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The Brains Behind Research on the Brain
From ACM Careers

The Brains Behind Research on the Brain

While studying physics and electrical engineering as an MIT undergraduate in the late 1990s, Mehmet Fatih Yanik managed to avoid taking any biology classes until...

A Day in the Life of My Iphone
From ACM Opinion

A Day in the Life of My Iphone

Each morning at 7 a.m., I am awakened by the sound of a spaceship next to my bed.

Mail from the (velvet) Cybercrime ­nderground
From ACM Opinion

Mail from the (velvet) Cybercrime ­nderground

Over the past six months, "fans" of this Web site and its author have shown their affection in some curious ways.

Ars Speaks with Vocal Nsa Critic Sen. Ron Wyden
From ACM Opinion

Ars Speaks with Vocal Nsa Critic Sen. Ron Wyden

As a series of top-secret NSA documents have been leaked over the past several weeks, the issue of widespread government surveillance has been front-and-center...

Eff to Court: Forced Decryption ­nconstitutional
From ACM Opinion

Eff to Court: Forced Decryption ­nconstitutional

You shouldn't have to surrender your constitutional rights in order to safeguard your electronic privacy.

Could the Government Get a Search Warrant For Your Thoughts?
From ACM Opinion

Could the Government Get a Search Warrant For Your Thoughts?

We don't have a mind reading machine.

I'm Still Waiting For My Phone to Become My Wallet
From ACM Opinion

I'm Still Waiting For My Phone to Become My Wallet

During the sweltering heat wave earlier this month, it seemed too hot to wear much, carry much or do much of anything at all.

The Mooc Racket
From ACM Opinion

The Mooc Racket

The word mooc sounds a bit like slang from Goodfellas or the affectionate shortening of the already-affectionate name of a former outfielder for the New York Mets...

To Develop Tomorrow's Engineers, Start Before They Can Tie Their Shoes
From ACM Opinion

To Develop Tomorrow's Engineers, Start Before They Can Tie Their Shoes

Think "student engineers" and you probably have visions of high school or college students.

Technology to Protect Against Mass Surveillance
From ACM Opinion

Technology to Protect Against Mass Surveillance

In the past several weeks, EFF has received many requests for advice about privacy tools that provide technological shields against mass surveillance.

How Protecting Your Privacy Could Make You the Bad Guy
From ACM Opinion

How Protecting Your Privacy Could Make You the Bad Guy

There's a funny catch-22 when it comes to privacy best practices.

Smart Phones Mean You Will No Longer Have to Memorize Facts
From ACM Opinion

Smart Phones Mean You Will No Longer Have to Memorize Facts

When my father was growing up, his father offered him 25 cents to memorize the complete list of U.S. presidents. "Number one, George Washington. Number two, John...

The Paradox of Wearable Technologies
From ACM Opinion

The Paradox of Wearable Technologies

Ever talk to someone at a party or conference reception only to discover that the person you are talking to is constantly scanning the room, looking this way and...

Did Facebook Miss a Massive Opportunity By Building a Walled Garden Instead of a Truly Open Platform?
From ACM Opinion

Did Facebook Miss a Massive Opportunity By Building a Walled Garden Instead of a Truly Open Platform?

When Facebook first launched its platform strategy in 2007, it seemed as though a new world of opportunity had opened up for anyone interested in the social web—a...

Money Models For MOOCs
From Communications of the ACM

Money Models For MOOCs

Considering new business models for massive open online courses.

Ultra-Low-Cost Computing and Developing Countries
From Communications of the ACM

Ultra-Low-Cost Computing and Developing Countries

Raspberry Pi and its potential in the "global South."

The Air Gap
From Communications of the ACM

The Air Gap: SCADA's Enduring Security Myth

Attempting to use isolation as a security strategy for critical systems is unrealistic in an increasingly connected world.

Success in Introductory Programming
From Communications of the ACM

Success in Introductory Programming: What Works?

How pair programming, peer instruction, and media computation have improved computer science education.

Overt Censorship
From Communications of the ACM

Overt Censorship: A Fatal Mistake?

Censorship of information often has the opposite effect by drawing attention to the censored material.

Microsoft Is Doomed, But First It's Going to Make a Ton of Money
From ACM Opinion

Microsoft Is Doomed, But First It's Going to Make a Ton of Money

Microsoft stock lost about 10 percent of its value in the wake of a quarterly earnings report on Thursday that investors deemed sub-par. Yet revenue for the second...
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