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subjectHardware
authorThe Washington Post
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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.


For Sale: Systems that Can Secretly Track Where Cellphone ­sers Go Around the Globe
From ACM News

For Sale: Systems that Can Secretly Track Where Cellphone ­sers Go Around the Globe

Makers of surveillance systems are offering governments across the world the ability to track the movements of almost anybody who carries a cellphone, whether they...

Why One of Cybersecurity's Thought Leaders ­ses a Pager Instead of a Smart Phone
From ACM Opinion

Why One of Cybersecurity's Thought Leaders ­ses a Pager Instead of a Smart Phone

In the computer and network security industry, few people are as well known as Dan Geer.

How Spy Agencies Keep Their 'toys' from Law Enforcement
From ACM News

How Spy Agencies Keep Their 'toys' from Law Enforcement

A little over a decade ago, federal prosecutors used keystroke logging software to steal the encryption password of an alleged New Jersey mobster, Nicodemo Scarfo...

Forget Touchscreens, 3D Holographic Displays Are Coming
From ACM News

Forget Touchscreens, 3D Holographic Displays Are Coming

As it stands, the touchscreen experience is confined to a flat, two-dimensional world.

Submarines for Saturn, Comet Hitchhikers, Asteroid Wranglers and Other Space Fantasies
From ACM News

Submarines for Saturn, Comet Hitchhikers, Asteroid Wranglers and Other Space Fantasies

If you thought Elon Musk was the only person coming up with innovative ideas for the exploration of outer space, you'd be wrong.

'smart Pills' with Chips, Cameras, and Robotic Parts Raise Legal, Ethical Questions
From ACM News

'smart Pills' with Chips, Cameras, and Robotic Parts Raise Legal, Ethical Questions

Each morning around 6, Mary Ellen Snodgrass swallows a computer chip.

When Driverless Cars Crash, Who's to Blame?
From ACM News

When Driverless Cars Crash, Who's to Blame?

Self-driving cars have an undeniable allure: Think of all the fun things you could do if you didn't have to keep your eyes on the road!

The Military Thinks Bitcoin Could Pose a Threat to National Security
From ACM News

The Military Thinks Bitcoin Could Pose a Threat to National Security

Does Bitcoin risk endangering the nation's safety? The Pentagon thinks it might.

How George Washington ­niversity Is Shaping a Piece of Google's Smartphone Future
From ACM News

How George Washington ­niversity Is Shaping a Piece of Google's Smartphone Future

In the labs of George Washington University, students are laboring in labs covered in black-and-white dotted paper, puzzling out how to make a machine that understands...

Ohio Surgeons Hope Chip in Man's Brain Lets Him Control Paralyzed Hand with Thoughts
From ACM News

Ohio Surgeons Hope Chip in Man's Brain Lets Him Control Paralyzed Hand with Thoughts

Chad Bouton snapped awake at 5 a.m.

Low-Level Federal Judges Balking at Law Enforcement Requests For Electronic Evidence
From ACM News

Low-Level Federal Judges Balking at Law Enforcement Requests For Electronic Evidence

Judges at the lowest levels of the federal judiciary are balking at sweeping requests by law enforcement officials for cellphone and other sensitive personal data...

Google, Once Disdainful of Lobbying, Now a Master of Washington Influence
From ACM News

Google, Once Disdainful of Lobbying, Now a Master of Washington Influence

In May 2012, the law school at George Mason University hosted a forum billed as a "vibrant discussion" about Internet search competition.

A Veteran Programmer Explains How the Stock Market Became "Rigged"
From ACM Opinion

A Veteran Programmer Explains How the Stock Market Became "Rigged"

A small group of financial firms are using their technological superiority to skim the top off the market, Michael Lewis claims in his new book "Flash Boys."

In New Case, Supreme Court Revisits the Question of Software Patents
From ACM News

In New Case, Supreme Court Revisits the Question of Software Patents

If you write a book or a song, you can get copyright protection for it. If you invent a pill or a better mousetrap, you can patent it.

Tor ­sage in Turkey Surges During Twitter Ban
From ACM News

Tor ­sage in Turkey Surges During Twitter Ban

Since Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan implemented a ban on Twitter late last week, Tor usage in the country has surged—with connections nearly doubling...

How a Laser Beam Could Quadruple the Speed of the Internet
From ACM TechNews

How a Laser Beam Could Quadruple the Speed of the Internet

A new kind of laser holds the potential to quadruple  bandwidth on the fastest fiber-optic networks. 

Why Mh370 Could Still Talk to Satellites After Its Other Comms Went Dark
From ACM News

Why Mh370 Could Still Talk to Satellites After Its Other Comms Went Dark

It's the latest mystery in the hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Was a key communications system on board the plane disabled before or after the co-pilot calmly...

Hackers Allegedly Stole $400 Million in Bitcoins. Here's How to Catch Them.
From ACM Opinion

Hackers Allegedly Stole $400 Million in Bitcoins. Here's How to Catch Them.

On Friday, what had been the world's leading Bitcoin exchange declared bankrutpcy, claiming that hackers had exploited a technical issue called "transaction malleability...

The Six Types of Conversations on Twitter
From ACM News

The Six Types of Conversations on Twitter

A new report from the Pew Research Center and the Social Media Research Foundation says that Twitter conversations have distinct shapes—at least six of them with...

Obama's Big Plan to Protect Businesses from Cyberattack
From ACM News

Obama's Big Plan to Protect Businesses from Cyberattack

It's been a long time coming, and some experts say it isn't enough.
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