Communications of the ACM: Opinion

Access to the Internet Is a Human Right

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Connecting Internet access with freedom of expression and creativity.

Cybercrime, Cyberweapons, Cyber Wars

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Where reality stops and perception begins.

What is a 'Good' Estimate?

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Whether forecasting is valuable.

Swamped by Automation

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Whenever someone asks you to trust them, don't.

Thumb Numbers

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

Rules of thumb stated as numerical rules are enticing, but many are folk theorems that may not apply in your critical situation.

Learning from the Past to Face the Risks of Today

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The Space Shuttle software program can provide guidance to today's projects.

Steve Jobs' Dream Device Has Arrived

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:56:00 -0400

Just before he died, Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson about his dream for revolutionizing television.

Will Giving the Internet Eyes and Ears Mean the End of Privacy?

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:06:00 -0400

The Internet has turned into a massive surveillance tool.

Welcome to Google Island

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:33:00 -0400

I awoke aboard a boat, just before daybreak, which was weird.

Is Computing Speed Set to Make a Quantum Leap?

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:08:00 -0400

"Our imagination is stretched to the utmost," wrote Richard Feynman, the greatest physicist of his day, "not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things that are there."

CALEA II: Risks of Wiretap Modifications to Endpoints

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:29:00 -0400

I join a group of twenty computer scientists in issuing a report criticizing an FBI plan to require makers of secure communication tools to redesign their systems to make wiretapping easy.

Should Patents Be Awarded to Software?

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:41:00 -0400

The goal of the U.S. patent system is clear: to provide individuals or companies with an incentive to innovate by offering them 20 years of exclusive rights to an invention.

At Google Conference, Cameras Even in the Bathroom

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:29:00 -0400

The future came crashing down on me this week at the Google I/O developer conference while I stood at a bathroom urinal.

Google Glass Isn't Lame

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:23:00 -0400

I've spent the last few weeks lowering my expectations for Google Glass.

Strongbox and Aaron Swartz

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:42:00 -0400

Aaron Swartz was not yet a legend when, almost two years ago, I asked him to build an open-source, anonymous in-box.

Laptop U

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:27:00 -0400

Gregory Nagy, a professor of classical Greek literature at Harvard, is a gentle academic of the sort who, asked about the future, will begin speaking of Homer and the battles of the distant past.

Escape Plans

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:39:00 -0400

When the Russian asteroid became a fireball in the air over Chelyabinsk, destroying buildings and injuring hundreds, we were lucky it wasn’t worse.

A Multi-screen and Conversational Search Experience

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:29:00 -0400

Search has always been about giving you the best answers quickly, regardless of what device you use.

The Coming Political Battle Over Bitcoin

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:05:00 -0400

Given that Bitcoin first broke into mainstream attention when Gawker explained how to use it to buy drugs, perhaps the surprise is that it took federal regulators this long to take action against it.

Hear Ye, Future Deep Throats: This Is How to Leak to the Press

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:13:00 -0400

We now live in a world where public servants informing the public about government behavior or wrongdoing must practice the tradecraft of drug dealers and spies.

OK, Glass, Don't Make Me Look Stupid

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:30:00 -0400

A man sitting alone at his kitchen table pauses before eating his breakfast.

TEDxStanford Highlights Breakthroughs in Research and Creativity, Stanford-style

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:38:00 -0400

They sacrificed a spectacular sunny Saturday afternoon by the hundreds, forgoing all else to sit in a darkened hall to witness hours of intense lectures and art works. Happily. Eagerly. Hungrily.

Why Teaching a Robot to Fetch a Cup of Coffee Matters

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:27:00 -0400

In robotics, as in life, it often takes small steps to reach a big goal.

Sorry, College Grads, I Probably Won't Hire You

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:20:00 -0400

Dear college graduates: The next month is going to be thrilling as you cross this major milestone in your education.

4 Big Problems with Social Security Numbers

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:54:00 -0400

A Social Security number is like a skeleton key, able to unlock a kingdom of untold riches for identity thieves.

What Is the Syrian Electronic Army Trying to Accomplish, Anyway?

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:15:00 -0400

In June 2011, just a few short months after protests first erupted in Syria, the country's president, Bashar Al-Assad, made a speech in which he thanked a group called the "Syrian Electronic Army" (SEA). Calling it a "virtual army in cyberspace," Al-Assad praised the group for its effort in trying to shape the Syrian narrative.

Syrian Electronic Army Hacks Israel's Main Infrastructure Control System

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:05:00 -0400

The Syrian Electronic Army launched a successful cyberattack on the main infrastructure system of Haifa, one of the most important ports in Israel, disrupting the operation of the servers in charge of urban management systems and public utilities in the city.

Is Massively Open Online Education a Threat or a Blessing?

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:18:00 -0400

In fall 2011, Sebastian Thrun, a research professor at Stanford, and Peter Norvig, the top scientist at Google, teamed up to develop and teach a free, online course on artificial intelligence.

Measuring the Benefits of Tech Tools

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:28:00 -0400

When I was a young reporter we could not afford cellphones.

Apple: An End to Skeuomorphic Design?

Thu, 09 May 2013 11:40:00 -0400

Why do most smartphones make a clicking noise, like a camera shutter closing, when you take a picture with them? Why do the virtual pages of a book on a tablet appear to turn as you swipe across the screen?