Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 23, 2008 3:13:16 AM CST


computer programming

computer programming news stories

7 Stories

 Teary Farewell for Gates 

Microsoft CEO salutes founder, leaving after 33 years, for 'enormous opportunity'

(Newser) - Microsoft celebrated Bill Gates’ last day as a full-time employee today, the Seattle Times reports. More than 800 employees, family members and friends shared memories at the company’s corporate conference center in Redmond, Wash. CEO Steve Ballmer bid a tearful farewell to his longtime friend: "We've been given a enormous opportunity, and Bill gave us that opportunity," he told the audience. More »

More about:  Microsoft technology Bill Gates philanthropy Steve Ballmer computer programming computer science Redmond

Intel, Microsoft
Fund Multicore
Research

Future products call for chips with many more microprocessors

(Newser) - Intel and Microsoft will fund researchers at two universities working on new programming techniques for multicore chips, sources told the Wall Street Journal . The companies will reportedly provide $2 million annually for five years, to speed the development of chips that can contain dozens—or even hundreds—of microprocessors of multiple types. One of the grants is expected to go to UC Berkeley. More »

More about:  Microsoft Intel computer chip UC Berkeley microprocessors computer programming computer science

Want to Vote, O'Connor? Think Again

Apostrophes, hyphens, and spaces in names confuse computers

(Newser) - The Information Age has been bad news for O'Connors, D'Angelos, Al-Husseins, and Van Kemps everywhere. Apostrophes in Irish, French, Italian, and African last names; hyphens in Arab names; and spaces in Dutch ones cause their owners endless headaches when computer systems reject or mis-record them, reports the AP, blocking them from voting, booking flights, and taking college exams. More »

More about:  software computer programming electronic voting spelling surnames

Programmers Take on Rock Star Status

Competitions, money power coder boom

(Newser) - A growing number of computer programmers aren’t content to be anonymous code monkeys: Today’s most talented tech nerds are paid exorbitantly well to turn out brilliant code, and can even earn a small amount of fame doing it, ComputerWorld reports . “ Some developers base their careers around eventually becoming rock stars,” while others “practically worship” at their “virtual altar,” said one writer who rates programmers. More »

More about:  software computer programming programmers

Building a Computer That Learns What You Want

PC 'assistant' could prioritize, even decide

(Newser) - Wouldn't it be nice if your computer could figure out what you wanted it to do? That dream just might be approaching reality, thanks to a project called CALO that aims to teach computers to understand users' intentions, according to the MIT Technology Review. "If CALO succeeds, it'll be quite a revolution," says one researcher. More »

More about:  computer artificial intelligence computer programming DARPA

Web Mogul Controls $300 Million in URLs

Meet Kevin Ham, the Donald
Trump of virtual real estate

(Newser) - Kevin Ham rules the shadowy Internet domain name market, having amassed an online real estate empire worth over $300 million, Business 2.0 reports. The doctor-turned-tech tycoon began buying and selling URLs in the nascent days of the web; today he trades hundreds of addresses a day, sometimes for as much as $350,000. More »

More about:  Internet computer domain names web surfing computer programming web

MIT Makes Programming Child's Play

Computer science goes kid-friendly with a new language, Scratch

(Newser) - The latest programming language to come out of MIT's cutting-edge labs has an unusual audience: sixth-graders. “Scratch” replaces the technobabble of Java and C++ with simplified, jigsaw-shaped pieces of code, which budding programmers can arrange into customized sequences. A test group of 12-year-olds in Massachusetts is already at work designing programs in the new language. More »

More about:  computer MIT computer programming programming

7 Stories

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »