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A Strip of Pluto
From ACM Opinion

A Strip of Pluto

I know, that image above doesn't look like much, does it? But go ahead, click it. I dare you.

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...

The Snowden Effect: Privacy Is Good For Business
From ACM Opinion

The Snowden Effect: Privacy Is Good For Business

On June 6, 2013, Edward Snowden—holed up in a Hong Kong hotel room with two Guardian reporters and a filmmaker—told the world about a secret surveillance program...

Elegy For the Capital-I Internet
From ACM Opinion

Elegy For the Capital-I Internet

We've long stopped referring to the Internet as "the information superhighway," but there was a reason for the metaphor.

The Real Reason America Controls Its Nukes with Ancient Floppy Disks
From ACM Opinion

The Real Reason America Controls Its Nukes with Ancient Floppy Disks

America's nuclear arsenal depends on a surprising relic of the 1970s that few of us may recall: the humble floppy disk.

The Woeful Tsa Doesn't Need More Staff. It Needs This Tech
From ACM Opinion

The Woeful Tsa Doesn't Need More Staff. It Needs This Tech

American airport security has never been something to look forward to, but in the past few weeks, it's attained new levels of misery.

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?

American Schools Are Teaching Our Kids How to Code All Wrong
From ACM Opinion

American Schools Are Teaching Our Kids How to Code All Wrong

The US Department of Labor projects that one million jobs in computing will go unfilled by 2020.

The Privacy Problem with Digital Assistants
From ACM Opinion

The Privacy Problem with Digital Assistants

For the last century, we've imagined a future where we're surrounded by robotic butlers that are classy, smart, and discreet.

Why Seti Researchers Must Change the Way They Announce First Contact
From ACM Opinion

Why Seti Researchers Must Change the Way They Announce First Contact

One of humanity’s most significant events will be the discovery of intelligent life elsewhere in universe. Back in the 1980s, a group of astronomers involved in...

A Byte Is All We Need
From Communications of the ACM

A Byte Is All We Need

A teenager explores ways to attract girls into the magical world of computer science.

Privacy Is Dead, Long Live Privacy
From Communications of the ACM

Privacy Is Dead, Long Live Privacy

Protecting social norms as confidentiality wanes.

Computer Science Should Stay Young
From Communications of the ACM

Computer Science Should Stay Young

Seeking to improve computer science publication culture while retaining the best aspects of the conference and journal publication processes.

An Interview with Yale Patt
From Communications of the ACM

An Interview with Yale Patt

ACM Fellow Professor Yale Patt reflects on his career in industry and academia.

How to Produce Innovations
From Communications of the ACM

How to Produce Innovations

Making innovations happen is surprisingly easy, satisfying, and rewarding if you start small and build up.

What Are You Trying to Pull?
From Communications of the ACM

What Are You Trying to Pull?

A single cache miss is more expensive than many instructions.

The Oracle-Google Case Will Decide the Future of Software
From ACM Opinion

The Oracle-Google Case Will Decide the Future of Software

The legal battle  between Oracle and Google is about to come to an end. And nothing less is as stake than the future of programming.

To Write Better Code, Read Virginia Woolf
From ACM Opinion

To Write Better Code, Read Virginia Woolf

The humanities are kaput. Sorry, liberal arts cap-and-gowners. You blew it. In a software-run world, what's wanted are more engineers.

Google Doubles Down on AI
From ACM Opinion

Google Doubles Down on AI

Google announced something for everyone yesterday at its 10th annual I/O developer conference.

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...
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