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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.


Self-Driving Taxis Are Causing All Kinds of Trouble in San Francisco
From ACM News

Self-Driving Taxis Are Causing All Kinds of Trouble in San Francisco

They have blocked traffic, driven on the sidewalk, sped away from cops — and the city is powerless to stop them.

Meet Mappy, a Software System That Automatically Maps Old-School Nintendo Games
From ACM TechNews

Meet Mappy, a Software System That Automatically Maps Old-School Nintendo Games

Mappy is a new software system that can autonomously generate maps of a video game's levels.

We Don't Need Humans on Mars
From ACM Opinion

We Don't Need Humans on Mars

The two mobile robots Spirit and Opportunity were launched from Earth in 2003 and arrived on opposite sides of Mars in 2004. A suite of cameras, instruments, and...

Should Cops Be Allowed to Take Control of Self-Driving Cars?
From ACM News

Should Cops Be Allowed to Take Control of Self-Driving Cars?

A few lines in a seemingly routine RAND Corp. report on the future of technology and law enforcement last week raised a provocative question: Should police have...

Human Weakness in Cybersecurity
From ACM News

Human Weakness in Cybersecurity

The Joint Chiefs of Staff unclassified email system is now back online, after having been down for more than two weeks, following a breach that some officials have...

What a Comet Looks Like … From 9 Meters Away!
From ACM News

What a Comet Looks Like … From 9 Meters Away!

The European Space Agency has just released some fantastic close-up images taken by the Philae lander of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

The Social Security Number's Insecurities
From ACM Opinion

The Social Security Number's Insecurities

In both the Anthem insurance hack and the two Office of Personnel Management hacks this year, attackers gained access to Social Security numbers, affecting 80 million...

So Sayeth Google
From ACM Opinion

So Sayeth Google

Search for "vaccines." At least within our filter bubble, the top item in Google's "In the news" section earlier this week was an anti-vax column about the "feds'...

Nasa Has Its Sights Set on Europa
From ACM News

Nasa Has Its Sights Set on Europa

Yesterday, NASA announced its Fiscal Year 2016 budget request.

Dumbing It Down in the Cockpit
From ACM Opinion

Dumbing It Down in the Cockpit

Long gone are the leather jackets, goggles, and silk scarves flung over the shoulders of aviators who wrestled with flight controls, furiously scanned instruments...

The Quadriplegic Who Moved His Hand
From ACM News

The Quadriplegic Who Moved His Hand

Ian Burkhart was 19 and fearless and horsing around in the surf with friends on vacation in North Carolina’s Outer Banks when he mistimed a dive and a wave drove...

Why Did the Justice Department Indict Five Chinese Military Officers?
From ACM Opinion

Why Did the Justice Department Indict Five Chinese Military Officers?

At first glance, the Justice Department's 31-count indictment of five Chinese military officers for hacking into the computers of six American corporations, in...

The Fuzzy Math Behind the Search For Mh370
From ACM Opinion

The Fuzzy Math Behind the Search For Mh370

Five weeks into the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, more than $30 million has been spent scouring great swatches of the southern Indian Ocean.

Target's Heating and Refrigeration Company Gave Hackers the Key to Customer Data
From ACM News

Target's Heating and Refrigeration Company Gave Hackers the Key to Customer Data

The massive Target data breach is a symbol of the need for tighter data security in big retail chains, but it's also still an evolving story in its own right.

Former Nsa Chief on Latest Leaked Dragnet Spy Program: It's Real, and It's Spectacular
From ACM Opinion

Former Nsa Chief on Latest Leaked Dragnet Spy Program: It's Real, and It's Spectacular

Does the NSA really operate a vast database that allows its analysts to sift through millions of records showing nearly everything a user does on the Internet,...

We Need More Cameras, and We Need Them Now
From ACM Opinion

We Need More Cameras, and We Need Them Now

On Thursday afternoon, the FBI released photos and video of two persons of interest in the Boston Marathon bombing.

The Art of Cyberwar
From ACM Opinion

The Art of Cyberwar

The New York Times’ front-page report last week that the Chinese army is hacking into America's most sensitive computer networks from a 12-story building outside...

Phreaks and Geeks
From ACM Opinion

Phreaks and Geeks

One of the most heartfelt—and unexpected—remembrances of Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide last month at the age of 26, came from Yale professor Edward Tufte.

A Missile-Defense System That Actually Works?
From ACM News

A Missile-Defense System That Actually Works?

The fighting between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza strip over the last few days is the latest round of violence in a region that has been torn apart by a...

Obama Was Right: The Government Invented the Internet
From ACM Opinion

Obama Was Right: The Government Invented the Internet

Earlier this month, President Obama argued that wealthy business people owe some of their success to the government's investment in education and basic infrastructure...
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