November 2019 - Vol. 62 No. 11

Features

Opinion Cerf's up Nov 1 2019

The presentation of Internet search results not only must be prioritized by some measure of quality but also the ranking criteria must be clear and well understood. Transparency is our friend in this endeavor.

Vinton G. Cerf

Computing Applications

Opinion Departments Nov 1 2019

The Winner-Takes-All Tech Corporation

What may have been a radical position less than a year ago has become a conventional wisdom now. There are several initiatives to regulate "Big Tech;" the question now is how rather than if.

Moshe Y. Vardi

Computing Profession

Opinion Letters to the editor Nov 1 2019

You Can Publish It!: (You Have To)

The Viewpoint Column "Online Voting: We Can Do It! (We Have To)" in the September 2019 issue is naïve and unscientific. It does not cite any of the scientific literature the author is claiming to refute.

CACM Staff

Computing Profession

BLOG@CACM Nov 1 2019

The Benefits of Indolence

Yegor Bugayenko explains his realization that software developers should go neither above nor beyond.

Yegor Bugayenko

Computing Applications

News Nov 1 2019

Information Is Physics

Individual bits of information can have direct physical consequences.

Don Monroe

Architecture and Hardware

News Nov 1 2019

When Drones Fly

Drone technology is poised to enter the mainstream of business and society, but engineering robust controls remains a challenge.

Samuel Greengard

Architecture and Hardware

News Nov 1 2019

Real-World Applications for Drones

Unmanned vehicles have a number of compelling real-world use cases.

Logan Kugler

Architecture and Hardware

Opinion Legally speaking Nov 1 2019

Europe’s Controversial Digital Copyright Directive Finalized

Considering the new liability risks for ISPs, search engines, and news aggregators under recent EU-wide mandatory rules.

Pamela Samuelson

Computing Profession

Opinion Education Nov 1 2019

Computational Thinking Should Just be Good Thinking

Seeking to change computing teaching to improve computer science.

Mark Guzdial, Alan Kay, Cathie Norris, and Elliot Soloway

Computing Profession

News Interview Nov 1 2019

An Interview with Leonard Kleinrock

The UCLA professor and networking pioneer reflects on his career in industry and academia.

George Varghese

Computing Profession

Leonard Kleinrock in front of blackboard

Opinion Viewpoint Nov 1 2019

Algorithms, Platforms, and Ethnic Bias

How computing platforms and algorithms can potentially either reinforce or identify and address ethnic biases.

Selena Silva and Martin Kenney

Computing Applications

Research and Advances India Region Special Section Nov 1 2019

Welcome to the India Region Special Section

The India region plays an important role in the global computing landscape with its highly trained manpower, software companies, and top universities whose students serve local and global needs. The India Region special section mirrors all these facets.

P. J. Narayanan, Pankaj Jalote, and Anand Deshpande

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Extreme Classification

What if you had the superpower to accurately answer, in a few milliseconds, a multiple-choice question with a billion choices? The objective in extreme classification is to develop algorithms with such capabilities.

Manik Varma

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Designing ICT Interventions for Women in Pakistan

In order to ensure entire populations benefit from the deployment and adoption of ICTs an understanding of the specific needs and challenges faced by women is imperative.

Maryam Mustafa, Amna Batool, and Agha Ali Raza

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Turbocharging Database Query Processing and Testing

Query processing and optimization are implemented in all contemporary database systems. Indian universities have played a visible role in addressing important, unsolved issues.

Jayant R. Haritsa and S. Sudarshan

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Digital Transformation in the Indian Government

The Digital India program is centered on the vision of offering digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen, providing services and enabling the digital empowerment of citizens.

Neeta Verma and Savita Dawar

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

CSpathshala: Bringing Computational Thinking to Schools

Some 300,000 students from 750 schools in 11 states throughout India are learning computing through "unplugged" activities as part of CSpathshala, ACM India's education initiative.

Vipul Shah

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Creative Disruption in Fintech from Sri Lanka

The farsighted entry into financial technology, and experience in mobilizing local talent, contributed to the early success of MillenniumIT.

Ajit Samaranayake, Sampath Tilakumara, Thayaparan Sripavan, and Rasika Withanawasam

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Technology Interventions for Road Safety and Beyond

Inadequate road infrastructure, increasing vehicle population, and poor driver training make a chaotic and often deadly mix in India. Artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies may improve the situation.

C. V. Jawahar and Venkata N. Padmanabhan

Architecture and Hardware

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Skill Evaluation

Aspiring Minds has developed a scalable platform to test the job skills of millions of graduates entering the labor market in India every year.

Shashank Srikant, Rohit Takhar, Vishal Venugopal, and Varun Aggarwal

Architecture and Hardware

checkbox illustration, backdrop is a crowd of people

Research and Advances India Region Special Section: Hot topics Nov 1 2019

Computing Research at Tata Consultancy Services

Research and innovation have played a unique role in Tata Consultancy Services' journey from a computing division to its current place in global technology consulting.

Gautam Shroff and K. Ananth Krishnan

Architecture and Hardware