August 2026 - IEEE Spectrum

It only took a little prompting to hijack the biggest AI models
This Cree network reaches the far north and outperforms Starlink
Bad decisions have turned efficient technology into a driver of light pollution. There is a better way
How the iPhone and then Android killed the feature phone
Users had trouble distinguishing real versus projected text
What seems like a fun physics experiment could be a quantum computing lifesaver
Phoenix targets the high-mix, low-volume demand for obsolete chips in critical systems
Five new papers validate key parts of Commonwealth Fusion System’s ARC reactor
Adaptive sound control could help those with hearing loss
Some connected devices just need a satellite, others a cell tower in space
Parting thoughts from legendary IEEE Spectrum author Robert N. Charette
The Magnetophon also gave rise to the laugh track
Probe this invisible cosmic enigma with a DIY radio telescope
The professor launched the first AI research institute at an HBCU
Even the best attempts to pin down “big G” don’t always agree
Read Paul Jones’s poem from our August 2026 issue