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dateMore Than a Year Ago
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Why Big Data Has Some Big Problems When It Comes to Public Policy
From ACM Opinion

Why Big Data Has Some Big Problems When It Comes to Public Policy

For all the talk about using big data and data science to solve the world’s problems—and even all the talk about big data as one of the world’s problems—it seems...

The White House Is Going to Study Big Data. Here Are 5 Things It Should Know
From ACM Opinion

The White House Is Going to Study Big Data. Here Are 5 Things It Should Know

The White House announced via blog post on Thursday that it's forming working group focused on understanding the promises and pitfalls of big data (with a heavy...

When Google Closes the Nest Deal, Privacy Issues For the Internet of Things Will Hit the Big Time
From ACM Opinion

When Google Closes the Nest Deal, Privacy Issues For the Internet of Things Will Hit the Big Time

Google rocked the smart home market Monday with its intention to purchase connected home thermostat maker Nest for $3.2 billion, which will force a much-needed...

Did Facebook Miss a Massive Opportunity By Building a Walled Garden Instead of a Truly Open Platform?
From ACM Opinion

Did Facebook Miss a Massive Opportunity By Building a Walled Garden Instead of a Truly Open Platform?

When Facebook first launched its platform strategy in 2007, it seemed as though a new world of opportunity had opened up for anyone interested in the social web—a...

Yes, You Should Care About Bitcoin, and Here's Why
From ACM Opinion

Yes, You Should Care About Bitcoin, and Here's Why

Everybody's talking about Bitcoin these days, which is quite remarkable given the highly technical nature of the crypto-currency. So why is it such a big deal?

Why Marissa Mayer's Ban on Remote Working at Yahoo Could Backfire Badly
From ACM Opinion

Why Marissa Mayer's Ban on Remote Working at Yahoo Could Backfire Badly

Not long after her arrival at Yahoo, new CEO Marissa Mayer started handing out carrots to her new employees, including new smartphones, free food, and other Google...

How Google Did the Right Thing with the Nascar Crash Video, and Why It Matters
From ACM Opinion

How Google Did the Right Thing with the Nascar Crash Video, and Why It Matters

At a NASCAR event on Saturday, debris created by a serious crash flew into the stands and injured a number of fans.

The Increasingly Blurry Line Between Big Data and Big Brother
From ACM Opinion

The Increasingly Blurry Line Between Big Data and Big Brother

The potential benefits of "big data" have been well described, both by us and others: the ability to spot flu trends earlier and potentially save lives, for example...

Should Google Be Censoring Videos Just Because They Are Linked to Violence?
From ACM Opinion

Should Google Be Censoring Videos Just Because They Are Linked to Violence?

After violent attacks on Americans in both Egypt and Libya—including an attack in Libya on Tuesday that killed the American ambassador to that country—Google said...

One Year In: What We've Learned About Ceo Tim Cook
From ACM Opinion

One Year In: What We've Learned About Ceo Tim Cook

When Tim Cook was named permanent chief executive of Apple a year ago Friday, most discussion centered on what Jobsian qualities and trademark values Cook didn't...

Plagiarism, Defamation, and the Power of Hyperlinks
From ACM Opinion

Plagiarism, Defamation, and the Power of Hyperlinks

What do Fareed Zakaria, Jonah Lehrer, and Gawker Media have in common? In different ways, the incidents that have thrust all three into the news recently help to...

There's Only One Truly Open Platform: The Web
From ACM Opinion

There's Only One Truly Open Platform: The Web

As Twitter and Facebook continue to fight a variety of skirmishes in the ongoing "platform wars," with both companies trying to control as much of their networks...

How Will Apple Restore Icloud Trust?
From ACM Opinion

How Will Apple Restore Icloud Trust?

After being on the receiving end of a truly awful hacking attack, Wired writer Mat Honan explained how it happened in detail. And he was very clear about two of...

The Personalized Web Is Just an Interest Graph Away
From ACM Opinion

The Personalized Web Is Just an Interest Graph Away

You know how our social graphs are creeping into every aspect of our Web lives, from search results to coupons? Well, get ready for something a lot more personal...

From ACM Opinion

The Rise of the New Information Gatekeepers

The promise of the Internet age is one of unparalleled access to information of all kinds, but it has also seen the rise of some powerful gatekeepers that control...

From ACM Opinion

A Google Monopoly Isn't the Point

Even if the Justice Dept. were to establish that Google is a monopoly, it would be hard for anyone to prove that the company's free services have injured consumers...

From ACM Opinion

Apple Multitouch Patent Is All About ­x Lock-In

Apple notched a significant win last week when it was awarded a key patent related to basic multitouch functionality. The patent was first called "hugely problematic"...
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