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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.


Google Search Scratches Its Brain 500 Million Times a Day
From ACM TechNews

Google Search Scratches Its Brain 500 Million Times a Day

Google processes about 100 billion search requests a month, and about 15 percent of them take longer to process because the request is totally new to it.

The Evolution of the Web, in a Blink
From ACM News

The Evolution of the Web, in a Blink

The Web browser you're probably using to read this article is a small marvel of engineering.

Stephen Wolfram on Personal Analytics
From ACM Opinion

Stephen Wolfram on Personal Analytics

Don't be surprised if Stephen Wolfram, the renowned complexity theorist, software company CEO, and night owl, wants to schedule a work call with you at 9 p.m. In...

My Big Fat European Family: What Genomics Tell ­s About Shared Ancestors
From ACM News

My Big Fat European Family: What Genomics Tell ­s About Shared Ancestors

Last month, a trio of engineers debuted an app that allows Icelanders to determine if they’re actually related to a potential date.

Linguists Identify 15,000-Year-Old 'ultraconserved Words'
From ACM News

Linguists Identify 15,000-Year-Old 'ultraconserved Words'

You, hear me! Give this fire to that old man. Pull the black worm off the bark and give it to the mother. And no spitting in the ashes!

Here's How Smartphones, Tablets, and Huge Databases Will ­pend Market Research
From ACM News

Here's How Smartphones, Tablets, and Huge Databases Will ­pend Market Research

If you're tired of those annoying 8 p.m. phone calls asking questions about where you shop, or of carrying an Arbitron sensor to provide radio ratings, your omnipresent...

Why Fbi and CIA Didn't Connect the Dots
From ACM Opinion

Why Fbi and CIA Didn't Connect the Dots

The FBI and the CIA are being criticized for not keeping better track of Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the months before the Boston Marathon bombings.

When Will Smartglasses and Other Wearable Computers Hit the Mainstream?
From ACM Opinion

When Will Smartglasses and Other Wearable Computers Hit the Mainstream?

Google has stoked our collective imagination via relentless promotion of its Google Glass wearable computer in recent months.

Samsung Demos a Tablet Controlled By Your Brain
From ACM News

Samsung Demos a Tablet Controlled By Your Brain

One day, we may be able to check email or call a friend without ever touching a screen or even speaking to a disembodied helper.

'Small Data' Enabled Prediction of Obama's Win, Say Economists
From Communications of the ACM

'Small Data' Enabled Prediction of Obama's Win, Say Economists

"Big data" from crowdsourcing resulted in more complex predictions.

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.

How Wireless Carriers Are Monetizing Your Movements
From ACM News

How Wireless Carriers Are Monetizing Your Movements

Wireless operators have access to an unprecedented volume of information about users' real-world activities, but for years these massive data troves were put to...

Is High-Tech Security at Public Events Counterproductive?
From ACM Opinion

Is High-Tech Security at Public Events Counterproductive?

Which is more intrusive: security screening and metal detectors every few blocks, or a drone flying high above it taking video of every little thing you do?

How the Boston Pd Could Examine the Videos From the Bombing
From ACM News

How the Boston Pd Could Examine the Videos From the Bombing

As investigators try to figure out what happened during the bombings at the Boston Marathon, they'll turn to video taken at the scene of the explosions.

Mathematicians Predict the Future With Data From the Past
From ACM News

Mathematicians Predict the Future With Data From the Past

In Issac Asimov's classic science fiction saga Foundation, mathematics professor Hari Seldon predicts the future using what he calls psychohistory.

Coming Soon: A Truly Chinese Internet
From ACM News

Coming Soon: A Truly Chinese Internet

Replete with its own thriving news portals, social media, and gaming sites, the Chinese Internet could take a major step toward becoming fully Chinese by the end...

Fake Twitter Followers Become Multimillion-Dollar Business
From ACM Careers

Fake Twitter Followers Become Multimillion-Dollar Business

Far from slowing, the market for fake Twitter followers seems to be taking off.

How Google Remade the Computer Science Researcher
From ACM News

How Google Remade the Computer Science Researcher

John Wilkes spent a year negotiating his move to Google, and when he finally agreed to join the company, he still didn’t know what he’d be working on.

As Web Search Goes Mobile, Competitors Chip at Google’s Lead
From ACM TechNews

As Web Search Goes Mobile, Competitors Chip at Google’s Lead

Google and others are developing smarter search apps designed to generate more customized and relevant results. 

From Touch Displays to the Surface: A Brief History of Touchscreen Technology
From ACM Opinion

From Touch Displays to the Surface: A Brief History of Touchscreen Technology

It's hard to believe that just a few decades ago, touchscreen technology could only be found in science fiction books and film. These days, it's almost unfathomable...
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