a task it is.
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