Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
January 2014
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
NSF CISE CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop
The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) announced that it will hold a one-day CAREER proposal writing workshop March 31, 2014 in Arlington, VA. The goal …
From The Eponymous Pickle
Printing Human Parts
This came up in a recent discussion. It remains an area which is over regulated. " ... Bio-printing human parts will spark ethical, regulatory debate ... 3D printing also threatens intellectual property ... The day when 3D…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Staying Secure in the Cloud
As the owner and operator of a consulting business I am acutely aware of the need to readily exchange information between people and multiple devices to improve communications. For a long time we were forced to exchange information…
From Schneier on Security
The Politics of Fear
This is very good:
...one might suppose that modern democratic states, with the lessons of history at hand, would seek to minimize fear or at least minimize its effect on deliberative decision-making in both foreign and domestic…From Wild WebMink
Setting Up Our Voice-Over-IP Phone System
Reblogged from Meshed Insights & Knowledge: As I mentioned recently on Google+, I've recently installed a telephone system for Meshed Insights using a Raspberry Pi. Here's a description of the system I've put together. The brains…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
CSTA Announces a new K-12 Administrator Impact Award
Great new program from CSTA and code.org. We sometimes forget that administrators can have a huge role in promoting and developing computer science programs in schools. This is an attempt to recognize those outstanding individuals…
From Schneier on Security
TAWDRYYARD: NSA Exploit of the Day
Back in December, Der Spiegel published a lot of information about the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group, including a 2008 catalog of hardware and software "implants." Because there were so many items in the catalog…
From Apophenia
blatant groveling: please buy my book
In less than a month, my new book – “It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens” - will be published. This is the product of ten years worth of research into how social media has inflected American teen life. If…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Jungle Jim's Food Blog
I continue to follow the process of blogging. Was very late to discover our Cincinnati area local ethnic food super store: Jungle Jim's Food Blog. As a long time amateur chef I find it very interesting and well done. Recipes…
From The Eponymous Pickle
McKinsey on Next-Shoring: An Innovation Idea Chain
The term was new to me: Next-Shoring. " .... A CEO’s guideProximity to demand and innovative supply ecosystems will trump labor costs as technology transforms operations in the years ahead. ... " . Good look at the underlying…
From Schneier on Security
US Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) Condems NSA Mass Surveillance
Now we know why the president gave his speech on NSA surveillance last week; he wanted to get ahead of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
Last week, it issued a report saying that NSA mass surveillance of Americans…From The Eponymous Pickle
Enterprise Commiting to High Technology
In BaselineMag: High performing firms have commitment to advanced technology. Infographic Slideshow. " ... What separates high-performing companies from the rest of the business world? These days, it's often their enterprise…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Gaining Insight from Research at McDs.
Consumer research at McDonalds. In Research Mag. Not unlike our innovation center aims:" ... McDonald’s is a customer-oriented business, and research and consumer insight are our lifeblood,” says Lauren Cody, vice president…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Printed Model of a Neuron
A 3D printed model of a Neuron. " ... Yale neuroscientist Gordon Shepherd has created the first 3D-printed neuron with help from the Yale Center for Engineering Innovation and Design (CEID). .. " . From Kuzweil.
From Schneier on Security
EU Might Raise Fines for Data Breaches
This makes a lot of sense.
Viviane Reding dismissed recent fines for Google as "pocket money" and said the firm would have had to pay $1bn under her plans for privacy failings. Ms Reding said such punishments were necessary…From Schneier on Security
SPARROW II: NSA Exploit of the Day
Today's item from the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group implant catalog:
SPARROW II (TS//SI//REL) An embedded computer system running BLINDDATE tools. Sparrow II is a fully functional WLAN collection system with …From The Eponymous Pickle
Digimarc's Watermarking
We examined Digimarc's watermarking technology in the innovation center as an alternative to RFID. " ... Digimarc has created an invisible watermark that allows bar-code information to be placed all over a product, making scanning…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Seismic Shift to Online Shopping
In Retailwire: The Starbucks CEO says the shift has happened. How do we deal with it? "No longer are many retailers only required to compete with stores on the other side of the street," said Mr. Schultz. "They are now required…
From Computer Science Teachers Association
A Special Message for All Procrastinators
Just as many of you do, I like to listen to National Public Radio (NPR). And I fully understand the need for fundraising from the public a few times a year. Our local NPR station seems to always have a special promotion near…
From The Eponymous Pickle
CPG Mobile Marketing Scores
In Mobile Marketer: Some very interesting details are included in the article:" ... CPG brands score on mobile's hypertargeted marketing promise ... CPG brands have historically relied on mass marketing tactics with big budgets…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
Why aren’t more girls interested in computer science?
It is a long-standing issue the computing community struggles with that is attracting national attention. A recent study showed just how alarming the diversity statistics are for girls in computer science. Barbara Ericson, director…
From The Eponymous Pickle
HR Infographics
Can a generated infographic act as a useful way to visualize a person's resume? Well enough so that it can be used as a quick way to determine if a person has the right skills and experience to match a job need. The idea is.…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Google Buys DeepMind for AI
An early application I examined was the analysis and tagging of images. A look was taken at the AI based company DeepMind, which is known for simulation and gaming intelligence. Now Google has bought the company, apparently…
From U.S. Public Policy Committee of the ACM
Hill Tech Happenings, Week of January 27
January 28 Hearing: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on the security of the HealthCare.gov website. 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn Building The Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and the Internet…
From Computational Complexity
Fermat's Last Theorem and Large Cardinals. Really!
A brilliant math ugrad at UMCP, Doug, is also a creative writer who wants to work on large cardinals. His creative writing may help him there. We had the following conversation: DOUG: The proof of Fermat's last theorem depends…
From Schneier on Security
New Security Risks for Windows XP Systems
Microsoft is trying to stop supporting Windows XP. The problem is that a majority of ATMs still use that OS. And once Microsoft stops issuing security updates to XP, those machines will become increasingly vulnerable.
Although…From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Interesting Links 27 January 2014
New semester starts for me today. Brand me (to me) batch of students in two sections of Explorations in Computer Science and one section of Honors Programming. I’m pretty excited about that. A chance to improve based on whatHere…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Buyers Journey as a Funnel
A view I had not head of, but intriguing: " ... Does a Buyer’s Journey Take Shape as a Funnel? ... Posted by Chris Spears on Nov 14, 2013 in Agency, Content, Marketing ... " . Perhaps a useful metaphor.
From The Eponymous Pickle
Personalizing Data Interactions
In Supermarket News (required free registration): New opportunities for richer data sources. " ... Supermarkets are using customer data and digital devices to bring more personalization and convenience to shoppers. Efforts…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Comparing Electronic Capability Costs: 1991 vs Today
MJ Perry does an excellent job comparing the cost, functionality and power of electronic functions in 1991 vs Today: 1991 Radio Shack ad: 13 electronic products for $5k (and 290 hrs. work) can now be replaced with a $200 iPhone…