New algorithms make CRISPR as easy as point-and-click Biotechnologists are jumping at the chance to use the revolutionary gene-editing tool known as CRISPR. The molecular gadget can be programmed to accurately tweak the DNA of any organism, but scientists need software algorithms to hasten the programming process. Dozens of teams are developing such software, and…
Two international companies. An accusation of plagiarized software. A court trial. Two expert witnesses who offer directly conflicting opinions. A judge who has never owned a computer must decide who’s right. Just a few years ago, the experts’ testimony would have been the only technical evidence the judge would have considered. But now a third point…
A new software-agnostic malware detection tool detects cyberattacks by their power consumption The world of malware has been turned on its head this week, as a company in Virginia has introduced a new cybersecurity technology that at first glance looks more like a classic cyberattack. The idea hatched by PFP Cybersecurity of Vienna, Va., is taken…
The new features came out the same day as a study that found many open-source projects lack a clear way to report security problems Atul Prakash, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan, works on code for a research project into how GitHub users report security vulnerabilities. PHOTO: JOSEPH…
Microsoft’s Power Apps, Oracle’s Visual Builder, and other tools let you create software without needing to code Shown here is Webflow’s no-code platform for building websites. PHOTO: WEBFLOW Code is the backbone of most software programs and applications. Each line of code serves as an instruction—a logical, step-by-step mechanism for computers, servers, and other machines to…
Deep TabNine uses natural-language processing to auto-generate code in 22 programming languages Machine learning can already help you write emails faster by suggesting quick responses or finishing your sentences. But what if the concept behind Google’s Smart Compose could also help software developers be more productive? That’s what Jacob Jackson aims to do with Deep TabNine,…
How two software engineers pulled together machine learning tools to make one of Spotify’s most popular offerings “Empower bottom-up innovation and amazing things will happen.” That’s what Spotify software engineer Edward Newett says. He was responsible for one of those amazing things: a way to help Spotify users discover new music called Discover Weekly. This tool launched about…
An annual contest challenges programmers to create 8-bit games of intrigue and adventure There’s life in the old dog yet. The original computer language designed to help students learn programming was Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, or BASIC. Although invented in 1964 at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, BASIC had its heyday in the 1980s, when it was…
For decades achieving safety certification was an opaque process. Now software tools can help you do it yourself. Exida specializes in high reliability and high safety automation systems. Exida’s ARCHx includes an expert knowledge base embedding 30+ years of accumulated experience in the design and analysis of hardware, software, FPGAs, semiconductors, and automation cybersecurity to…
Smart accessories are increasingly common. Rings and watches track vitals, while Ray-Bans now come with cameras and microphones. Wearable tech has even broached brooches. Yet certain accessories have yet to get the smart touch. University of Washington researchers introduced the Thermal Earring, a wireless wearable that continuously monitors a user’s earlobe temperature. In a study…