Computer
hideA computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a set of instructions.
Although mechanical examples of computers have existed through much of recorded human history, the first electronic computers were developed in the mid-20th century (1940–1945). These were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs). Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space. Simple computers are small enough to fit into a wristwatch, and can be powered by a watch battery. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "computers". The embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are however the most numerous.
The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely versatile, distinguishing them from calculators. The Church–Turing thesis is a mathematical statement of this versatility: any computer with a certain minimum capability is, in principle, capable of performing the same tasks that any other computer can perform. Therefore computers ranging from a mobile phone to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks, given enough time and storage capacity.
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News tagged with computer
Norway court snubs call to block The Pirate Bay
Nov 06, 2009 |
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A court in Norway on Friday rejected calls from the entertainment industry to force communications giant Telenor to block its customers from accessing popular file sharing website The Pirate Bay.
Program automatically shuts down office PCs when not in use
Nov 06, 2009 |
3 / 5 (2) |
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NEC Corp. says it has developed the country's first software that automatically controls power consumption by personal computers in accordance with the patterns of its user's PC activity.
A new computer simulator allows to design military strategies based on ants' movements
Technology / Computer Sciences
Nov 06, 2009 |
3 / 5 (2) |
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A researcher of the University of Granada, Spain, has designed a new system for the mobility of military troops within a battlefield based on the mechanisms used by ant colonies to move using a commercial ...
Professor finds that iconic Oswald photo was not faked (w/ Video)
Technology / Computer Sciences
Nov 05, 2009 |
3.8 / 5 (9) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Dartmouth Computer Scientist Hany Farid has new evidence regarding a photograph of accused John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Farid, a pioneer in the field of digital forensics, digitally ...
A new system preserves the right to privacy in Internet searches
Nov 05, 2009 |
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A team of Catalan researchers has developed a protocol to distort the user profile generated by Internet search engines, in such a way that they cannot save the searches undertaken by Internet users and thus ...
Gadgets: Verbatim SureFire, RockBuds earphones, Targus Lap Chill Mat
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Nov 05, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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Bigger, better and faster is what you get from the new Verbatim SureFire portable hard drive.
Nothing But Net: The Physics of Free-Throw Shooting
Nov 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Pay attention, Shaq: Two North Carolina State University engineers have figured out the best way to shoot a free throw - a frequently underappreciated skill that gets more important as the ...
NY files antitrust suit against Intel (Update)
Nov 04, 2009 |
3.9 / 5 (7) |
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(AP) -- New York's attorney general hit Intel Corp. with an antitrust lawsuit Wednesday, claiming the company used "illegal threats and collusion" to dominate the market for computer microprocessors.
Spacesuits with artificial intelligence may look for life on Mars
Space & Earth / Space Exploration
Nov 04, 2009 |
5 / 5 (7) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronauts may in future be wearing spacesuits equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and digital eyes, turning them into what the researchers call cyborg astrobiologists.
Research leads to improved human, object detection technology
Technology / Computer Sciences
Nov 03, 2009 |
not rated yet |
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When searching for basketball videos online, a long list of websites appears, which may contain a picture or a word describing a basketball. But what if the computer could search inside videos for a basketball? ...
Lawmakers seek ban on laptops in airliner cockpits
Nov 03, 2009 |
not rated yet |
2
(AP) -- Lawmakers are moving to ban the use of computer laptops and other personal electronic devices in airline cockpits to prevent another incident like the Northwest Airlines plane that overshot Minneapolis by 150 miles.
Hooks hijacked? New research shows how to block stealthy malware attacks
Technology / Computer Sciences
Nov 03, 2009 |
4.9 / 5 (13) |
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The spread of malicious software, also known as malware or computer viruses, is a growing problem that can lead to crashed computer systems, stolen personal information, and billions of dollars in lost productivity every ...
Computer Science Provides a More Sound Way to Test for Sleep Apnea
Nov 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A computer scientist from the University of Houston and a doctor of sleep medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have teamed up to create a new, less invasive ...
History in 3D
Technology / Computer Sciences
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Three-dimensional computer graphics is moving into museums. Works of art are being digitally archived in 3D, simplifying research into related artifacts and providing the public with fascinating ...
Flying MAV Navigates Without GPS (w/ Video)
Nov 02, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (12) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- During the last several years, researchers have been building micro air vehicles (MAVs) that can autonomously fly through different environments by relying on GPS for navigation. Recently, ...
