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subjectPersonal Computing
authorThe Wall Street Journal
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Big Tech's 'Innovations' That Aren't
From ACM Opinion

Big Tech's 'Innovations' That Aren't

Silicon Valley's giants are no longer producing better products and services. They're exploiting people.

Alexa: Don't Let My 2-Year-Old Talk to You That Way
From ACM Opinion

Alexa: Don't Let My 2-Year-Old Talk to You That Way

Parents, your child may have a new secret friend: your smart speaker.

Who Has More of Your Personal Data Than Facebook? Try Google
From ACM Opinion

Who Has More of Your Personal Data Than Facebook? Try Google

Recent controversy over Facebook Inc.'s hunger for personal data has surfaced the notion that the online advertising industry could be hazardous to our privacy...

Apple's China Lesson: Think Different, But Not Too Different
From ACM Opinion

Apple's China Lesson: Think Different, But Not Too Different

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook will co-chair the Chinese government's showcase global business forum next month, underscoring his increasingly high profile...

Tech That Will Change Your Life in 2017
From ACM Opinion

Tech That Will Change Your Life in 2017

If you've seen in it in a movie, you might see it in reality in 2017.

America Isn't Ready For a Cyberattack
From ACM Opinion

America Isn't Ready For a Cyberattack

The recent cyberattack that rendered more than 1,200 websites unreachable was a warning. Experts say a similar, or larger, attack could be launched tomorrow, and...

How to Stop Robocalls … or at Least Fight Back
From ACM Opinion

How to Stop Robocalls … or at Least Fight Back

"This is a final notice from the IRS."

To Beat the Blues, Visits Must Be Real, Not Virtual
From ACM Opinion

To Beat the Blues, Visits Must Be Real, Not Virtual

Imagine being stranded on a desert island with a roof over your head and sufficient provisions—but no human contact other than what you can get from your smartphone...

Smart Tampon? The Internet of Every Single Thing Must Be Stopped
From ACM Opinion

Smart Tampon? The Internet of Every Single Thing Must Be Stopped

Let's play a game. Which of the following is a real smartphone-connected product?

What If Facebook Gave ­S an Opposing-Viewpoints Button?
From ACM Opinion

What If Facebook Gave ­S an Opposing-Viewpoints Button?

Imagine if you could flip a switch on Facebook, and turn all the conservative viewpoints that you see liberal, or vice versa. You'd realize your news might look...

How Wooden Toys Teach Kids to Code
From ACM Opinion

How Wooden Toys Teach Kids to Code

Like most parents,  I want my young children to be prepared for the future—one in which knowing how to program a computer will be a basic skill, like clicking "Skip...

Telegraph to the Iphone: A Short History of Corporate Defiance
From ACM Opinion

Telegraph to the Iphone: A Short History of Corporate Defiance

The high-stakes stalemate between Apple and the Justice Department isn’t the first time that Washington and Silicon Valley have come to a showdown over security...

The Language Barrier Is About to Fall
From ACM Opinion

The Language Barrier Is About to Fall

It used to be the case when I traveled abroad that I would take a little pocket dictionary that provided translations for commonly used phrases and words.

Get Ready For Your Digital Model
From ACM Opinion

Get Ready For Your Digital Model

Entrusting your money to a bank once seemed strange and risky.

What Celebrities Can Teach Companies About Social Media
From ACM Opinion

What Celebrities Can Teach Companies About Social Media

Let's face it: Corporate America's social presence could use a celebrity makeover.

Apple Carplay Review: Siri's Finally on the Right Road
From ACM Opinion

Apple Carplay Review: Siri's Finally on the Right Road

I take back all—OK most—of the expletives I’ve ever hurled at Siri.

A Social Network For Talkers
From ACM Opinion

A Social Network For Talkers

No group needs social network software more than the elderly.

Want Your Writing to Look Like Einstein's? Computers Mimic Handwriting of the Famous
From ACM Opinion

Want Your Writing to Look Like Einstein's? Computers Mimic Handwriting of the Famous

Harald Geisler wants to make you as brilliant as Albert Einstein. Or at least let you write like him. Or at least write in his handwriting.

Brace Yourself: Microsoft Wants to Guess How Old You Are
From ACM News

Brace Yourself: Microsoft Wants to Guess How Old You Are

Like a distant relative who makes you feel bad at the annual holiday get together, Microsoft has created a website that analyzes a photo of a person's face and...

The Future of Sex: It Gets Better
From ACM Opinion

The Future of Sex: It Gets Better

When I was 10 years old, my friend Sarah and I found a newly minted copy of "The Joy of Sex" under her parents' bed.
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