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The Amazingly Accurate Futurism of 2001: A Space Odyssey
From ACM Opinion

The Amazingly Accurate Futurism of 2001: A Space Odyssey

The Making of Stanley Kubrick’s "2001: A Space Odyssey" documents in nearly scientific detail exactly that: the story of how the iconic science-fiction film came...

Why I'm Addicted to Browsing Sepia Photos of Old-School Nyc
From ACM Opinion

Why I'm Addicted to Browsing Sepia Photos of Old-School Nyc

It's not a game or social media site, but OldNYC.org is as addictive as Angry Birds and as time consuming as Facebook.

Leap Motion's Augmented-Reality Computing Looks Stupid Cool
From ACM News

Leap Motion's Augmented-Reality Computing Looks Stupid Cool

We have a habit of filling new technologies with old ideas.

Google's Search ­pdated Will Remake the Web in Its Own Image
From ACM News

Google's Search ­pdated Will Remake the Web in Its Own Image

Some people are calling it Mobilegeddon.

Nsa Doesn't Need to Spy on Your Calls to Learn Your Secrets
From ACM Opinion

Nsa Doesn't Need to Spy on Your Calls to Learn Your Secrets

Governments and corporations gather, store, and analyze the tremendous amount of data we chuff out as we move through our digitized lives.

Why We Should Design Some Things to Be Difficult to ­se
From ACM Opinion

Why We Should Design Some Things to Be Difficult to ­se

The first car I ever drove was a bashed Land Rover Defender.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality
From ACM Opinion

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler: This Is How We Will Ensure Net Neutrality

After more than a decade of debate and a record-setting proceeding that attracted nearly 4 million public comments, the time to settle the Net Neutrality question...

In the Future, Your Touchscreens Will Touch You Back
From ACM Opinion

In the Future, Your Touchscreens Will Touch You Back

You comfort your grieving friend online over chat, but you can't reach out and touch their shoulder.

How the Home Telephone Sparked the ­ser-Centered Design Revolution
From ACM Opinion

How the Home Telephone Sparked the ­ser-Centered Design Revolution

Have you ever thought about why doorknobs are positioned at around two-fifths of the door's height, instead of right in the middle? Or why a washing machine is...

Why the Silk Road Trial Matters
From ACM Opinion

Why the Silk Road Trial Matters

Ross Ulbricht is finally getting his day in court, 15 months after plainclothes FBI agents grabbed him in the science fiction section of a San Francisco library...

Why Cheap Cameras and Boring Sensors Make the Best Smart Home Stuff
From ACM Opinion

Why Cheap Cameras and Boring Sensors Make the Best Smart Home Stuff

The twin fixations of CES this year are, to no one's surprise, wearable technology and the internet of things.

The Biggest Security Threats We'll Face in 2015
From ACM Opinion

The Biggest Security Threats We'll Face in 2015

As the clock strikes midnight on the new year, so begins the countdown to a new round of security threats and breaches that doubtless will unfold in 2015. But this...

This Year's 8 Smartest ­i Design Ideas
From ACM News

This Year's 8 Smartest ­i Design Ideas

When your family gathered for the holidays this year, did you take note of the technology everyone was using?

The Simple Question Nobody's Asking About Net Neutrality
From ACM Opinion

The Simple Question Nobody's Asking About Net Neutrality

President Obama rattled the internet this week when he unloaded his opinion on net neutrality, the notion that all internet traffic should be treated equally.

A Sad Fact of Life: It's Actually Smart to Be Mean Online
From ACM Opinion

A Sad Fact of Life: It's Actually Smart to Be Mean Online

I'm generally upbeat on Twitter. Many of my posts are enthusiastic blurts about science or research in which I use way too many exclamation points!!

The Three Breakthroughs That Have Finally ­nleashed AI on the World
From ACM Opinion

The Three Breakthroughs That Have Finally ­nleashed AI on the World

A few months ago I made the trek to the sylvan campus of the IBM research labs in Yorktown Heights, New York, to catch an early glimpse of the fast-arriving, long...

Is Apple Watch's Pressure-Sensitive Screen a Bigger Deal Than the Gadget Itself?
From ACM Opinion

Is Apple Watch's Pressure-Sensitive Screen a Bigger Deal Than the Gadget Itself?

Forget about the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay and even the company's bold step into wearables.

On Death and Ipods: A Requiem
From ACM Opinion

On Death and Ipods: A Requiem

Have you ever loved a car? Maybe it was an old truck you drove for hundreds of thousands of miles, or maybe it was your very first car: where you had your very...

Robot Servants Are Going to Make Your Life Easy. Then They'll Ruin It
From ACM Opinion

Robot Servants Are Going to Make Your Life Easy. Then They'll Ruin It

Jibo, the "world's first family robot," hit the media hype machine like a bomb.

How to Save the Net: Keep It Open
From ACM Opinion

How to Save the Net: Keep It Open

For all of its history, the Internet has enjoyed the fruits of an openness principle: the idea that anyone can reach any site online and that information and data...
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