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We Should Drop the Leap Second Before It Causes Real Damage
From ACM Opinion

We Should Drop the Leap Second Before It Causes Real Damage

The latest leap second couldn’t have come at a worse time.

6 Reasons Why We're ­nderhyping the Internet of Things
From ACM Opinion

6 Reasons Why We're ­nderhyping the Internet of Things

Just when you thought the Internet of Things couldn't possibly live up to its hype, along comes a blockbuster, 142-page report from McKinsey Global Institute ("The...

Should a Driverless Car Decide Who Lives or Dies?
From ACM News

Should a Driverless Car Decide Who Lives or Dies?

The gearheads in Detroit, Tokyo, and Stuttgart have mostly figured out how to build driverless vehicles. Even the Google guys seem to have solved the riddle.

African Americans in the U.S. Computing Sciences Workforce
From Communications of the ACM

African Americans in the U.S. Computing Sciences Workforce

An exploration of the education-to-work pipeline.

An Updated Software Almanac
From Communications of the ACM

An Updated Software Almanac

Research into what makes software projects succeed.

Preserving the Digital Record of Computing History
From Communications of the ACM

Preserving the Digital Record of Computing History

Reflecting on the complexities associated with maintaining rapidly changing information technology.

Is Facial Recognition Tech Really a Threat to Privacy?
From ACM Opinion

Is Facial Recognition Tech Really a Threat to Privacy?

Facebook has decided not to offer its photo-sharing app Moments in Europe because of regulator concerns over its facial recognition technology.

The Moment I Decided Robots Were As Interesting As Humans
From ACM Opinion

The Moment I Decided Robots Were As Interesting As Humans

When I was little, I was enamored with the idea of being a pioneer; I was drawn to the thought that I could be the first to do something—be a trailblazer, the forerunner...

Beware the Listening Machines
From ACM Opinion

Beware the Listening Machines

One of my great pleasures in life is attending conferences on fields I'm intrigued by, but know nothing about.

The Latest Oculus Headset Made Me Want to Throw ­p. In a Good Way.
From ACM Opinion

The Latest Oculus Headset Made Me Want to Throw ­p. In a Good Way.

Virtual reality and its viability as a consumer technology is a huge theme at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, a Los Angeles convention for the video...

Fixating on Exascale Performance Only Is a Bad Idea
From ACM TechNews

Fixating on Exascale Performance Only Is a Bad Idea

A concentration on realizing exascale computing performance to the exclusion of all else will not address the grand societal and scientific challenges, according...

Who Will Own the Robots?
From ACM News

Who Will Own the Robots?

The way Hod Lipson describes his Creative Machines Lab captures his ambitions: "We are interested in robots that create and are creative."  

Stop Laughing at Those Clumsy Humanoid Robots
From ACM Opinion

Stop Laughing at Those Clumsy Humanoid Robots

The humanoid robot, built like a linebacker with an oversized head, tiptoes on two feet through the dirt.

Will We Ever… Speak Faster Than Light Speed?
From ACM Opinion

Will We Ever… Speak Faster Than Light Speed?

Light travels so fast it can make the transatlantic journey between London and New York more than 50 times each second. With speed like that, you might wonder why...

The Pluto Punch-Through
From ACM Opinion

The Pluto Punch-Through

On July 14, 2015 NASA's New Horizons spacecraft finally reaches Pluto. But the encounter is brief.

Why Robots and Humans Struggled with Darpa's Challenge
From ACM Opinion

Why Robots and Humans Struggled with Darpa's Challenge

When some of the world's most advanced rescue robots are foiled by nothing more complex than a doorknob, you get a good sense of the challenge of making our homes...

The Myth of a Borderless Internet
From ACM Opinion

The Myth of a Borderless Internet

Almost a decade ago now, McDonald's made a seemingly innocuous decision.

I Made an ­ntraceable 'ghost Gun' in My Office—and It Was Easy
From ACM Opinion

I Made an ­ntraceable 'ghost Gun' in My Office—and It Was Easy

This is my ghost gun. To quote the rifleman's creed, there are many like it, but this one is mine.

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.

The Military Origins of Wearable Tech, a Century Before the Apple Watch
From ACM Opinion

The Military Origins of Wearable Tech, a Century Before the Apple Watch

On July 9, 1916, The New York Times puzzled over a fashion trend: Europeans were starting to wear bracelets with clocks on them.
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