Communications of the ACM
The opinion archive provides access to past opinion stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
December 2012
From ACM Opinion
The Next Big Os War Is in Your Dashboard
Competition in automotive technology has long been about who's got the most horsepower, the best towing capacity or the fastest acceleration. These days, though, it's all about having the slickest infotainment systems and most…
From ACM Opinion
Eight Questions For Rick Smolan About the Human Face of Big Data
If you work anywhere near anything that might be described as "Big Data" and have ever had trouble explaining to someone you care about why what you do matters, the obvious gift to give this holiday season is "The Human Face…
From ACM Opinion
How to Make Almost Anything
A new digital revolution is coming, this time in fabrication. It draws on the same insights that led to the earlier digitizations of communication and computation, but now what is being programmed is the physical world rather…
From ACM Opinion
James Bond Fails the Tech Test in Skyfall
As a self-confessed technology geek, there have been numerous occasions when my enjoyment of a movie has been marred by technological impossibilities.
From ACM Opinion
9 Wishes For Microsoft's Next Xbox, Whatever It's Called
Citing the usual sources-who-shall-remain-nameless, Bloomberg reports what everyone's been assuming all year—that Microsoft's going to launch its next game system sometime in late 2013.
From ACM Opinion
Willow Garage Scientists Make Robots to Help Disabled People
If you plan to visit the offices of robotics research scientists Kaijen Hsiao and Matei Ciocarlie in Menlo Park, a word to the wise: The nine PR2 robots they're working with to help improve the lives of the severely disabled…
From ACM Opinion
Could a Syria-Style Internet Blackout Happen in the .s.?
The ongoing Internet blackout in Syria, like the one that occurred in Egypt early in 2011, prompts curiosity as to whether such an event could happen in one's own country.
From ACM Opinion
Jeff Hawkins Develops a Brainy Big Data Company
Jeff Hawkins has been a pioneer of mobile devices, a distinguished lecturer in neuroscience, and a published author of a revolutionary theory of how the brain works.
From ACM Opinion
Was a Texas Student Really Expelled for Refusing To Wear an RFID Chip?
The Texas school district that began requiring its students to wear RFID tracking chips this year is now facing a fight in federal court.
From ACM Opinion
How Martin Odersky Rewrote the Rules of Coding For a Mobile World
Next time you pull out your smartphone to use a popular application—whether it's to price check items in a store, to tweet or to check your cloud-based calendar—you might thank Martin Odersky.
From ACM Opinion
How to se Technology to Make You Smarter
Can a calculator make you smarter?
From ACM Opinion
Why We Must Fight For the Internet's Freedom
The Internet empowers each one of us to speak, create, learn, and share.
From Communications of the ACM
IT Innovation For the Bottom of the Pyramid
New ways to develop technologies for the emerging growth markets.
From Communications of the ACM
Saving Private Gromit
Reflections on the legalities and economics of preserving animations and games in Europe.
From Communications of the ACM
Can More Code Mean Fewer Bugs?
The bytes you save today may bite you tomorrow.
From Communications of the ACM
Why We Need an ACM Special Interest Group For Broadening Participation
A proposal for an international group focused on broadening participation.
From Communications of the ACM
Alan Turing Remembered
A unique firsthand account of formative experiences with Alan Turing.
From Communications of the ACM
Q&A: As Good As It Gets
Sanjeev Arora talks about proof, intractability, and finding the best way to approximate problems.
From Communications of the ACM
Moods
Recognizing and working with moods — your own, your team's, and your customers' — is essential to professional success.