In an effort to halt new offshore wind development, the U.S. announced today a deal with TotalEnergies to redirect the $1 billion the energy giant paid for an offshore wind lease and put it toward U.S. oil and gas projects. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited cost and national security as the impetus for the deal. Do offshore wind farms pose a national security risk? We investigated: https://spectrum.ieee.org/offshore-wind-military-radar

"Without access to oil, #Cuba's in a dire situation: blackouts, trash piling up, and limited hospital access. But even if the U.S. lifts its oil blockade, Cuba's power grid will need a massive overhaul to recover. Here's why: https://spectrum.ieee.org/cuba-energy-crisis"

Your next Chromebook might have its first piece of open-source hardware inside! What's open-source hardware, you ask? https://spectrum.ieee.org/open-titan-chip

Hundreds of computer researchers have signed an open letter calling for more careful public review of the ongoing wave of online age verification requirements and the #privacy costs, https://csa-scientist-open-letter.org/ageverif-Feb2026. IEEE Spectrum explained the tradeoffs here: https://spectrum.ieee.org/age-verification

Last night, the Vera Rubin Observatory sent out 800,000 alerts for changes it spotted in the night sky. What do they all mean? https://spectrum.ieee.org/vera-rubin-observatory-first-images

IEEE Spectrum's pico-balloon has already orbited the Earth. Follow along with its path here https://traquito.github.io/search/spots/dashboard/?band=20m&channel=104&callsign=N4LVD&dtGte=2026-01-01
And create your own tiny tracker to explore the stratosphere https://spectrum.ieee.org/explore-stratosphere-diy-pico-balloon

Gladys West, the mathematician and computer scientist integral to the creation of #GPS, has passed away. She left a lasting impact on mathematics, geodesy, and computer science. https://spectrum.ieee.org/gladys-west-hidden-figure-gps

In 2028, your #ChatGPT queries may run on a chip the size of a dinner plate! Learn more about the tech behind #OpenAI's new partner #Cerebras. https://spectrum.ieee.org/cerebrass-giant-chip-will-smash-deep-learnings-speed-barrier

Are these micro-electronic devices the key to #AR glasses?
Spectrum Editor Glenn Zorpette tried on a new kind of audio driver to see how companies could make lightweight AR glasses that have clear audio. He was impressed!

Spectrum Editor Gwendolyn Rak doesn’t speak Japanese, but she wanted to learn about new technology at Japan’s biggest #tech expo CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies), so she tried out Timekettle’s translating earbuds.