Spectral report: Technology ´75

Scarcely a year goes by without worries that “overriding events” will hinder worthy new applications of technology. The year 1974 was no exception, nor, evidently, will be 1975, with rising concerns over the world economy, inflation, unemployment, fuel shortages, etc. Nevertheless, developments proceed, if not always at the pace their advocates desire. This special issue is a distillation of evaluations by hundreds of industry experts, including members of IEEE Groups and Societies, covering ten technical areas, and including a section on technology and society. By and large the reports avoid blue-sky projections, concentrating instead on near-future hardware and software.