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dateMore Than a Year Ago
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The Facebook Phone Is Not As Dumb As I Thought It Was Going to Be.
From ACM Opinion

The Facebook Phone Is Not As Dumb As I Thought It Was Going to Be.

People have been waiting for the Facebook Phone for years. Not real people, mind you, just technology reporters.

Save a Soccer Referee. Hire a Machine to Rule on Goals.
From ACM Opinion

Save a Soccer Referee. Hire a Machine to Rule on Goals.

Referees are the worst. Anyone who plays, coaches, or watches sports will agree. They call either too little or too much. They're blind, stupid, paid off, or just...

The Chilling Effects of the Dmca
From ACM Opinion

The Chilling Effects of the Dmca

It was hard to believe, but the student insisted it was true.

The Great Smartphone Conundrum
From ACM Opinion

The Great Smartphone Conundrum

Smartphones keep getting faster.

Why We'll Never Make an ­npickable Lock
From ACM Opinion

Why We'll Never Make an ­npickable Lock

It would be roughly accurate to say that there have been locks as long as there have been things humans wanted to guard.

Eye-Tracking Smartphones Have Arrived. What About the Privacy Implications?
From ACM Opinion

Eye-Tracking Smartphones Have Arrived. What About the Privacy Implications?

Last March, I wrote in Slate about eye-tracking, which could allow computers and smartphones of the future to collect information not only about what we read, but...

On Today's Battlefield, Is Information More Important Than Firepower?
From ACM Opinion

On Today's Battlefield, Is Information More Important Than Firepower?

Halo, Borderlands, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Battlefield, Metal Gear Solid—these kinds of games taught a generation to see enemies as red dots on a mini-map...

Is It Time To Take Cyborg Rights Seriously? A Q&a With Neil Harbisson.
From ACM Opinion

Is It Time To Take Cyborg Rights Seriously? A Q&a With Neil Harbisson.

Harbisson was born without the ability to see color, but a device he calls his "eyeborg" allows him to now "hear" color.

The Art of Cyberwar
From ACM Opinion

The Art of Cyberwar

The New York Times’ front-page report last week that the Chinese army is hacking into America's most sensitive computer networks from a 12-story building outside...

Phreaks and Geeks
From ACM Opinion

Phreaks and Geeks

One of the most heartfelt—and unexpected—remembrances of Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide last month at the age of 26, came from Yale professor Edward Tufte.

The Two Classes of Cyber Threats
From ACM Opinion

The Two Classes of Cyber Threats

There is one number that matters most in cybersecurity.

How To Charge Your Laptop
From ACM Opinion

How To Charge Your Laptop

Whether they're in our computers, cell phones, or cars, the only time we think about batteries is when they're almost dead and we need to find some place to charge...

This Real-Life Pixar Lamp Cutely Refuses to Let You Turn It Off
From ACM Opinion

This Real-Life Pixar Lamp Cutely Refuses to Let You Turn It Off

Design-class projects have come a long way. That's the only conclusion I can draw from this brilliant video of a robotic desk lamp that squeaks, swivels, and mugs...

Prepare For the New Cameras-Everywhere World
From ACM Opinion

Prepare For the New Cameras-Everywhere World

Some questions can never be answered.

Was a Texas Student Really Expelled for Refusing To Wear an RFID Chip?
From ACM Opinion

Was a Texas Student Really Expelled for Refusing To Wear an RFID Chip?

The Texas school district that began requiring its students to wear RFID tracking chips this year is now facing a fight in federal court.

This Is Your Brain on Neural Implants
From ACM Opinion

This Is Your Brain on Neural Implants

You are in the future with technologies more advanced than today's.

The Flop That Saved Microsoft
From ACM Opinion

The Flop That Saved Microsoft

It wasn't very easy to get my hands on a Zune. After Microsoft's long-pitied music player wonSlate's Reader Takeover poll—in which I'd promised to reassess an overlooked...

Can We Trust Voting Machines?
From ACM Opinion

Can We Trust Voting Machines?

Last week, a congressional report claimed that using Chinese telecommunications companies’ goods and services in the United States could threaten national security...

Will Neuroscience Radically Transform the Legal System?
From ACM Opinion

Will Neuroscience Radically Transform the Legal System?

Although academic fields will often enjoy more than Andy Warhol's famous 15 minutes of fame, they too are subject to today's ever-hungry machinery of hype. Like...

The Chinese Steve Jobs Is Probably a Pirate
From ACM Opinion

The Chinese Steve Jobs Is Probably a Pirate

When discussing innovation, the Chinese like to tout the country’s "Four Great Inventions"—paper, gunpowder, the compass, and woodblock printing—and their enormous...
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