Ultimately, the invisible, under-the-hood electronic architecture of the plug-in hybrid will become as commonplace as automatic transmissions and anti-lock brakes.

FORBES: The Automobile Shifts Gears

For the first quarter-century of the microprocessor's life, most integrated-circuit packages were fairly predictable hunks of ceramics, bought largely from one of four Japanese firms: Kyocera (its name is a combination of the words Kyoto and ceramics), NGK Spark Plug, Shinko Electronic Industries and Sumitomo Metal Electronics Devices.

FORBES: It's all in the packaging

For the first quarter-century of the microprocessor's life, most integrated-circuit packages were fairly predictable hunks of ceramics, largely bought from one of four Japanese firms: Kyocera (its name is a combination of the words Kyoto and ceramics), NGK Spark Plug, Shinko Electronic Industries and Sumitomo Metal Electronics Devices.

FORBES: It's all in the packaging

Cold-ironing allows ships at dock to plug into shore-side electricity sources to power electronic and mechanical systems needed for loading and unloading activities.

FORBES: Plug-in-Power Set for Massive Growth at Major Ports

In August 2012, the creators of HelloFax sought to change this process with HelloSign, an electronic signature app that just announced it is now available as a Gmail plug-in.

FORBES: Signed, Sealed, Delivered: How HelloSign Is Changing Electronic Document Signatures

Last year, the department pulled the plug on a billion-dollar initiative, known as SBInet, after concluding that the troubled "electronic fence" involving cameras, radar and other devices would be unable to provide the unified border-monitoring system once envisioned.

WSJ: Battlefield Blimps to Patrol U.S.-Mexico Borders