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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.

Ajay Bhatt: Intel's Rock-Star Inventor
From ACM TechNews

Ajay Bhatt: Intel's Rock-Star Inventor

Intel engineer Ajay Bhatt invented the universal serial bus (USB) port about 25 years ago. He currently is analyzing PC architecture to provide portable computers...

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...

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...

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...

Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales Explains Its Mission to Be Mainstream
From ACM Opinion

Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales Explains Its Mission to Be Mainstream

Wikipedia is expanding its major new "open data" initiative, expanding tools that allow developers to use its content on other websites and simplifying its editing...

Hands On the Wheel, Mind On the Road–not Cyberspace
From ACM Opinion

Hands On the Wheel, Mind On the Road–not Cyberspace

Makers of cars and mobile electronics are pushing a tempting vision of the future. It is one in which you can stay fully connected while driving.

E-Book Vs. P-Book
From ACM Opinion

E-Book Vs. P-Book

When Barnes & Noble announced, a couple of weeks ago, that its Nook division lost almost five hundred million dollars last year and that its C.E.O. was resigning...

Douglas Engelbart’s ­nfinished Revolution
From ACM Opinion

Douglas Engelbart’s ­nfinished Revolution

Doug Engelbart knew that his obituaries would laud him as "Inventor of the Mouse."

Nsa Can Reportedly Track Phones Even When They're Turned Off
From ACM Opinion

Nsa Can Reportedly Track Phones Even When They're Turned Off

The NSA has a diverse range of surveillance capabilities—from monitoring Google Maps use to sifting through millions of phone call records and spying on Web searches...

Your Creative, Open Hackathon Is Ripe For Legal Challenges
From ACM Opinion

Your Creative, Open Hackathon Is Ripe For Legal Challenges

NASA's Space Apps Challenge recently became the world's largest open hackathon, with over 8,000 participants spanning 44 countries.

Virtual Reality For Your Hands
From ACM Opinion

Virtual Reality For Your Hands

Computers already have keyboards. They have mice and touch pads. They even have touch screens. But is there room for a totally new interface?

Sebastian Thrun on the Future of Learning
From ACM Opinion

Sebastian Thrun on the Future of Learning

Sebastian Thrun has worn many hats in the tech world: Stanford research professor, founder of Google's X Labs, where he oversaw the development of self-drivingUdacity...
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