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­se or Lose Our Navigation Skills
From ACM Opinion

­se or Lose Our Navigation Skills

In 1984, I was part of a team that was developing a receiver for a satellite-navigation system. After weeks of debugging, the blur of random digits settled on a...

Should Hackers Help the F.b.i.?
From ACM Opinion

Should Hackers Help the F.b.i.?

The United States Justice Department announced this week that it was able to unlock the iPhone used by the gunman in the San Bernardino shooting in December, and...

What Would Marvin Minsky Read?
From ACM Opinion

What Would Marvin Minsky Read?

Marvin Minsky was one of the founders of artificial intelligence, and with John McCarthy, he created MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory...

Apple Policy on Bugs May Explain Why Hackers Would Help F.b.i.
From ACM Opinion

Apple Policy on Bugs May Explain Why Hackers Would Help F.b.i.

After a third party went to the F.B.I. with claims of being able to unlock an iPhone, many in the security industry said they were not surprised that the thirdApple...

Apple's Carekit Is the Best Argument Yet For Strong Encryption
From ACM Opinion

Apple's Carekit Is the Best Argument Yet For Strong Encryption

On the eve of his company’s court date with the FBI, where it will defend its right to not weaken the security of its own devices, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage...

How Self-Driving Cars Will Threaten Privacy
From ACM Opinion

How Self-Driving Cars Will Threaten Privacy

Allow me to join you, if I may, on your morning commute sometime in the indeterminate future.

The Internet of Things Is a Surveillance Nightmare
From ACM Opinion

The Internet of Things Is a Surveillance Nightmare

In 2014, security guru Bruce Schneier said, "Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.

Where Computers Defeat Humans, and Where They Can't
From ACM Opinion

Where Computers Defeat Humans, and Where They Can't

ALPHAGO, the artificial intelligence system built by the Google subsidiary DeepMind, has just defeated the human champion, Lee Se-dol, four games to one in the...

Explosive Golf Video Game Has the Best Physics Simulation Ever
From ACM Opinion

Explosive Golf Video Game Has the Best Physics Simulation Ever

Before teeing off, I take a few seconds to line up the shot.

Self-Driving Cars Won't Work ­ntil We Change Our Roads—and Attitudes
From ACM Opinion

Self-Driving Cars Won't Work ­ntil We Change Our Roads—and Attitudes

Autonomous vehicles will join human drivers on our roads sooner than most people think.

After Alphago, What's Next For Ai?
From ACM Opinion

After Alphago, What's Next For Ai?

AlphaGo's victories against legendary Go player Lee Se-dol over the last few days mark a major milestone in AI research.

The Creepy, Inescapable Advertisements That Could Define Virtual Reality
From ACM Opinion

The Creepy, Inescapable Advertisements That Could Define Virtual Reality

When cookie giant Oreo wanted to promote its latest flavors, its marketing heads decided to spice up its traditional TV ads with something not just new, but otherworldly...

A Computer Takes On a Human Master of the Board Game Go
From ACM Opinion

A Computer Takes On a Human Master of the Board Game Go

In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue computer defeated the world chess champion Garry Kasparov. It was a momentous occasion for artificial intelligence, showing how far a clever...

Why We Love the Games That Enrage ­S Most
From ACM Opinion

Why We Love the Games That Enrage ­S Most

One afternoon last fall a Reddit user with the handle "FranktheShank1" was enjoying a new video game on his PlayStation 4.

The New Mind Control
From ACM Opinion

The New Mind Control

Over the past century, more than a few great writers have expressed concern about humanity's future.

Toward the End of Pilots
From ACM Opinion

Toward the End of Pilots

A memory that’s stayed with me from my stint in the military nearly 50 years ago is a sign that my supply sergeant kept on his desk: "We’ve been working with less...

A Plan in Case Robots Take the Jobs: Give Everyone a Paycheck
From ACM Opinion

A Plan in Case Robots Take the Jobs: Give Everyone a Paycheck

Let's say computers come for most of our jobs. This may not seem likely at the moment; computer scientists and economists offer wildly varying ideas for how deeply...

Can Google's Driverless Car Project Survive a Fatal Accident?
From ACM Opinion

Can Google's Driverless Car Project Survive a Fatal Accident?

Everybody knew this day would come.

Ford's Futurist Knows Kids Today See Status in Their Smartphones, Not Cars
From ACM Opinion

Ford's Futurist Knows Kids Today See Status in Their Smartphones, Not Cars

There can't be many job titles out there cooler than "futurist." And earlier this week, I sat down with Sheryl Connelly, who holds that position at the Ford Motor...

This One Thing Could Hurt Apple's Case in Washington
From ACM Opinion

This One Thing Could Hurt Apple's Case in Washington

Apple's fight with the FBI is widening beyond the courts.
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