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subjectComputers And Society
authorNew Scientist
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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.


Phone's Wi-Fi Hotspot Acts as Sos Beacon in Disasters
From ACM TechNews

Phone's Wi-Fi Hotspot Acts as Sos Beacon in Disasters

A new app turns a smartphone into a wireless SOS beacon that could help rescuers find people who have been trapped in collapsed buildings. 

Humanity's Forgotten Return to Africa Revealed in Dna
From ACM News

Humanity's Forgotten Return to Africa Revealed in Dna

Call it humanity's unexpected U-turn.

Moth Drone Stays Rock Steady in Gale-Force Winds
From ACM News

Moth Drone Stays Rock Steady in Gale-Force Winds

They might not seem at all stable as they batter into light bulbs but moths have inspired an autopilot for drones.

Lifelogging: What It's Like to Record Your Whole Life
From ACM Opinion

Lifelogging: What It's Like to Record Your Whole Life

Gordon Bell, one of the first people to chronicle his existence digitally, explains how it has changed his life and the potential pitfalls.

Water Plumes Spark a Race to Jupiter Moon Europa
From ACM News

Water Plumes Spark a Race to Jupiter Moon Europa

Let's put Mars in our rear-view mirror.

The Great Ideas Hiding ­nder the Invisibility Cloak
From ACM Opinion

The Great Ideas Hiding ­nder the Invisibility Cloak

Physicist John Pendry talks about the profound physics obscured by his invisibility cloak and how metamaterials could help realise the perfect lens.

Skin Pigment Could Power Safe, Implantable Battery
From ACM TechNews

Skin Pigment Could Power Safe, Implantable Battery

A battery made with the skin pigment melanin could one day provide power for electronic devices installed within the human body. 

'Soft' Biometrics Is the New Way to Monitor People
From ACM News

'Soft' Biometrics Is the New Way to Monitor People

Cameras are strewn around our environment, catching glimpses of our faces everywhere we go, yet even the best facial recognition technology still has a hard time...

Europa's Choppy Ocean Looks Friendly to Life
From ACM News

Europa's Choppy Ocean Looks Friendly to Life

As moons go, Europa is doing pretty well in the looks department.

My Quantum Algorithm Won't Break the Internet… Yet
From ACM Opinion

My Quantum Algorithm Won't Break the Internet… Yet

Internet security relies on the fact that our computers can't break its cryptosystems. But the quantum algorithm you devised has the potential to do just that.

Social Media Helps Aid Efforts After Typhoon Haiyan
From ACM TechNews

Social Media Helps Aid Efforts After Typhoon Haiyan

In the wake of typhoon Haiyan, disaster relief teams are descending on the Philippines from all over the world, trying to aid the victims. Volunteers are mining...

Sunny Fix Would Let Defunct Kepler Hunt Planets Again
From ACM News

Sunny Fix Would Let Defunct Kepler Hunt Planets Again

NASA's champion planet-hunter, which recently suffered a fatal breakdown, is now looking on the sunny side.

Social Media Helps Aid Efforts After Typhoon Haiyan
From ACM News

Social Media Helps Aid Efforts After Typhoon Haiyan

Ten million people affected. Half a million displaced. Ten thousand feared dead.

Five Fascinating Things Revealed By Twitter Data
From ACM News

Five Fascinating Things Revealed By Twitter Data

When technology companies get floated on the stock market, it prompts all kinds of analytical soul searching.

Will India Get to Mars? A Guide to the Dangers Ahead
From ACM News

Will India Get to Mars? A Guide to the Dangers Ahead

With the successful launch just hours ago of its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), India has passed the first test in its bid to orbit the Red Planet. Next up is a nail...

Craig Venter: Why I Put My Name in Synthetic Genomes
From ACM Opinion

Craig Venter: Why I Put My Name in Synthetic Genomes

How has the definition of life changed during your lifetime?

Smuggler-Spotting Software Sniffs Out Dodgy Shipments
From ACM TechNews

Smuggler-Spotting Software Sniffs Out Dodgy Shipments

Machine intelligence could make it easier to spot illicit cargo among the goods that move through the world's ports. 

What Our 3d-Printed Future Looks Like
From ACM News

What Our 3d-Printed Future Looks Like

On-demand organs, Terminator-style arms, and aviation nostalgia—the best of 3D printing is on show in 3D: Printing the Future at London's Science Museum.

Silk Road Bust Hints at Fbi's New Cybercrime Powers
From ACM News

Silk Road Bust Hints at Fbi's New Cybercrime Powers

The biggest drug marketplace on the Internet has been busted.

Private Data Gatekeeper Stands Between You and the Nsa
From ACM TechNews

Private Data Gatekeeper Stands Between You and the Nsa

OpenPDS allows users to see and control any third-party requests for their information. 
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