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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


Do We Really Need Humans to Explore Mars?
From ACM News

Do We Really Need Humans to Explore Mars?

The dazzling sunlight that flooded the lake-front restaurant where I sat down with Chris Kraft in 2014 was nothing compared to the brightness in his eyes.

Smile, You're in the Fbi Face-Recognition Database
From ACM News

Smile, You're in the Fbi Face-Recognition Database

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has access to as many as 411.9 million images as part of its face-recognition database. 

Goodbye, Obamaberry. Hello, Obamadroid.
From ACM News

Goodbye, Obamaberry. Hello, Obamadroid.

When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, he pushed to keep his BlackBerry.

Red Astroturf: Chinese Government Makes Millions of Fake Social Media Posts
From ACM News

Red Astroturf: Chinese Government Makes Millions of Fake Social Media Posts

Data scientists at Harvard University have found that the government of the People's Republic of China generates an estimated 448 million fake social media posts...

Going Digital May Make Analog Quantum Computer Scaleable
From ACM News

Going Digital May Make Analog Quantum Computer Scaleable

There are many different schemes for making quantum computers work (most of them evil). But they pretty much all fall into two categories.

Four Wild Technologies Lawmakers Want Nasa to Pursue
From ACM News

Four Wild Technologies Lawmakers Want Nasa to Pursue

Imagine a tissue-box sized device, with blades a few feet long, whirring to life after charging for a full Sol on Mars.

Dronebuster Will Let You Point and Shoot Command Hacks at Pesky Drones
From ACM News

Dronebuster Will Let You Point and Shoot Command Hacks at Pesky Drones

Anti-drone technology has been high on the shopping list of public safety and military organizations at least since a drunken federal employee crashed a drone onto...

The Leap Second: Because Our Clocks Are More Accurate Than the Earth
From ACM News

The Leap Second: Because Our Clocks Are More Accurate Than the Earth

We've recently been treated to that extra day in February that reminds us that 2016 is a leap year.

As ­S Drops 'cyber Bombs,' Isis Retools Its Own Cyber Army
From ACM News

As ­S Drops 'cyber Bombs,' Isis Retools Its Own Cyber Army

The Islamic State has been deft in its use of the Internet as a communications tool.

Human History Traced Via the Y Chromosome
From ACM News

Human History Traced Via the Y Chromosome

The history of humanity, as we've read it through DNA, has been written largely by females.

Long After His Accident, Sam Schmidt Takes the Wheel Again Thanks to Project Sam
From ACM News

Long After His Accident, Sam Schmidt Takes the Wheel Again Thanks to Project Sam

In the late 90s, Sam Schmidt had a promising career as an IndyCar driver, finishing fifth in the championship in 1999 after taking his first win in Las Vegas.

Fair ­se Prevails as Supreme Court Rejects Google Books Copyright Case
From ACM News

Fair ­se Prevails as Supreme Court Rejects Google Books Copyright Case

The Supreme Court on Monday declined (PDF) to hear a challenge from the Authors Guild and other writers claiming Google's scanning of their books amounts to wanton...

'this Is the Irs Regarding Your Tax Filings,' Says Trio of Overseas Robocallers
From ACM News

'this Is the Irs Regarding Your Tax Filings,' Says Trio of Overseas Robocallers

As if political campaigns, shady telemarketers hawking home security systems, and the rest of the usual suspects aren't generating enough automated phone calls,...

First Came the Breathalyzer, Now Meet the Roadside Police 'textalyzer'
From ACM News

First Came the Breathalyzer, Now Meet the Roadside Police 'textalyzer'

We're all familiar with the Breathalyzer, the brand name for a roadside device that measures a suspected drunken driver's blood-alcohol level.

Nvidia ­nveils First Pascal Graphics Card, the Monstrous Tesla P100
From ACM News

Nvidia ­nveils First Pascal Graphics Card, the Monstrous Tesla P100

The first full-fat GPU based on Nvidia's all-new Pascal architecture is here.

Apple Likely Can't Force Fbi to Disclose How It Got Data from Seized Iphone
From ACM News

Apple Likely Can't Force Fbi to Disclose How It Got Data from Seized Iphone

The US government isn't saying whether it will divulge to Apple the method it used to access the locked iPhone seized by one of the San Bernardino shooters.

Meet the Largest Science Project in ­S Government History—the James Webb Telescope
From ACM News

Meet the Largest Science Project in ­S Government History—the James Webb Telescope

Since Galileo first discovered the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, telescopes have gotten larger, more accurate, and more powerful.

Fbi Director Says Fight with Apple About Terrorism, Not Setting Precedent
From ACM News

Fbi Director Says Fight with Apple About Terrorism, Not Setting Precedent

James Comey, the Federal Bureau of Investigation director, is defending the agency's legal battle with Apple, saying it is about fighting terrorism and not about...

Apple Gets Short-Term Win, But New Mysterious Fbi ­nlocking Method Looms
From ACM News

Apple Gets Short-Term Win, But New Mysterious Fbi ­nlocking Method Looms

Less than 24 hours before a highly anticipated Tuesday court session where prosecutors and Apple lawyers would have squared off here in federal court, government...

Searching for the Particle Accelerator at the Heart of the Milky Way
From ACM News

Searching for the Particle Accelerator at the Heart of the Milky Way

We're rightly proud of the Large Hadron Collider, which accelerates protons up to 7 Tera-electron Volts before smashing them together.
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