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If 'e.t.' Finds Voyager 1, Will It Phone Earth?
From ACM Opinion

If 'e.t.' Finds Voyager 1, Will It Phone Earth?

In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan launched the expedition that completed the first circumnavigation of the globe. And so humanity learned the full...

Grand Theft Auto V Lives ­p to Hype, Steals Its Car, Sets House on Fire
From ACM Opinion

Grand Theft Auto V Lives ­p to Hype, Steals Its Car, Sets House on Fire

I'm trying to put into words how difficult a situation it is attempting to summarize my thoughts on a game that I've only been playing for two weeks when I know...

The Message Voyager 1 Carries For Alien Civilizations
From ACM Opinion

The Message Voyager 1 Carries For Alien Civilizations

The year was 1977.

Trigger Finger: Apple Fires Biometrics Into the Mainstream
From ACM Opinion

Trigger Finger: Apple Fires Biometrics Into the Mainstream

By adding a fingerprint scanner to its newest mobile phone, Apple Inc. is offering a tantalizing glimpse of a future where your favorite gadget might become a biometric...

The Real Reasons Apple's 64-Bit A7 Chip Makes Sense
From ACM Opinion

The Real Reasons Apple's 64-Bit A7 Chip Makes Sense

Apple injected a lot of marketing hyperbole into its claims about the wonders of 64-bit computing when it showed off the A7 processor at the heart of the new ...

How Facebook Makes ­s ­nhappy
From ACM Opinion

How Facebook Makes ­s ­nhappy

No one joins Facebook to be sad and lonely.

Apple's New Iphone 'touch Id' Makes Fingerprint Scans Easy, But Don't Ditch Passcodes Yet
From ACM Opinion

Apple's New Iphone 'touch Id' Makes Fingerprint Scans Easy, But Don't Ditch Passcodes Yet

The latest iPhone has arrived, and along with it what may be the slickest integration of biometric security yet: A fingerprint scanner built seamlessly into the...

Should Students ­se a Laptop in Class?
From ACM Opinion

Should Students ­se a Laptop in Class?

There's a widely shared image on the Internet of a teacher's note that says: "Dear students, I know when you're texting in class. Seriously, no one just looks down...

Why a Cyberwar Won't Happen
From ACM Opinion

Why a Cyberwar Won't Happen

Exactly two decades ago, the RAND Corporation, an influential think tank, proclaimed that "cyberwar is coming!"

If the New Iphone Has Fingerprint Authentication, Can It Be Hacked?
From ACM Opinion

If the New Iphone Has Fingerprint Authentication, Can It Be Hacked?

When Apple bought AuthenTec for its biometrics technology—reported as one of its most expensive purchases—there was a lot of speculation about how the company would...

From ACM Opinion

Online Data Brokers Know You—surprisingly Well

I'm a middle-aged guy who lives in a house that was built more than 50 years ago.

From ACM Opinion

Online Data Brokers Know You—Surprisingly Well

I'm a middle-aged guy who lives in a house that was built more than 50 years ago.

Why the ­.s. Should ­se Cyber Weapons Against Syria
From ACM Opinion

Why the ­.s. Should ­se Cyber Weapons Against Syria

If the Obama administration does conduct military strikes against Syria, as seems likely, it should use military cyber weapons at the earliest possible moment to...

How Advanced Is the NSA's Cryptanalysis—And Can We Resist It?
From ACM Opinion

How Advanced Is the NSA's Cryptanalysis—And Can We Resist It?

The latest Snowden document is the U.S. intelligence "black budget."

Beyond The Shadows: Apple's Ios 7 Is All About The Screen
From ACM Opinion

Beyond The Shadows: Apple's Ios 7 Is All About The Screen

At some point in the coming weeks, users of Apple iPhones and iPads will wake up to an alert that there is a new version of the company's mobile operating system...

Who Will Prosper in the New World
From ACM Opinion

Who Will Prosper in the New World

Self-driving vehicles threaten to send truck drivers to the unemployment office.

The Nsa's Crypto "breakthrough"
From ACM Opinion

The Nsa's Crypto "breakthrough"

One difficulty of reporting on spy outfits like America's National Security Agency is the veil of secrecy they operate behind.

Go Ahead, Mess With Texas Instruments
From ACM Opinion

Go Ahead, Mess With Texas Instruments

Last year, while cleaning out the basement of my childhood home, I discovered a plastic storage bin marked "Calcusoft." Inside were piles of notebooks filled with...

Think You Can Drive a Bulldozer?
From ACM News

Think You Can Drive a Bulldozer?

As he closed the door, leaving me alone at the controls of a 41,000-pound bulldozer with list price of nearly $432,000, a Komatsu Ltd. executive shouted, "No worries...

Madden Turns 25: How the Video Game Sacked Its Rivals
From ACM Opinion

Madden Turns 25: How the Video Game Sacked Its Rivals

The year was 1988. George Michael's "Faith" was top of the pops. "Roseanne" was the number-one show on TV. Bruce Willis, starring in "Die Hard," still had hair.
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