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subjectComputers And Society
authorMIT News
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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


Fingertip Sensor Gives Robot ­nprecedented Dexterity
From ACM TechNews

Fingertip Sensor Gives Robot ­nprecedented Dexterity

Researchers have developed a robot equipped with tactile sensors that enable it to grasp a USB cable draped over a hook and insert it into a USB port. 

Where to Grab Space Debris
From ACM TechNews

Where to Grab Space Debris

A new algorithm can be used to gauge the rotation of objects in zero gravity using only visual information. 

Ride-Sharing Could Cut Cabs' Road Time By 30 Percent
From ACM TechNews

Ride-Sharing Could Cut Cabs' Road Time By 30 Percent

Researchers analyzing taxi trip data found about 95% of trips could have been shared, and an optimal combination of trips would have cut travel time by 40%. 

Harnessing the Speed of Light
From ACM Opinion

Harnessing the Speed of Light

The fields of data communication, fabrication, and ultrasound imaging share a common challenge when it comes to improving speed and efficiency: light's diffraction...

Traffic Lights: There's a Better Way
From ACM TechNews

Traffic Lights: There's a Better Way

A new means of computing the optimal timings for city stoplights can significantly reduce drivers' average travel times. 

Who's Using Your Data?
From ACM TechNews

Who's Using Your Data?

The HTTP with Accountability protocol is designed to track the transmission of private data and enable the data owner to see how it is used online. 

Social Physics
From ACM TechNews

Social Physics

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab Human Dynamics Laboratory director Alex Pentland is working on a new theory of human social interaction. 

Marvin Minsky Honored For Lifetime Achievements in Artificial Intelligence
From ACM News

Marvin Minsky Honored For Lifetime Achievements in Artificial Intelligence

MIT Media Lab professor emeritus Marvin Minsky, 86, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, has won the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award...

New Approach to Vertex Connectivity Could Maximize Networks' Bandwidth
From ACM TechNews

New Approach to Vertex Connectivity Could Maximize Networks' Bandwidth

Researchers say they have developed a technique for addressing vertex-connectivity problems. 

Never Forget a Face
From ACM TechNews

Never Forget a Face

A new algorithm makes subtle changes to various points on a face to make it more memorable without changing the subject's overall appearance. 

New System Allows For High-Accuracy, Through-Wall, 3D Motion Tracking
From ACM TechNews

New System Allows For High-Accuracy, Through-Wall, 3D Motion Tracking

WiTrack is a new a three-dimensional (3D) motion-tracking technology that uses radio signals to track a person through walls and other obstacles. 

Inexpensive 'nano-Camera' Can Operate at the Speed of Light
From ACM TechNews

Inexpensive 'nano-Camera' Can Operate at the Speed of Light

Researchers have created a $500 "nano-camera" that operates at the speed of light and could have applications in areas like medical imaging. 

A Computer Scientist's Approach to Medicine
From ACM TechNews

A Computer Scientist's Approach to Medicine

Massachusetts Institute of Technology computer scientist Stephanie Seneff applies her natural language processing research to solving biological problems.

Research Brings ­nbreakable Phones One Step Closer
From ACM TechNews

Research Brings ­nbreakable Phones One Step Closer

A new method for transferring versatile electronics onto a flexible surface could contribute to the development of flexible displays, solar cells, and energy harvesters...

Artificial-Intelligence Research Revives Its Old Ambitions
From ACM News

Artificial-Intelligence Research Revives Its Old Ambitions

The birth of artificial-intelligence research as an autonomous discipline is generally thought to have been the monthlong Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial...

In The World: Mapping the Logistics of Megacities
From ACM TechNews

In The World: Mapping the Logistics of Megacities

Logistics data on neighborhoods in several world cities is available online in an open-access pool of information that is graphically represented on city maps. 

3-D Mapping in Real Time, Without the Drift
From ACM TechNews

3-D Mapping in Real Time, Without the Drift

A new mapping algorithm that creates real-time, detailed three-dimensional maps of indoor and outdoor environments. 

Views You Can ­se? How Online Ratings Affect Your Judgment
From ACM News

Views You Can ­se? How Online Ratings Affect Your Judgment

Are you influenced by the opinions of other people—say, in the comments sections of websites?

Reliable Communication, ­nreliable Networks
From ACM TechNews

Reliable Communication, ­nreliable Networks

Researchers recently unveiled a new framework for analyzing ad hoc networks. 

Neuroscientists Plant False Memories in the Brain
From ACM News

Neuroscientists Plant False Memories in the Brain

The phenomenon of false memory has been well-documented: In many court cases, defendants have been found guilty based on testimony from witnesses and victims who...
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