Farm Automation Gets Smarter
1600-word article/news for Association for Computing Machinery.
An interview-based news report about how automation is coming to large farm machinery (such as tractors) worldwide....
Computer Science, Math Laureates Convene in Heidelberg
750-word article/news for Association for Computing Machinery.
An online report on the Heidelberg Laureate Forum, which gathers recipients of the world's most prestigious math and computer science awards (Turing, Fields, Abel, Nevanlinna)…...
When Computers Are The Hackers
750-word article/news for Association for Computing Machinery.
Coverage of DARPA's Cyber Grand Challenge, a competition in Las Vegas where seven teams trained computers to hack each other for over three million dollars…...
Drones Too Complicated? We’ll Take Care of That
850-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article about "drones as a service": companies that offer to fly drones for various purposes on an as-needed basis....
Can Chatbots Think Before They Talk?
750-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article about recent developments in computer programs that mimic human conversation ("chatbots"), particularly the use of modern artificial intelligence techniques to improve their discourse....
Rich Data, Poor Fields
1500-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article about use of digital resources and mobile devices to improve crops worldwide....
In Privacy Law, It’s the U.S. vs. the World
1600-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article about the special position of the United States in internet privacy law, a topic under special scrutiny after the revelations of Edward Snowden....
Mental Health Apps Listen and Guide
1000-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article about apps that attempt to discern when their users exhibit signs of depression, mania, and other mental issues....
The Filter Bubble: Is It Real? Does It Matter?
950-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article reviewing whether search engines et al. isolate us from unusual ideas and beliefs through a "filter bubble"....
Car Talk
1700-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
Article about vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, touching on vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) efforts, government involvement, and models that feature V2V technologies....
Energy Harvesting Extends Life of Small Devices
850-word article/online for Association for Computing Machinery.
Article about using power gathered from radio waves, heat, and motion to power small devices such as sensors and cell phones....
Drupal in Context column: Handrails for Everybody
750-word article for Tag 1 Publishing.
A column for Volume 4, Issue 1 of "Drupal Watchdog", the print magazine distributed at the semi-annual DrupalCon. It discusses the importance of an "easy…...
Boot Camps Promise PhDs Fast Track to a Data Science Career
1000-word article/online for Association for Computing Machinery.
Ph.D.s: Want a month of all-expenses-paid training, with a six-figure job waiting for you when you're done? That's what a new crop of "data-science boot…...
Waiting for the Smart Grid
1000-word article/online for Association for Computing Machinery.
The "smart" electric grid has held great promise for 15 years, but it's not always been clear how deeply it's penetrated our infrastructure -- or…...
Computing’s Narrow Focus May Hinder Women’s Participation
1000-word article/online for Association for Computing Machinery.
I was afraid to work on this article about the gender gap in computing because it's a topic surrounded by dogma, strong feelings, and poorly…...
Drupal in Context column: Does Coding Matter?
600-word article for Tag 1 Publishing.
A column for Volume 3, Issue 2 of "Drupal Watchdog", the print magazine distributed at the semi-annual DrupalCon. This one describes how to get Drupal…...
The Forever Disc
2000-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article in the May 2014 issue of CACM about data storage for very long times, e.g. a million years....
Buried Ghosts: What Lies Below a Paradise Lost
450-word article for Belt Magazine.
A short elegy to rust-belt towns, as told through the decay of buildings and bodies....
How Do You Feel? Your Computer Knows (article)
1900-word article for Association for Computing Machinery.
An article in the January 2014 issue of CACM about "affective computing", which enables your computing device to perceive react to your emotions and moods....
Welcome to Lower Self-Worthington (commentary)
1400-word article for Belt Magazine.
My first article for Belt Magazine, "an online magazine devoted to long-form journalism, essay, and commentary with a distinctly Rust Belt sensibility". It examines why…...