News
Since 2006, Ronald Arkin (Computer Science) has been working to develop robot drones that are capable not only of carrying out pinpoint attacks but of deciding on their own when it is permissible to fire on a particular target. Source: Wall Street Journal
The controversy surrounding a drastic restructuring of the University of Florida's CS department is still unresolved. The CS students have continued receiving support, including an e-mail to University of Florida president from Zvi Galil, dean of the College of Computing. Source: Communications of the ACM
Michael Best (Interactive Computing) said his lab was receiving an average of 50 messages per second through social media during the 2011 general elections in Nigeria, adding that his laboratory worked with some civil society groups to monitor the election. Source: Business Day
Marshini Chetty (Interactive Computing) conducted a study that shows negative user experiences associated with bandwidth caps. However, Chetty believes the pressure put on Internet users could be relieved with the right data usage monitoring tools. Source: Daily Tech
Professor Charles Isbell (Interactive Computing) has been appointed the senior associate dean of the College of Computing, with responsibility for managing much of the College's day-to-day operations, Dean Zvi Galil has announced. Source: Office of Communications
ATLANTA – May 7, 2012 – A new study by a Georgia Tech researcher shows that capped broadband pricing triggers uneasy user experiences that could be mitigated by better tools to monitor data usage through their home networks. Source: Office of Communications
A young developer has found a genius way to get Apple‘s attention: figure out how to make the iPad better for users and then get users to sell the idea to Apple. In one fell swoop undergrad student Daniel Hooperdemonstrates his chops with both technology and marketing. Source: Forbes
Approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students will celebrate the Georgia Institute of Technology’s 242nd commencement at the Georgia Dome. Dr. Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering, and President Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will address the doctoral and master’s ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 4, while Governor Nathan Deal will address the undergraduate ceremony at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 5.
At long last, someone gets some ironclad credit for breaking the news of bin Laden's death. A study conducted by Ph.D. candidate Mengdie Hu (Interactive Computing) claims victory for Keith Urbahn, aide to former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, as the first person to break the news. Source: Washington Times
Mengdie Hu (Interactive Computing) has studied how reliable Twitter was as a news source using the Bin Laden killing as a test case. To find out, researchers examined 400,000 tweets sent in a two-hour period starting just minutes before Urbahn's infamous tweet. Source: Marketplace Tech Report
In this article by Richard DeMillo (Computer Science), he discusses how investment in IT doesn't matter if colleges are just going to keep conducting business as usual. Source: Chronicle of Higher Education
Researchers are studying the explosion of social media activity as a way of gauging "certainty" in an age of Internet news. A team led by Mengdie Hu (Interactive Computing) wanted to distinguish rumor or "uncertain" tweets made that night from those that were "certain" regarding bin Laden's death. Source: MSNBC
How do we separate fact from rumor on Twitter, and how do we decide which Tweeters to trust? That question is at the heart of a study conducted by Mengdie Hu and John Stasko (Interactive Computing). Source: Los Angeles Times
A study conducted by Ph.D. candidate Mengdie Hu (Interactive Computing) explains how Twitter broke and spread the news of bin Laden's death. The study may be the most comprehensive yet in showing how news spreads on Twitter. Source: ReadWriteWeb
By analyzing 600,000 tweets sent on the night U.S. Special Forces captured Osama bin Laden, researchers studied how Twitter broke the story and spread the news. Their data also shows that the Twitterverse was overwhelmingly convinced the news of bin Laden’s death was true, even before it was confirmed on television.
Two Georgia Tech College of Computing professors – Mark Guzdial and Ling Liu – received honors from the IEEE Computer Society for their contributions to the field of computer science. Source: Office of Communications
When Things Fall Apart, an experimental campaign developed by Eric Gilbert (Interactive Computing), deconstructs and reconstructs your Twitter avatar when you donate to the Red Cross. Using a visual language called Processing, your picture will be scattered and periodically rebuilt over 60 hours in 12-hour increments. Source: ABC News
Changing your Twitter pic is kind of like slapping a political bumper sticker on your car; it never started or finished a revolution. But Eric Gilbert (Interactive Computing) has come up with a clever way to add impact to what’s been labeled social media “slacktivism.” Source: Wall Street Journal
Nick Feamster (Comp Sci) has developed Project Lithium, software designed for a home router that can be controlled via a web interface. With it, a consumer or carrier can set parameters for how traffic behaves on the home network. Source: GigaOm
When Things Fall Apart is a social media app that deconstructs a user's avatar and rebuilds it over three days. Developed by Eric Gilbert (Interactive Computing), the app is available to anyone who donates $10 to the Red Cross and thematically mirrors the organization's work in rebuilding communities that have been shattered to pieces by natural disasters. Source: Mashable
The Center for 21st Century Universities' TechBurst competition announced its winners this week, capping the first iteration of an experiment in peer-to-peer instruction. “This is meant to be a start of a thread of conversations among students," says center director Rich DeMillo (CS). Source: Wired
When it comes to home networks, consumers are often like small children, demanding what they want when they want it, while ISPs are left to play the role of parent. But Nick Feamster's (CS) project using OpenFlow protocols has the potential to change that dynamic. Source: GigaOM
To manage a $1.7 budget deficit, the University of Florida's engineering dean is proposing to make changes that likely will end all research in the school's computer science department and turn it into a teaching-only unit. That, says a UF Ph.D. student, runs counter to what "far-sighted" universities like Georgia Tech have done. Source: Huffington Post
Parents who post photos of their children on social media sites are not just sharing details of their own lives--they're painting the first strokes of the "digital persona" that their kids will have their entire lives, says Michaelanne Dye, who has a master's degree in cyberanthropology and manages the College of Computing's social media channels. Source: ReadWriteWeb
Instead of ignoring the inevitability of change, how can institutions incorporate disruptive technologies within the traditional university? That is the question that the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) sought to answer with its first annual TechBurst Competition. Source: Office of Communications
There can be a very thin line between fantasy and science. Fantasy drives science. Blair MacIntyre (Interactive Computing) agreed: “Is it augmented reality, or is it location-based notifications? It’s going to generate ideas in people and expectations that just might not match.” Source: Wired
Georgia Tech's College of Computing has received a $500,000 grant from Jim Allchin, considered the “father” of Microsoft Windows. Allchin is a Georgia Tech alumnus. Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle
Computer science Ph.D. students Shauvik Roy Choudhary, Shuang Hao and Chengwei Wang are three of 30 students nationwide awarded the 2012 Yahoo! Key Scientific Challenges Program award. Source: Office of Communications
ATLANTA – April 13, 2012 – James E. (“Jim”) Allchin – a recognized visionary in the computing industry and notable Georgia Tech alumnus – and his wife, Catherine M. Allchin, have committed $500,000 to the Georgia Tech College of Computing for the continued intellectual and professional development of rising faculty superstars. Source: Office of Communications
The Georgia Institute of Technology opened its doors to more than 400 middle school and high school students on Wednesday for the third annual Robotics Open House.
Google claims that their new glasses can add additional detail and context about all the details of a person's everyday life. Blair MacIntyre (Interactive Computing) says, “In one fake video, Google has created a level of over-hype and over-expectation that their hardware cannot possibly live up to.” Source: PC Magazine
Google's Project Glass eyewear caused quite a stir when the company unveiled it this week. But now augmented reality experts, including Blair MacIntyre (Interactive Computing) have cast doubts on whether Google could pull off what's shown in the promo video with the hardware. Source: CNET
When Google officially unveiled Project Glass we saw a provocative glimpse of the future. However, Blair MacIntyre (Interactive Computing) believes Google may have set the bar too high for itself. Source: Wired
Google has sparked an online tizzy with its Project Glass video but augmented reality experts such as Blair MacIntyre (Interactive Computing) are asking the obvious questions, such as “is it a good idea for Google to hype expectations about a product that it cannot possibly deliver?” Source: Christian Science Monitor
The digital age is here to stay, so some colleges are updating mandatory general education courses. Each of the nearly 2,000 freshmen entering Georgia Institute of Technology each year must take a computer science course regardless of their major, says Charles Isbell (Comp Sci). Source: Chicago Tribune
A recent U.S. News article points out a growing interest among colleges and universities to make basic computer science a required course for all students. Noting the importance of computer science for all majors, Georgia Tech has already done this. Source: Chronicle of Higher Education
As we continue on a track where technology powers everything from our toothbrushes to our textbooks, should computer science be added to the list of general education requirements? Charles Isbell (Computer Science) says definitely. Source: U.S. News & World Report
Maya Cakmak (Interactive Computing) is trying to help create an easy-to-use human-robot interaction. Along with other GT researchers, she has recently identified the types of questions a robot can ask to get more information from a human so that they can learn a new task. Source: Smart Planet
As robots become increasingly intelligent, it’s not hard to imagine a future where they’re completely autonomous. In a recent paper, GT researchers, led by Ron Arkin (Interactive Computing), discuss how humans can make sure that robots don’t get out of line. Source: MSNBC
The Center for Experimental Research in Computer Systems’ (CERCS) Karsten Schwan, Matt Wolf and Greg Eisenhauer (Computer Science) will lead Georgia Tech's involvement in the Department of Energy's $5M Scalable Data Management, Analysis and Visualization (SDAV) Institute, part of the Obama Administration's "Big Data Research and Development Initiative" launched on March 29, 2012.Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Expensive, bureaucratic, and slow-moving, higher education is an industry ripe for technological disruption. Led by Richard DeMillo (Computer Science), Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities is among the universities leading the way with education technology. Source: Forbes
The Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U), led by Richard DeMillo (Computer Science), is a self-described living laboratory for fundamental change in higher education. Source: The Guardian
ATLANTA – March 20, 2012 – Following a year-long national search, Georgia Tech’s College of Computing has hired renowned computing leaders Lance Fortnow and Annie Antón to chair its schools of Computer Science and Interactive Computing, respectively, effective July 1. Source: Office of Communications
How can we make sure robots uphold moral standards? In a new paper by Ronald Arkin (Interactive Computing), he disccusses the need to address questions about ethical behaviour in autonomous robotic systems. Source: Irish Times
A new study by Ph.D. student Maya Cakmak (Interactive Computing) has managed to identify the kind of questions that a robot is capable of asking when placed in an interactive, learning environment. This in turn will help it characterize a smooth and productive human-robot relationship. Source: Ubergizmo
Andrea Thomaz (Interactive Computing) and PhD student Maya Cakmak presented findings this week about how humans might best communicate with robots by talking to them as opposed to programming them. Source: Network World
Richard A. DeMillo (Computer Science) and Paul M.A. Baker talk about challenges and opportunities facing colleges at a time of economic pain and technological change—among them the chance that many universities might follow Borders Bookstores into oblivion. Source: Chronicle of Higher Education
ATLANTA – March 8, 2012 – A new study by Maya Cakmak and Andrea Thomaz (Interactive
Computing) identifies the types of questions a robot can ask during a
learning interaction that are most likely to characterize a smooth and
productive human-robot relationship. Source: Office of Communications
Georgia Tech is running an experimental MOOC, a free-floating forum that exists more in the online postings the students than in the formal materials assigned by professors. Next year, Richard DeMillo (Computer Science) hopes to put together a MOOSe, or massive open online seminar, through a network of universities that will offer credit. Source: New York Times
Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) co-developed a BrailleTouch, which can help blind people to send text messages and compose emails on smartphones without the need for expensive extra equipment. Source: CNN en Español
Researchers, led by Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) have built an application that is vying to be a solution for texting without the need to look at the screen. The possibilities are many: hammer out an e-mail, text or tweet — all without taking your eyes off whatever you’re doing. Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle
Just as people's voices betray hints of the region they originate from, so, it turns out, do phone calls. Mustaque Ahamad (Computer Science), cofounder of Pindrop, discusses how the security company can extract specific information from the line noise on a call. Source: Technology Review
The Keeneland Workshop, headed by Jeff Vetter (Computational Science and Engineering), was the stage for new findings on OpenCL, a major programming framework for GPU computing. Source: HPCwire
Richard DeMillo (Computer Science) has been nominated as a technology innovator for his use of 'living laboratories' to drive innovation. Source: Chronicle of Higher Education
The National Modeling and Simulation Coalition
held its Inaugural Congress on Feb. 6 in Washington D.C. Richard Fujimoto
(CompSci & Eng) is on the interim Board of Directors
and interim chair of the Education and Professional Development Committee. Source: GT IDH
The co-inventer of a braille keyboard for smartphones, Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) demonstrates his invention. Source: CNN
Alexander Gray (Computational Science and Engineering) discusses SkyTree, the big data startup that has set out to democratize the science of machine learning. Source: Gigaom
In a standing-room-only lecture on Feb. 23 at Georgia Tech,
Dan Shechtman told the story of his 1982 discovery of quasi-periodic
crystals, which resulted—30 years and many scientific battles
later—in his being awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Source: Office of Communications
A new technology developed by Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) makes touchscreens more accessible to the estimated 22 million American adults with vision loss by adapting the same system used to type Braille. Source: Mashable
Nancy Nersessian (Interactive Computing) talks about her project that's been running since 2001 to investigate how bioengineering scientists think and work, and how to pass their skills on to students. Source: Science Magazine
BrailleTouch, an app designed by Mario Romero (Interactive Computing), incorporates the Braille writing system into a touch-screen device . It essentially turns an iPhone ‘s touch screen into a soft-touch keyboard programmed for Braille, thus requiring only six keys. Source: Wall Street Journal
Here to texters' rescue is Braille Touch, a new app developed by Mario Romero (Interactive Computing), that enables people to type messages on an Android or iOS touch screen without having to look down. Source: LA Times
If Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) has his way, we'll all be learning Braille soon. He developed BrailleTouch, an app that could help blind people type on smartphones without the need for expensive equipment. Source: CNN
Eric Gilbert (Interactive Computing) talks about how certain words used in emails can reveal if the message is being sent by someone higher up or further below you on the corporate food chain. Source: NPR
Designed for the visually impaired, an open-source app out of Georgia Tech, developed by Mario Romero (Interactive Computing), could prove to be a texting tool for the masses. Source: CNET
Early studies with people proficient in Braille writing show that typing on BrailleTouch (created by Mario Romero (Interactive Computing)) is six times faster than other eyes-free texting solutions. Source: Engadget
While Siri and VoiceOver can assist visually impaired iPhone users, new software developed by Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) looks to supplement these accessibility options. Source: GigaOm
Taking advantage of gestures and multitouch interaction, Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) has created an app that allows users to type on a smartphone without looking at the screen. Source: Ars Technica
How can you track one ant amongst a horde of them? Andrew Quitmeyer, a Georgia Tech PhD student working with Jim Rehg and Tucker Balch (Interactive Computing) shows us how with a canister of CO2 gas, a stereoscope and very small paintbrush. Source: Scientific American
In addition to looking great on a résumé, coding introduces students to a new style of thinking, says Charles Isbell (Interactive Computing). It goes beyond coding—it's computational thinking. Source: U.S. News & World Report
ATLANTA - Feb. 17, 2012 - Georgia Tech researchers have built a prototype app for touch-screen
mobile devices that is vying to be a complete solution for texting
without the need to look at a mobile gadget’s screen. Source: Office of Communications
Mario Romero (Interactive Computing) demonstrates his program BrailleTouch, technology that helps the visually impaired better use cell phones. Source: 11 Alive's Atlanta and Company
Eric Gilbert (Interactive Computing) examined some half a million Enron emails to shed light on which words are used most frequently in messages going up and down the corporate hierarchy. Source: Computerworld
ATLANTA – Feb. 14, 2012 – A new study by Georgia
Tech’s Eric Gilbert shows that certain words and phrases are
reliable indicators of whether workplace emails are sent to someone
higher or lower in the corporate hierarchy. Source: Office of Communications
Five College of Computing students won poster session awards at the 2012 Georgia Tech Research & Innovation Conference (GTRIC) on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
The robotics industry is in a major growth mode but companies are having trouble finding high quality employees. Henrik Christensen (Interactive Computing) discusses what individuals need to break into the booming robotics field. Source: Today's Engineer
Google has launched a new program devoted to fostering discussions among leaders in the science and technology industries. Blair McIntyre (Interactive Computing) discusses the new project, “Solve for X,” and the issues faced by programs like it. Source: Tech News World
What would happen if robots were a part of your everyday life at school and beyond? Henrik Christen (Interactive Computing) takes that projection a step further when he argues, “If we make conscious robots, they would want to have rights and they probably should.” Source: Forbes
Did you know that Twitter is full of inane, boring tweets that nobody wants to read? It’s true, according to research conducted by Kurt Luther (Interactive Computing). Source: TIME
Twitter has been celebrated for its ubiquity and impact on world events from natural disaster recovery to political uprisings. But researchers, including Kurt Luther (Interactive Computing), found that useful postings are few and far between. Source: Computerworld UK
A lot can be said in 140 characters but, according to new research, conducted by Kurt Luther (Interactive Computing) a quarter of people aren't paying attention to most of it. Source: Fox Business
While some of your tweets might be of utmost importance to you, most people could not care less, according to a study from Kurt Luther (Interactive Computing) and researchers at MIT and Carnegie Mellon. Source: PC Magazine
Account holders admit only a third of the tweets they receive are of any interest, the rest are either actively disliked or forgotten almost immediately. They particular hate too many hashtags, being told where someone is every time they go out and lots of moaning and complaining, the study, by Kurt Luther (Interactive Computing) and other researchers, found. Source: The Telegraph
Two Georgia Tech students were recently named by Forbes as top 30 influencers under the age of 30. Digital Media grad student Chris DeLeon was honored in entertainment. Human-Centered Computing Ph.D. candidate Eugene Medynskiy was tabbed in technology.
Richard DeMillo (Computer Science) was featured at Authors@Google discussing themes from his new book, Abelard to Apple: The Fate of American Colleges and Universities. Source: Google
Kurt Luther (Interactive Computing), in collaboration with researchers from Carnegie Mellon and MIT, conducted a data-driven study that examined 43,000 responses to Tweets in order to find precisely what people like - and loathe - about microblog posts. Source: The Atlantic
With people at the root of new online security problems, it's nearly inevitable that a company with which you do business is capable of being hacked. Mustaque Ahamad (Computer Science) discusses how you can protect yourself from financial damage even if your information is hacked. Source: Main Street
Richard DeMillo (Computer Science) discusses his new book, Abelard to Apple: The Fate of American Colleges and Universities, in this on-air radio interview. Source: LA Talk Radio
Flashpoint's San Francisco gathering on Thursday offered a window into how ambitious techies’ visions become reality. Director Merrick Furst (Computer Science) says the program functions “to address uncertainties and risks in the startup phase.” Source: Mashable
Richard DeMillo (Computer Science) comments on MIT’s decision to grant credentials to online students and the potential impact it could have on higher education. Source: New American
Has the Internet made us greener? A study by Vytautas Valancius (Computer Science) says splitting data centers into a dispersed network might save energy in other ways. Source: The Kansas City Star
After years of existing only in fiction, robots are now beginning to find a place in real-world. Andrea Thomaz (Interactive Computing), along with two other robotics pioneers, discusses how her findings are shaping the future of robotics. Source: The Kavli Foundation
Russell J. Clark (Computer Science) is working on a project to enhance situational awareness for first responders. His work combines projects in building sensors and instrumentation with novel user interfaces such as mobile augmented reality. Source: Forbes
HPCwire has selected David Bader (CompSci & Eng) as one of their ‘People to Watch’ for 2012, a list comprised of an elite group of community leaders. A lead scientist in the DARPA Ubiquitous High Performance Computing (UHPC) program, his research is supported through highly competitive research awards. Source: HPCwire
A startup company based on technology developed at Georgia Tech offers a
solution to the growing challenge of telephone security, and is quickly gaining traction from
investors, financial services companies and the security industry
Ron Arkin (Interactive Computing) believes robot soldiers could be programmed to behave more ethically than soldiers in live combat, but a far easier task would be designing drones that behave themselves better than celebrity-chasing photographers. Source: The Guardian
A flotilla of 15 startups from Atlanta presented their ideas in New York on Jan. 18 as part of the Flashpoint accelerator program's first series of demo days. Flashpoint Director Merrick Furst (Computer Science) says the program helps entrepreneurs develop their concepts beyond their startup phase. Source: Xconomy.com
If robots one day are to relieve us of such household chores as laundry or doing the dishes, they must be engineered to be as safe and reliable as refrigerators, says Ron Arkin (Interactive Computing). Source: Economic Times
Ellen Yi-Luen Do (Interactive Computing) says advanced eye-tracking technology could provide new ways to communicate for people with diseases or disabilities that severely hamper their ability to speak or write, like scientist Stephen Hawking. Source: TechNewsWorld
A project directed by James Rehg (Interactive Computing) on automating insect behavior calls for tagging individual members of an ant colony. Ph.D. student Andy Quitmeyer put together an entertaining video on how best to accomplish this delicate task. Source: io9.com
Flashpoint, Georgia Tech's startup accelerator program, had its first Demo Day on Jan. 10. The newly launched incubator, directed by Merrick Furst (Computer Science), is especially interested in investing in early-stage startups in the technology, medical device and biotech industries. Source: TechCrunch
Rich DeMillo (Computer Science) says prospective students and their parents need to go beyond the organized campus tour when shopping for colleges: Talk to students and teachers, don't be fooled by fancy dorms or high-profile sports teams, and even check out schools' financial health before laying down that deposit. Source: Forbes.com
Pindrop, an information security startup dedicated to phone security founded by Vijay Balasubramaniyan and Mustaque Ahamad (Computer Science), has drawn the interest--and the financial support--of the venture capitalist firm Andreesen Horowitz (subscription required). Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle
Is the Internet running out of real estate? A paper co-written by David Dagon (Computer Science) explains how the Web's domain-name service relies on a dwindling number of IP addresses to assign "space" in the virtual world. Source: New Legal Review
Software that lets users know which companies are tracking their online habits is taking off. "Many privacy-conscious people take issue with someone tracking their online activities without their consent," says Mustaque Ahamad (Computer Science), director of the GT Information Security Center. Source: AJC.com
Can "bounded reality" enable autonomous robot soldiers to act more ethically than humans while caught up in the fog of war? Ron Arkin (Interactive Computing) believes the answer is yes (video story). Source: Al Jazeera English
Augmented reality--and the universe of applications it makes possible--is transitioning from the research lab to the real world, says Blair MacIntyre (Interactive Computing). What AR needs, he says, is a lot of talented developers to keep pushing it forward (video story). Source: BBC News
"The real power of computer science is a new kind of literacy," says Mark Guzdial (Interactive Computing). "When we learn to program, we gain yet another way to understand the world and talk about it." Guzdial's Georgia Computes! program has been teaching that literacy to Georgia K-12 teachers and students for five years. Source: NBC News
For all their software smarts, robots remain clumsy at manipulating real-world objects. By making robots not only strategize chess moves but actually move the pieces, says competition organizer Mike Stilman (Interactive Computing), new perspective could be gained on the machines' physical limitations. Source: New Scientist