Materials and Assembly is the subject of this month's Technology Focus.

Inspired by the FIRST robotics competition, a high school team built and demonstrated an ROV that is designed to pick up floating trash and litter.

"Save the Sphinx," "Heart in 3-D" and "Permeable Wall" are among the items in this month's Computing section.

This month, News & Notes features "Osmosis Power," "Solution Search" and "N.C. Utility to Phase Out Coal-Fired Plants."

The January 2010 Letters section features a number of letters concerning the proposal to find an icon for mechanical engineering from the May 2009 issue.

From the life-defining decisions we faced early on, to the mundane ones we make every day now, like what street to turn to on our way to work, the element of risk is unavoidable.

Rapid prototyping gains new roles in humanitarian causes.

Robots pose risks, but not the type envisioned in tales of machines taking over. Instead, robots are changing how we humans think about warfare.

Engineering to meet electricity needs is shaping up as a big job, with plenty of openings.

Why do people give up engineering? Surveys of men and women engineers tell an unexpected story.

Advances in composites help make a sports car even faster.

Risk Management: ASME-ITI and American Water Works Association develop a risk and resilience standard.

Risk Management: Knowing where you are most likely to fail can help set the stage for reducing the chances of failure.

This month's New Products include incremental encoders, coin vibration motors, tank heaters, and a blow-off station.

The January 2010 Software Exchange section features Autodesk SketchBook Mobile, the AutoCAD viewser, the DV-CADDS Reader and Draft It.