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In its early years, information theory was dominated by research on error-correcting codes: How do you encode information so as to guarantee its faithful transmission, even in the presence of the corrupting influences engineers call "noise"? Recently, one of the most intriguing developments in information theory has been a different kind of coding, called network coding, in which the question is how to encode information in order to maximize the capacity of a network as a whole. For information theorists, it was natural to ask how these two types of coding might be combined: If you want to both minimize error and maximize capacity, which kind of coding do you apply where, and when do you do the decoding?

We have all heard of the smartphone and any day now, most of us will have one. Not far behind: The smart home. Scientists say it won't be long before our homes act as "intelligent agents" that use sensors and software to anticipate our needs and tend to tasks that improve our health, energy efficiency, even social media.

With the Release Preview due in a few weeks, there are still many questions about Windows 8 and Windows RT. They look similar--and share a lot of the same code under the hood--but there...

If you're interested in business and marketing, these 33 apps from Docstoc are absolute must-haves!

High-definition (HD) cameras placed in cars are the latest idea to try to bring down the cost of insurance for young drivers.

Two Asian Android-based micro-PCs offer users an alternative to the British-designed project.

It should be noted that no ethically-trained software engineer would ever consent to write a DestroyBaghdad procedure. Basic professional ethics would instead require him to write a DestroyCity procedure, to which Baghdad could be given as a parameter. - Nathaniel S. Borenstein

I haven't lost my mind; I have a tape back-up somewhere. - Author Unknown