August 2006 - Vol. 49 No. 8

August 2006 issue cover image

Features

Opinion Editorial pointers Aug 1 2006

Editorial Pointers

Much has been covered in these pages on information retrieval and management, often focusing on new methods or engines for performing text and sometimes image searches. Blazing a new trail in the retrieval effort is projects designed to index and access multimedia content—a flourishing movement as the related databases proliferate worldwide. Researchers in Music Information […]

Diane Crawford

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

News News track Aug 1 2006

A promising scanning device that would allow airline passengers to keep their shoes on while walking through security checkpoints is now being tested, reports USA Today. The ShoeScanner uses technology similar to an MRI to detect explosives in five to eight seconds. Rather than remove shoes and jackets, travelers stand in a kiosk where radio […]

CACM Staff

Computing Applications

Opinion Forum Aug 1 2006

Achieving the kind of "flow" in the software industry Phillip G. Armour discussed in his "The Business of Software" column ("The Learning Edge," June 2006) depends on emphasizing computer science fundamentals during CS education, in addition to basic learning. The formula should be (Solid Basics + Simplicity + Outward Focus + Learning => Flow). CS […]

Computing Applications

Practice Practical programmer Aug 1 2006

The Standish Report: Does It Really Describe a Software Crisis?

Reconsidering the relevancy of a frequently cited report on software project failures.

Robert L. Glass

Computing Applications

Opinion Digital village Aug 1 2006

Disk Wiping By Any Other Name

What does a disk wiper wipe when a disk wiper does wipe disks?

Hal Berghel and David Hoelzer

Computing Applications

Opinion Hot links Aug 1 2006

Top 10 Downloads from ACM’s Digital Library

Communications of the ACM Volume 49, Number 8 (2006), Pages 23-24 Hot links: Top 10 downloads from ACM’s digital library Diane Crawford Table of Contents Tables Back to Top Tables Table. The Top 10 Most Popular Papers from ACM’s Refereed Journals and Conference Proceedings Downloaded in May 2006 Table. The 10 Most Popular Courses at […]

Computing Applications

Opinion Viewpoint Aug 1 2006

Blockbusters and Blackboards

Collaboration between computer graphics researchers in university labs and engineers and artists in movie production studios spreads risk and multiplies benefits.

Dan B Goldman

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Research and Advances Music information retrieval Aug 1 2006

The technology is transforming how even the casual listener accesses and interacts with music documents and recordings.

Bryan Pardo

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Music information retrieval Aug 1 2006

Extracting Information from Music Audio

Information includes individual notes, tempo, beat, and other musical properties, along with listener preferences based on how the listener experiences music.

Daniel P.W. Ellis

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Music information retrieval Aug 1 2006

Music Score Alignment and Computer Accompaniment

By relating musical sound to musical notation, these systems generate tireless, expressive musical accompaniment to follow and sometimes learn from a live human performance.

Roger B. Dannenberg and Christopher Raphael

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Music information retrieval Aug 1 2006

The Shazam Music Recognition Service

Guided by a user's query-by-example music sample, it delivers the matching song, as well as related music information, of immediate interest to the user.

Avery Wang

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Music information retrieval Aug 1 2006

Query by Humming With the VocalSearch System

Don't know the composer, performer, or title? Let the system match the theme you know to the song you want.

William Birmingham, Roger Dannenberg, and Bryan Pardo

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Music information retrieval Aug 1 2006

Variations2: Retrieving and Using Music in an Academic Setting

University music students, teachers, and researchers discover and retrieve musical works and navigate within them, then create annotations and share them with other users.

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Aug 1 2006

Biometric Marketing: Targeting the Online Consumer

How biometric technology can bridge the gap between consumers' needs and marketers' perceptions.

Alexander P. Pons

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Aug 1 2006

Changing the Paradigm of Software Engineering

Software evolution, iterative, and agile development represent a fundamental departure from the previous waterfall-based paradigm of software engineering.

Vaclav Rajlich

Computing Applications

Practice Aug 1 2006

E-Monitoring in the Workplace: Privacy, Legislation, and Surveillance Software

Protecting the corporation while respecting employee privacy---an old puzzle made more complex with new software.

G. Daryl Nord, Tipton F. McCubbins, and Jeretta Horn Nord

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Aug 1 2006

Defining and Contributing to Software Development Success

Determining the process-related components affecting software developers' perception of project success.

J. Drew Procaccino, June M. Verner, and Steven J. Lorenzet

Computing Applications

Research and Advances Aug 1 2006

Tightening Access Policy: The Hidden Trade-Off

Access policy changes should be handled delicately to avoid damaging visitor loyalty.

Eugenia Y. Huang

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances Aug 1 2006

Pair Programming Improves Student Retention, Confidence, and Program Quality

Pair programming produces more proficient, confident programmers---and may help increase female representation in the field.

Charlie McDowell, Linda Werner, Heather E. Bullock, and Julian Fernald

Computing Applications

Opinion Technical opinion Aug 1 2006

Information Security Standards Focus on the Existence of Process, Not Its Content

The existence of prescribed security processes in organizations does not mean the goals of the processes are achieved.

Mikko Siponen

Computing Applications

Opinion Inside risks Aug 1 2006

Risks of Online Storage

Exponential leaps in online storage capacity, along with a sharp drop in storage costs, have made it possible for Internet users to store large amounts of data online. Unless the law catches up, loss of privacy may be a hidden and unintended price of this new capacity because under current law, a consumer’s personal communications […]

Deirdre K. Mulligan, Ari Schwartz, and Indrani Mondal

Computing Applications

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