Computing2298 articles archived since 1845

Talk to the Machine: Progress in Speech-Recognition Software, by David Pogue

Speech-recognition programs are no longer clumsy exercises in futility

Solar Holler: Satellite Network Preps to Help Predict Stormy Space Weather [Slide Show]

Scientists hope that real-time information about potential solar disturbances can be used to warn those relying on operations in the increasingly crowded low Earth orbit

Solar Holler: Satellite Network Preps to Help Predict Stormy Space Weather [Slide Show]

Scientists hope that real-time information about potential solar disturbances can be used to warn those relying on operations in the increasingly crowded low Earth orbit

Mobile Phones for Women: A New Approach for Social Welfare in the Developing World

Telecoms, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofits are pushing to put mobile phones directly in the hands of women in low- and middle-income countries

Video Gamers Use as Much Energy as San Diego

U.S. homes have about 63 million video game consoles, and together they use about as much energy as San Diego does in a year, according to a 2008 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council...

New Tool Tracks Culture through the Centuries via Google Books

The field of "culturomics" promises humanities researchers a robust quantitative tool to analyze cultural trends back to the 1500s

Citizen scientists join the exoplanet hunt

NASA's Kepler spacecraft, launched in 2009, is one of the finest and most prolific machines ever built for seeking out worlds orbiting distant stars.

To Tell the Truth: Brain Scans Are Not Ready for the Courtroom

Brain scans should not be used for lie detection unless their reliability is proved

SciAm's 2010 Gadget Guide: 10 Gizmos Taking Digital Learning and Entertainment to the Next Level [Slide Show]

Big pop-tech dominated the headlines this year, so we present an array of mainly pint-size products that may have sneaked under your radar

SciAm's 2010 Gadget Guide: 10 Gizmos Taking Digital Learning and Entertainment to the Next Level [Slide Show]

Big pop-tech dominated the headlines this year, so we present an array of mainly pint-size products that may have sneaked under your radar

Ants Lead Way to Speedier Computer Networks

A problem-solving tactic used by insects looks set to help engineers.

WikiLeaks supporters attack Web sites of MasterCard and other opponents

How Has WikiLeaks Managed to Keep Its Web Site Up and Running?

Despite cyber attacks, the loss of key service providers and threats from government officials worldwide, the controversial site continues to add to its online cache of cablegate documents...

Targeting Practices: How Can Online Advertising Companies Be Kept from Tracking Web Surfers?

The FTC is calling for "do not track" software, but one privacy and security expert said such programming would have to be incorporated into a browser for it to work properly

WikiLeaks Breach Highlights Insider Security Threat

Even the toughest security systems sometimes have a soft center that can be exploited by someone who has passed rigorous screening

How Will WikiLeaks Transform Mainstream Media?

Modern technology has made online groups the top destination for leaked information, but it does not have to signal the end of traditional outlets

Can the U.S. Prevent Future WikiLeaks Document Releases?

One obvious way is to use the classified label more sparingly, according to one expert

The Web Turns 20: Web Science Reveals Human Interactions, Part 4 of 4

In this fourth article of a four-part series commemorating the World Wide Web's 20th birthday, Tim Berners-Lee tells Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti that we still have a lot to learn about the Web's design, operation and impact on society...

Dear Santa: Please Send Owl Puke

SA asked scientists to recommend their favorite educational gifts for kids

The Web Turns 20: Free Bandwidth Connects the Masses, Part 3 of 4

In this third article of a four-part series commemorating the World Wide Web's 20th birthday, Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti describes an effort to bring free Internet access to African communities...