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The Rise of the New Crypto War
From ACM Opinion

The Rise of the New Crypto War

James B. Comey, Jr., the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is afraid of the dark.

Here Are the 12 Most Influential Programmers Working Today
From ACM Opinion

Here Are the 12 Most Influential Programmers Working Today

The apps and games you use every day don't exist in a vacuum—someone, somewhere, wrote the code.

Moxie Marlinspike: The Coder Who Encrypted Your Texts
From ACM Opinion

Moxie Marlinspike: The Coder Who Encrypted Your Texts

In the past decade, Moxie Marlinspike has squatted on an abandoned island, toured the U.S. by hopping trains, he says, and earned the enmity of government officials...

The End of Encryption? Nsa & Fbi Seek New Backdoors Against Advice from Leading Security Experts
From ACM Opinion

The End of Encryption? Nsa & Fbi Seek New Backdoors Against Advice from Leading Security Experts

FBI Director James Comey is set to testify against encryption before the Senate Intelligence Committee today, as the United States and Britain push for "exceptional...

Encryption, Public Safety, and 'going Dark'
From ACM Opinion

Encryption, Public Safety, and 'going Dark'

I am worried we are talking past each other with respect to "Going Dark," so let me try to frame it in a way that I hope is fair-minded and provides a basis for...

Saving Fuel with Software
From ACM Opinion

Saving Fuel with Software

Energy efficiency isn't just a good idea from an environmental perspective; it makes business sense as well.

The Very Best Ideas For Preventing Artificial Intelligence from Wrecking the Planet
From ACM Opinion

The Very Best Ideas For Preventing Artificial Intelligence from Wrecking the Planet

The Boston-based Future of Life Institute, backed by a $10 million donation from Elon Musk, recently announced its list of 37 winners of research grants in the....

Leap Motion's Augmented-Reality Computing Looks Stupid Cool
From ACM News

Leap Motion's Augmented-Reality Computing Looks Stupid Cool

We have a habit of filling new technologies with old ideas.

Meet Our Future Robosimian Heroes
From ACM Opinion

Meet Our Future Robosimian Heroes

Not all robots are built for war and destruction.

Is Star Trek Tech Possible?
From ACM Opinion

Is Star Trek Tech Possible?

My friend Veronica Belmont is pretty cool. Nerd, writer, TV host… and now she’s doing an online video series with Engadget called "Dear Veronica," where she answers...

Failure of New ­.s. Weapons Systems May Be More Than Science Fiction
From ACM Opinion

Failure of New ­.s. Weapons Systems May Be More Than Science Fiction

A war between China and America is a favorite subject of armchair military analysts. Why would it happen? How would it play out?

Calculating Pluto's Mass With Snapshots From New Horizons
From ACM Opinion

Calculating Pluto's Mass With Snapshots From New Horizons

As the New Horizons spacecraft is approaching Pluto, it's getting some great shots.

Stephen Hawking Asks a Big Question of Mark Zuckerberg
From ACM Opinion

Stephen Hawking Asks a Big Question of Mark Zuckerberg

Stephen Hawking woke up Tuesday morning and immediately summoned his handlers.

Technology and The Evolution of Storytelling
From ACM Opinion

Technology and The Evolution of Storytelling

It is such an exciting time to be a filmmaker.

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.

How to Write About World War Iii
From ACM Opinion

How to Write About World War Iii

One of us first fought World War III from the backseat of a station wagon headed toward Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For the other, it was at an island cabin on...

That Time the CIA Bugged a Cat to Spy on the Soviets
From ACM Opinion

That Time the CIA Bugged a Cat to Spy on the Soviets

My favorite story about American spying is one I've never been able to verify with the Central Intelligence Agency, and not for lack of trying.

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...

'minority Report' Interface Designer: Future Tech Needs a Better Dictionary
From ACM Opinion

'minority Report' Interface Designer: Future Tech Needs a Better Dictionary

There's this game I like to play when I'm out reporting. Whenever I’m doing an interview or attending a presentation about virtual or augmented reality, I count...

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.
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