Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
December 2011
From BLOG@CACM
Is the Computer Security Community Barking Up the Wrong Trees?
From The Eponymous Pickle
What Works in Emerging Technology
Of Interest (requires registration) Reading now. This has always been a primary focus of mine. We were largely successful in filtering out the not immediately useful." ... TDWI's What Works in Emerging Technologies offers…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Numerical Algorithms and DemandTec
I have been talking to several companies about advanced analytical algorithms used for making choices about engagement practices for the enterprise. A few new discoveries made: " ... In today's highly competitive retail market…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
In The Washington Post
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Pick The Software First
Last week an email passed though my inbox that said something like “my district is buying the latest shiny new computing gadget. What software should I get to teach computer science on it?” OK now I am a software guy and biased…
From Wild WebMink
? New Digital Divides
In today’s article on ComputerWorldUK, I consider the new digital divides that stand to separate us into a two-speed society. And they may not be what you’re expecting, or what policymakers are addressing.
From Apophenia
I
Penguins and statues and glaciers oh my! I’m off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of … OH MY GOD I AM ON VACATION!!!! Can you hear my enthusiasm? My complete and utter joy? Cuz I’m bouncing up and down here. For the next…
From Schneier on Security
<i>Liars and Outliers</i> Galleys
My publisher is printing galley copies of Liars and Outliers. If anyone out there has a legitimate reason to get one, like writing book reviews for a newspaper, magazine, popular blog, etc., send me an e-mail and I'll forward…
From My Biased Coin
Grading
Some folks at the NSDI meeting were nice enough to say that it was nice that I was blogging again. Sadly, I've been under-the-gun busy for the last several weeks, but it was a reminder that I should be getting back to this now…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Perceiving the Complex World
I met Sumon Sadhu, the Director of Intelligence for Quid today. Augmenting Our Ability to Perceive this Complex World .. " We had been trying similar things in the enterprise. Visually interesting. " ... Quid software…
From Schneier on Security
Feeling vs. Reality of Security in Sparrows
Sparrows have fewer surviving offspring if they feel insecure, regardless of whether they actually are insecure. Liana Y. Zanette, Aija F. White, Marek C. Allen, and Michael Clinchy, "Perceived Predation Risk Reduces the Number…
From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
Mosaic Report: Synergies Between CS, Social Sciences
Earlier this month, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) released a new report –
From Schneier on Security
Yet More Fear-Mongering from the DHS
Al Qaeda is sewing bombs into people. Actually, not really. This is an "aspirational" terrorist threat, which basically means that someone mentioned it while drunk in a bar somewhere. Of course, that won't stop the DHS from…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Creating Engineers One Student At A Time
Last weekend I visited the Maine State Championship for FIRST Lego League which is run by a group of volunteers in an organization called Maine Robotics. They had about 500 students (grades 3 to 8) who were part of 62 teams…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Crowd Designed Episodic Game Development
Bold, Curious idea. But is it any more than just voting on minor elements of game design? I would think that a genetic oriented design based on usage would be a better play. Will follow. More
From Computational Complexity
Solution to the reciprocals problem
In my last blog I asked you to look at this problem, try to solve it, and tell me if you think it is too hard for a HS competition. (I meant to post this on WED so I posted it at 12:06AM East Coast Time. I didn't know that the…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Innovation Boom
Look for the coming innovation boom. I have personally seen quite a few good ideas recently.
From Putting People First
Women to dominate tech
Chip maker and technology group Intel says that women are emerging as the dominant users of technology and if it continues to enhance its ease of use, the fairer sex will continue to dominate the adoption of technology. This…
From Putting People First
Philosophy of interaction
Chapter eleven of the interaction-design.org resource is now available in preview. It was written by Dag Svanaes, Professor at the Department of Computer and Information Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology…
From Schneier on Security
Assessing Terrorist Threats to Commercial Aviation
This article on airplane security says many of the same things I've been saying for years:
Given the breadth and complexity of threats to commercial aviation, those who criticize the TSA and other aviation security regulatory…From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
NSF: Slight Increase in Ph.D.s in the Computer Sciences;CS Experienced
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is out with a brief overview of the
From Schneier on Security
Iranians Capture U.S. Drone
Iran has captured a U.S. surveillance drone. No one is sure how it happened. Looking at the pictures of the drone, it wasn't shot down and it didn't crash. The various fail-safe mechanisms on the drone seem to have failed;…
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Year Up Visits the MTC
Last Friday the Microsoft Technology Center in Waltham MA was pleased to again host a group from Year Up Rhode Island. I again gave a career talk. Unlike last time (NUI Whoops) I didn’t get fancy and try to use a Kinect to show…
From The Eponymous Pickle
The Intelligent Social Dashboard
Addresses the sharepocalypse. I am confused, both before and after the private introduction of 'Bottlenose', but it may be worth examination: " It's hard enough being a normal user, but some have millions of people tweeting…
From The Eponymous Pickle
P&G Personalized Style
Personalized Style site:P&G Beauty & Grooming announced the launch of StyleUnited (www.styleunited.com), the first truly personalized site that brings beauty and fashion together for a total style source. In partnership with…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Exploring Your Blindspot
A free E-Book. Well, more like a pamphlet. About human vision blind spots. This is a frequent topic in psych classes. We do not see everything in front of our eyes. I have always wondered how this information influences…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts as a brand tactic. Gamifying as engagement. Some interesting examples are given to increase brand engagement.
From Schneier on Security
Dumbest Camera Ban Ever
In London:
While photography bans are pretty common, the station has decided to only ban DSLRs due to "their combination of high quality sensor and high resolution". Other cameras are allowed in, as long as they don't look "big"…From Computer Science Teachers Association
National Models of CS Education
While in Costa Rica running an Alice workshop at the Foundacion Omar Dengo (see my earlier blog posting), Alberto J. Canas came to the foundation to give a talk entitled "Creating an identity-based infrastructure that fosters…
From U.S. Public Policy Committee of the ACM
Hill Tech Happenings, Week of December 12
December 14 Hearing: The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on ICANN’s top-level domain program. 9 a.m., 2123 Rayburn Building