A sophisticated mess?

Location, location, location  

As the old joke says, On the Internet no one knows you're a dog. But they can get a very good idea of where your kennel is, and perhaps even work out where you go for walkies.

Handset vendors get hardware options  

Forensic fact or fiction?  

The forensics in Silent Witness, Bones and CSI raise expectations and are a double-edged sword. Read the article and watch our two exclusive videos about real-life, cutting-edge forensic techniques.

FPGAs explore the time dimension  

To try to keep up with demands for cheaper access to high-density logic, programmable-logic companies are planning radical shifts in how they design their chips.

Mashup tools: enterprise enablers for the mashed age  

Don't dismiss Argentina's scientists and engineers  

Fast cars, space exploration and other achievements of Argentine technology.

Design first: iF Awards 2010  

At CeBit you can see the latest do-it-all gadgets but if it’s good design you want, seek out the iF awards pavilion. E&T gives a run-down of the sleekest offerings.

Avoiding satellite collisions  

Space junk could be the cause of satellite failures.

Analysis: Mixed signals trouble component suppliers  

The electronics business is facing low demand coupled with spasmodic bursts of orders. E&T discovers that uncertainty is causing problems in the supply chain.

Design for manufacture: are you fit for purpose?  

The idea of design for manufacture is hardly new, so why is manufacturing so often an afterthought for designers, asks E&T.

Making mash-ups  

Mash-ups are widely available for public use on the Internet, but are only just beginning to fulfil their potential in business environments. Organisations are looking at ways in which they can integrate mash-ups with existing software to display information collected from multiple data sources in order to aid business efficiency.

Developing biofuels from algae relies on superbugs  

Biofuels are vital in the fight to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. But developing a sustainable biofuel has proved challenging, but the latest advances with microbes and algae could provide the answer

The true cost of power generation  

It has long been a bone of contention that renewable energy is far from cost-effective, and that view has been borne out by a recent landmark study.

Open-source ideas  

Want to tap into new business? The old way was to brainstorm, but that's so last year. Today we set up reward-based 'ideagoras' - effectively a 'mash-up' management strategy. And it works.

After the earthquake: Chile's challenges  

E&T considers some of the infrastructure deficiencies that the Chilean earthquake brought to light.

When Web 2.0 sneezes, everyone gets sick  

Web 2.0 facilitates greater communication. But where consumers gather, so will the fraudsters and patterns are emerging on how fraudsters are utilising the weaknesses in social networks and Web 2.0.

Heavy metal: when repairs and remanufacturing make good business  

There's still plenty of engineering work to be done for those willing to find a niche, cultivate a positive attitude, invest in equipment, and - perhaps more importantly - invest in people, as E&T discovers.