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The article discusses multi-agent systems, which are gaining acceptance in the computer industry and academia as a paradigm for designing and developing software systems. The author suggests that there is a need for a conceptual framework that defines the abstractions of different agent-based systems, which can be very confusing for software engineers. The authors stress the fact that successful multi-agent system deployment requires modeling languages to explore the use of agent-related abstractions. Methods to reduce risk with the system are examined.

This article presents information on various events related to the computer industry to be held in several countries. 18th Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Simulation 2004 will be held in Kufstein, Austria on May 16-19, 2004. The 17th International Conference on Industrial and Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems will be held in Ottawa, Ontario on May 17-19. Real-Time and Embedded Technology and Applications Symposium will be held in Toronto, Ontario on May 25-28. International Conference on Management of Data and Symposium on Principles Database and Systems will be held in Paris, France on June 13-18.

Although rapid changes in information technology (IT) sector has created opportunities, it is challenging those responsible for it around the world. IT projects are notorious for budget overruns and delays, and the rapid IT change can exacerbate these problems. Therefore managers must make difficult choices and then implement, deliver and support these choices throughout their organization. Rapid IT change can affect budgetary issues in a multitude of ways. For example, it can produce the need for new skills and thus unforeseen training demands. This article discusses a study to understand how IT organizations cope with rapid IT change and how they might better do so. According to the study, IT organizations do not cope effectively with rapid IT changes. This article suggests constructive actions for coping with those effects while capitalizing on the benefits and also provides some guidance for improved coping. Such rapid IT change is likely to persist and different types of IT may require different coping strategies. INSET: How the Survey was Conducted..

Presents letters to the editor related to the computer industry, published in the August 1998 issue of the periodical "Communications of the ACM." Differences in the operating environments of the software-based IBM Corp. and Microsoft Corp.; Significance of several computer programming languages.

The article focuses on the computer game business. In the early days of computer games the television was inextricably linked to the idea of presented electronic displays. In fact there was no other source than television broadcasts for electronically displayed imagery. When the computer game industry was being invented it was much cheaper to create computer games using actual televisions from which the tuner would be striped out rather than buying CRTs. The early games used standard production model television sets that were modified. The game industry, like the business industry, moved from mechanical to electronics to computers. Many user interfaces were developed for the game business. The user interface demands of games are undeniable. From the leisure/entertainment definition games must be easy to interact with and learn. The use of a non-keyboard interface was perfected in the game industry. The dependence on direct manipulation of on-screen programming, and the use of anthropomorphic characters to create a sense of relationship started in the game industry.

This article presents information related to Phoenix that contains two timestamped versions of the in-memory file system allowing for a reserve version. The Phoenix in-memory file system is motivated by a safe, continuous-processing model and by a number of specialized applications. In this, small diskless computing systems are used in portable laboratory instruments such as logic analyzers and digital oscilloscopes. Phoenix starts with a timestamped and write-protected version of the file system and evolves it through a copy on write strategy while leaving the original version undisturbed. The Phoenix logical disk is represented as the leaves of a tree that has a root node and a layer of interior nodes. The contents of the root node are pointers to memory locations where the interior nodes are found and the contents of the interior nodes are pointers to memory locations where data is found. The tree version pointed to by a timestamp is garbage collected after the succeeding timestamp. The existing timestamp represents the fallback state of the file system and must be preserved until after the next checkpoint.

This article presents information related to a pattern matching algorithm for a two-dimensional case which is a combination of the KMP and RK algorithms. The KMP algorithm solves the problem by comparing the characters of the pattern with those of the text from the left end of the pattern. Since the text pointer points to the character b, which does not match a in the pattern, the pattern is shifted one place to the right and the next text character is inspected. Computer experiments show that for various pattern sizes the average cost for either of the algorithms is much less than that of the B algorithm. The RK algorithm solves the problem by treating each possible M-character section of the text as a key in a hash table, then computing the hash function of it and checking to see if it is equal to the hash function of the pattern. The general scheme of the algorithm is to use the hash function method proposed in the RK algorithm vertically. The procedure KMP only works because the KMP algorithm is independent of the size of the character alphabet, which can consequently be arbitrarily large.

Presents several letters to the editor about the technical industry. Focus on the harm caused by the use of GOTOs in programming; Efforts on attempting to eliminate the GOTO; Problems created by GOTO for those attempting to maintain or understand code written by someone else; Comments on the higher the percentage of GOTO statements; Discussion on procedures of programming languages that treats all specialized control structures as combinations of properly compiled procedure.

The article presents news briefs related to the computer industry in the U.S. The American Federation of Information Processing Societies has received a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to develop an expanded taxonomy of occupations in the computer science work force. National Bureau of Standards Director Ernest Ambler has recently told the House Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Technology that the private sector, not the federal government, should take the initiative for reviewing and translating significant Japanese electronics and electrical engineering literature to help the U.S. stay in a competitive position in engineering fields. Reports of interest to information processing professionals have been released by the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the House Science and Technology Committee, and the joint Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. The NTIA has released two reports focusing on the competitiveness of U.S. high technology firms in international information trade.

As part of Japan's effort to become a leader in the computer industry, the Institute for New Generation Computer Technology has launched a revolutionary ten-year plan far the development of large computer systems which will he applicable to knowledge information processing systems. These Fifth Generation computers will be built around the concepts of logic programming. In order to refute the accusation that Japan exploits knowledge from abroad without contributing any of its own, this project will stimulate original research and will make its results available to the international research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the views of Gordon Bell, vice-president of Digital Equipment Corp., on developments in the computer industry and intercomputer communication. In the 1980s, users are expected to recognize a better interface for direct and indirect communication with their computers. Thus, the large computer population will force intercommunication and standardization among machines. The effect of minicomputers on the user population has been highly significant. Nearly all important features that minicomputers have such as floating-point and other data-type operations, paging and segmentation for better memory management and a reasonably large software library. Minicomputers are often connected to larger, more general purpose computers arranged at a higher level and thus, a hierarchy of computers can be created usually corresponding to hierarchies within the human organization. At present, programming languages are fundamentally special purpose and they solve problems within a particular context.

Discusses some of the thinking and philosophy behind changes in the communications of the journal of "Association for Computing Machines." Logistical and administrative reasons for the intended changes; Purposes and goals of the periodical; Technical papers relevant to the computer industry that are sought by the periodical.

The article presents information on the "1967 Spring Joint Computer Conference," which is scheduled to be held at Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, from April 18-20, 1967. It informs that the second W.W. McDowell Award for an outstanding contribution to the computer field will be presented at the SJCC banquet. Management's viewpoint of the diverse and controversial activities constituting the development of management information systems will be the topic of a special session. Brian W. Pollard, general conference chairman, and Donald L. Stevens, vice chairman, state that the SJCC 67 takes a broader view of the computer industry in an effort to analyze and to clarify many of the misconceptions about EDP and its effect upon society. On April 19th, Major General John W. O'Neill will address the conference at its banquet in the Pennsylvania Room of the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall. Seven SJCC sessions have been designated as panel discussions, to provide opportunity for a careful and candid examination of timely, controversial topics.

The article discusses the role of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the development of the computer industry in the country. It is stated that the FCC is paying special attention to the development of various communication carrier facilities as they are the source of imparting computer knowledge on a massive scale. The FCC will also introduce amendments in the Communication Act. Surveys and inquiries will also be conducted by the FCC to get feedback on the computer industry and implement various measures.

The article discusses the manner in which primary and secondary school U.S. students might develop computational thinking (CT) skills as an element of improving computer science education. The computer science industry has had difficulty attracting students since the collapse of the dot-com bubble, the authors state. Topics include the systematic and efficient processing of information and tasks, whether computer programing can be separated from teaching basic computer science, and to what degree should programming be required for CT proficiency.

The article discusses open source software (OSS), exploring the question of whether or not OSS represents the future of computer software going forward from 2008. The author, citing the 1995 book "The Future of Software," indicates that technical experts can extrapolate when trying to predict the future, but can miss discontinuities that transform technologies. The history of the development of OSS is traced from the 1950's to 2008. Topics include computer manufacturers who gave away their software for free and software supplied in both source and object code form.

Presents letters to the editor related to the computer industry published in the July 1999 issue of the periodical "Communications of the ACM." Information related to laws governing the certification of software engineers in Texas; Advantages and disadvantages of information sharing on Internet; Features of several common Internet protocols.

The article presents various news related to technology, computer industry and recent development in these areas. The transfer of space technology of the U.S. to China is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. A preliminary Defense Department report found that Hughes Electronics Corp. gave China potentially damaging information after a Chinese rocket carrying a Hughes-built satellite crashed in 1995. In order to benefit from the job-creating capacity of e-commerce, Europe must improve skills and technical literacy of its population. A pen-like device designed to move files from one computer to another without touching a mouse or keyboard is in the development stage at Sony Computer Laboratories in Tokyo, Japan. In 1998, network professionals salaries rose more than 10% from 1997. Intel Corp. and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico have developed a radiation-proof chip. Intel provided the government with existing technology that then allowed it to build a radiation-hardened product, said a source close to the deal. INSET: Y2K COUNTDOWN..

Focuses on the rapid progress in the semiconductor process industry in the U.S. Developments in the computer industry; Fabrication of high-performance processor chips and high-density memory chips; Consideration of the production capacity of companies.

The article presents information about various events related to computer industry. 11th Annual ACM Mountain Regional Conference will be held on April 18-19, in Denver, Colorado. The Mathematics Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will sponsor the Conference on Large Scale Scientific Computation on May 17-19, in Madison. Annual Meeting of the Human Factors Society sponsored by the Human Factors Society will be held on October 10-14, in Norfolk, Virginia. Third Conference on Foundations of Software Technology and Theoretical Computer Science sponsored by National Centre for Software Development and Computing Techniques will be held on December 12-14, in Bangalore, India.

The article presents the comments of F.T. Cary, president of International Business Machines Corp., on the growth experienced by the computer industry in the U.S. The growth facing the computer industry has been enhanced by the increasing need for information and a growing computer technology that has made it possible to deliver information more easily, more quickly and at less cost per computer operation. Computers are being used everywhere in the world for providing better education, better health care, and improved services from both government and industry. Continuing improvements in large-scale integration, semiconductor memory, and magnetics, facilitating in putting more logic and more information online to the user and they also enable putting logic and automatic calculating functions in small, low-cost remote terminals. But before the users can take full advantage of the computer, they will have to be supplied with more tools and techniques that will help them improve their productivity. They will require more ready-made applications software that provide most of the source coding.

The article presents the comments of Robert S. Oelman, chairman of National Cash Register Co., on the future prospects for the computer industry. During the next five to ten years, computer manufacturers are expected to concentrate not just on better equipment performance but on more developmental capital to virtually every phase of information processing which is called a total integrated systems approach. Data terminals are expected to adjust to the needs of the system operator as software and hardware will adjust to the requirements of management. In long-term, computer systems will accomplish more tasks and will completely justify their costs. There are two additional factors which offer considerable promise in improving system performance over the next several years. The first factor involves an evolution of software design similar to the pronounced advances achieved in hardware development over the past few years. This will provide long-expected benefits for computer users who have not only experienced software costs climb but also have experienced the frustration of not having their programs work properly.

The article presents the comments of G.G. Probst, president of UNIVAC division of Sperry Rand Corp., on an emerging phase for the computer industry in the U.S. The industry is emerging from a consolidation and adjustment phase that was precipitated by the recession in the U.S. economy. As in most consolidation and corrective phases, the industry is emerging from the temporary interruptive phase in a stronger and more vigorous position than before. The economic situation of the country has actually forced users and manufacturers to take a close look at what their computers were costing them and whether or not they were getting their money's worth. Capital investment decision for computers, which had previously been relegated to lower levels of management, was brought under the watchful eye and management of the chief executive and his executive committees. The net effect of the consolidation and adjustment in the U.S. is the return of computer equipments at much higher than normal rate of returns. The next 25 years in the computer industry are expected to show greater accomplishments than the first 25 years of the industry.

The article discusses the Standish Report, which claims that the computer industry is facing a "software crisis" due to growing budgets and tight schedules. The Standish Report claims that the software industry cannot be relied upon to produce valid products. The article refutes this claim by illustrating the critical flaws in software crisis thinking, which the author contends is not based on reality and is mainly purported by academics who are distanced from the field whose demise they are predicting.

This section presents information on most popular papers from the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)'s referred journals, conference proceedings and computing surveys downloaded from ACM's digital library in May 2005. Some of the articles downloaded are, "Data Clusturing," by A.K. Jain and his colleagues, "Bioinformatics: An Introduction for Computer Scientists," by Jacques Cohen and his colleagues, "A Comparison of Data Warehousing Methodologies," by Arun Seth and his colleagues, and others.

This article focuses on contributions of Edsger Wybe Dijkstra, a noted computer scientist, in science and industry of computing. Dijkstra was the 1972 recipient of the ACM Turing Award, often viewed as the Nobel Prize for computing. He was a member of the Netherlands Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a distinguished fellow of the British Computer Society. He received the 1974 AFIPS Harry Goode Memorial Award, the 1982 IEEE Computer Pioneer Award, the 1989 ACM SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computer Science Education, and the ACM PODC 2002 Influential Paper Award. He received two honorary doctorates, from the Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1976, and Athens University in Athens, Greece 2001. In 2002, the C&C Foundation of Japan recognized Dijkstra for his pioneering contributions to the establishment of the scientific basis for computer software through creative research in basic software theory, algorithm theory, structured programming, and semaphores.

Presents news briefs related to the information technology (IT) field and the computer industry as of August 2001. Features of the new software developed for cats and their owners; Instruments used to sense global climatic changes; Perception of men and women on the women working in the IT industry.

This article focuses on news briefs related to technology firms. Five leading technology firms will work together to develop the next generation of software. Digital Equipment Corp., Texas Instruments, Ford Motor Co., U.S. West and the Carnegie Group have formed the Initiative for Managing Knowledge Assets with combined contributions totalling $10 million. Another news is related to supercomputers. U.S. and European researchers will soon be sharing supercomputers via an underwater fiber-optic network. The transoceanic link will allow nine West European nations access to six U.S. supercomputers, including the National Supercomputer Facility at Cornell University. The U.S. Department of Commerce is organizing a trade delegation of U.S. manufacturers to London and Stockholm. Scheduled for October 15, 1990, the DoC's MatchMaker event will target the U.S. computer, software and peripheral industries whose products maintain a position of dominance in these two European nations.

Reports on developments concerning the computer industry in the United States as of December 1987. Forecasts on the value of the semiconductor industry by 1990; Department of Commerce study revealing that Japanese high-technology information are not exploited in the U.S.; Schedule of the first session of an educational institution supported by the National Aeronautics & Space Administration and the European Space Agency.

The article presents news briefs related to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Readers are invited to send nominations, accompanied by information mentioned in the article, to chairmen of awards subcommittees. The ACM Nominating Committee has submitted the list of nominees for ACM offices for the elections scheduled for May 1987. The 1987 Turing Award Committee is working out ways to make the awards more visible and receive greater public attention.

This article focuses on the leadership initiatives of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advisory Committee for Advanced Scientific Computing Resources for large-scale scientific computing throughout the United States. Large-scale computational support activates scientific inquiry, which in turn leads to industrial applications. Industry is becoming increasingly dependent on computers to help design products that are competitive in world markets; industry's need for breakthroughs and trained manpower feeds scientific activity. The United States has a broad community of scientists and engineers engaged in computational activity, but it is scattered throughout universities, private industry, and national laboratories. The NSF initiative aims to promote cooperation and exchange of resources, drawing university research and advanced training into the mainstream. The Committee recommends that NSF give immediate priority to a national computer communication network, starting with universities and extending to industry and government laboratories.

This article presents information related to developments in the computer industry. Five universities have been selected to share $10 million in cash grants from the International Business Machines Corp. to establish new programs for graduate-level engineering education in manufacturing systems. The schools each will receive approximately $2 million. Over the next four years, the five universities will develop curricula leading to advanced degrees in manufacturing systems. The courses will integrate the disciplines of engineering, computer science and business planning. Richard D. DeLauer, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, has issued a Department of Defense Directive that will be the interim policy on computer programming languages for the department. It specifically addresses high order languages in mission-critical defense applications. The Computer Science Department of the University of Southwestern Louisiana is forming a repository for raw materials related to microprogramming and firmware engineering.

Presents an interview with robotics researcher James Albus. Discussion about the feasibility of Japan's plans for a fifth generation of computers; Information about the major applications of robots and computer-controlled machines; Comments on reduction in manufacturing costs in robots and automation industries; Social implications of robots on employment.

The article presents information on various developments in the computer industry. The United States trade surplus in computers and business equipment in the first six months of 1982 was $3.4 billion. Lower exports to major world trade areas, coupled with higher imports, reduced the surplus to five percent below the 1981 figure of $3.6 billion. The Institute of Management Sciences and TIMS College on the Practice of Management Science announce the 12th Annual International Prize Competition for the TIMS Award for Management Science Achievement. The Competition will be held in Chicago in conjunction with the TIMS/ORSA National Meeting on April 24, 1983. The cash award for the winning work will be $6,000. Cash awards in lesser amounts may be awarded to all finalists. The primary intent of the Competition is to recognize outstanding examples of management science practice. The prize is awarded not for a presented paper but for the implemented work described in the paper. To be eligible, entries must report a completed, practical application and must present results that have had a significant, verifiable, and preferably quantifiable impact on the performance of the organization under study.

The article presents a calendar of events related to the computer industry. The 21st Annual Management Systems Conference is to be organized during March 17-19, 1975, in Chicago, Illinois. The Conference on Information Sciences and Systems is to be held during April 2-4, 1975, in Baltimore, Maryland. The Second International Conference on Computers and the Humanities will be held during April 3-6, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. The Sixth Annual Pittsburgh Conference on Modeling and Simulation will be organized during April 24-25, 1975, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Third Symposium on the Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations is to be organized during May 19-23, 1975, in College Park, Maryland.

This article presents information related to various conferences related to the computer industry. The 1974 IEEE National Telecommunications Conference will be held at Sheraton Harbor Island Hotel in San Diego, California from December 10-11, 1974. The Workshop on General Purpose Computer Aided Design Systems, will be held from January 7-9, 1975, in Toulouse, France. The Eighth Hawaii International Conference on System Science, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii will be held from January 20-22, 1975. The Second ACM SIGACT-SlGPLAN Symposium on Principles of Programming Languages will be held from January 20-22, 1975 in Palo Alto, California.

The article presents information on the lecturers chosen by the Association for Computing Machinery for 1973-74. These lecturers, each a recognized expert in one or more areas of computing, have been selected with special attention to maintaining a fair balance of topics which will interest ACM Chapters and enrich their programs. These lecturers have graciously accepted the invitation to serve their colleagues in the computing community, involving a commitment which requires substantial time and effort on their part. ACM appreciates their generosity as well as that of their employers. The chairman of the 1973-74 Lectureship Series Committee is Robert M. Aiken of the University of Tennessee. As in past years, the ACM Special Interest Groups were particularly helpful in providing suggestions and encouraging potential Lecturers. Some of the lecturers who presented their lectures include F. T. Baker, James R. Bunch, Frank H. Heath, David J. Kuck, James J. O'Brien and many others.

The article presents information on the computer industry in the United States during 1970s. The data processing industry's expectations of continuing growth did not materialize in 1970. They were replaced by an actual decline in shipments as surging growth in some sectors of the industry failed to offset downturns in other areas. This growth should be sufficient in 1971 to bring increases in shipments of data processing products back into line with those for the business equipment industry as a whole. It is estimated that the total value of business equipment product shipments in 1970 would be nearly $14.5 billion, more than four times the $3.4 billion shipped in 1960. Yet, the $14.5 billion figure is itself below the $14.8 billion initially forecast for 1969 shipments. Their value has been revised downward about 1% to $13.7 billion, following release of new U.S. Department of Commerce figures. The year 1971 is expected to be that of recovery with shipments foreseen as rising by 14% over 1970 to approach $16.5 billion.

Information about the projected conference proceedings on the increasing involvement and power that the computer brings to all walks of life is presented. The 1970 Spring Joint Computer Conference is scheduled on May 5 to 7, 1970 in Atlantic City. It offers a panel of representatives from all aspects of the computer industry. Corporate bodies or topical headings followed by the subdivision "Congresses"

The article presents information on computer systems and technology. It reports that Electronic Associates Inc. has announced the availability of a fourth major hybrid computing system. Designated the EAI 690 Hybrid Computing System, the computer is designed for application in the aerospace, biomedical, process control and education fields. The article informs about a phone-dialing service technique, which is being used by IBM customer engineers when installing or servicing data communications terminals. A new communications system, designed for use with IBM 360 data communications networks, is being offered by IBM. Called Binary-Synchronous Communications, the new transmission technique is used in a new data transmission terminal, the 2780, as well as in two other IBM units, the 2701 data adapter and 2703 transmission control unit. A new software package for the GE-400 System, called DAPS, has been announced by General Electric Co. According to the current issue of Moody's Computer Industry Survey, a billion dollar decline in new orders through the second half of 1966 may indicate that a peak has been passed in the burgeoning computer equipment market.

This article presents news briefs related to the computer industry in several countries. A contract to design and manage the implementation of a COBOL compiler for the Electrologica ELX 8 computer has been awarded to Informatics Inc. The total value of the contract will exceed $200,000. The Postgraduate School of Librarianship, University of Sheffield, England, has been awarded a substantial grant by the Office for Scientific and Technical Information, Department of Education and Science in London, to carry out an 18 months study of the education and training requirements for scientific and technological library and information work. Proposed American Standard "Character Structure and Character Parity Sense for Parallel-by-Bit Data Communication in ASCII" will appear in the September 1966 issue of the journal "Communications of the ACM." John G. Honig of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency began his term as president of the Washington Operations Research Council in June 1966.

This article presents news developments related to the computer industry in the U.S., as of August 1, 1966. Researcher Eric A. Walker, president of the Pennsylvania State University and chairman of the National Science Board, has been elected president of the National Academy of Engineering. Clarence H. Linder, retired vice president and group executive of the General Electric Co., was elected vice president of the Academy, also for a four-year term, to succeed Walker. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is gearing up for implementation of a crime information system centered in a computer system in Washington D.C. and connected to similar systems in the states. The first Sigma 7 computer sold by Scientific Data Systems will be used by Wadley Research Institute and Blood Bank, Dallas, Texas, to develop better treatments for leukemia and other blood related diseases and more efficient hospital and blood banking operations. A computer in Milan and another in Stockholm have established a permanent communication link, Olivetti-General Electric has announced.

The article presents a list of upcoming conferences related to the computer industry to be held in the U.S. The "Symposium on the Numerical Solution of Nonlinear Differential Equations," will be held on May 9-11, 1966 at Madison, Wisconsin. The "Symposium on Simulation Techniques and Languages," will be held on May 10-11, 1966 at Brunel College, London, England. The "NTC-66--1966 National Telemetering Conference," will be held on May 10-12, 1966 at War Memorial Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts. The "Operations Research Society of America 29th National Meeting," will be held on May 18-20, 1966 in Los Angeles, California. The "2nd Annual Symposium of the San Diego Council of Data Processing Societies," will be held on May 20, 1966 in San Diego, California. The "UNIVAC Users Association Spring Meeting," will be held on May 25-27,1966 at Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario. The "American Documentation Institute Annual Meeting," will be held on October 3-7, 1966 at Miramar Hotel, Santa Monica, California.

The article provides information on the upcoming symposiums related to the computer engineering in 1966. A one-day symposium will be sponsored by ACM, SIAM and Florida State University on March 14 on "The Recommended Impact of Computer Applications on the Undergraduate Mathematics Curriculum." The four New York Metropolitan Area chapters will hold a one-day symposium in New York City on March 18. A session of invited papers will be devoted to "The Application of Computers to the Problems of a Metropolitan Society." In addition, a session of contributed papers on any topics in the computer field is now in the process of being organized . Automatic Data Processing exhibits and workshops headline the Federal Government Accountants Association 15th National Symposium, in Minneapolis, June 15-17. Topics include "Case Studies in ADP," "Programming: The Modern Budget Officer's Tool," and "The Future of Computers in the Federal Government." The Instrument Society of America (ISA) has invited papers for presentation at the 21st Annual ISA Conference and Exhibit, to be conducted October 24-27 in New York City. Theme of the meeting is "Instrumentation for an Urban Society."

The article provides information on the recent technological innovations and developments in the computer industry. Visual display systems and smaller, faster and less expensive memories were announced across the computer industry during the recent period of heightened activity stimulated by the Fall Joint Computer Conference (FJCC) in Las Vegas. Cathode ray tube displays were announced by IBM Corp. for its System 360, Digital Equipment Corp. for its PDP-8 and Raytheon for its System 520. A 32-bit monolithic module was displayed by IBM at FJCC for the first time. Control Data Corp. has announced the availability of two new time-sharing systems, the CDC 3300 and 3500. The 3300 has a cycle time of 1.25μsec, and the 3500, which features CDC's newly designed INTEBRID circuit, has a cycle time of .80μsec. An RCA Spectra 70 system was demonstrated publicly for the first time at the 1965 FJCC. Potter Instrument Co. has introduced a new Chain Printer, Model HSP-3502, capable of printing at speeds up to 600 lines per minute.

The article discusses the formation of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in China. Topics discussed in the article include ACM's goals to connect the computer industry within China to the rest of the world, steps that the ACM has taken to expand in other areas of the world, such as Europe, and difficulties that exist in getting China involved with the ACM.

Several charts are presented that lists information that is discussed on the website of the magazine "ACM Communications," including news from the computer industry, the points of view of people within the computer industry and information about employment and professional issues.

The article presents a letter from the editor of "Communications of the ACM" concerning the April 2007 issue. The issue focuses on the concept of abstraction in the computer programming industry, which can have a huge affect on a computer programmer's ability o produce clear, elegant code. Other articles discusses the technological ability of first-year college students, the strengths and weaknesses of Active Intrusion Prevention in securing computer networks, and challenges the computer industry faces in meeting customer support.

The article focuses on issues concerning the computer industry. As computer technologies increasingly invade everyday products, risks of the traditional computer business must be revisited by each new industry, usually through failures. Issues include reliability of code, protection against component failure, security of data, privacy and security, safety, maintenance and upkeep. There is one issue affecting all of these topics, ease of use. Poor usability leads to high support costs, high error rates and increased injuries. Consider the automobile, which is certainly a popular target for new technology. Usually driving does not require full concentration, but situations requiring full attention typically arise without warning. What might be a minor secondary task under normal driving conditions can suddenly become life threatening. A large number of intermediaries have arisen to increase security, including software firewalls and proxy servers. And users who change their settings, successfully or not, face the daunting task of resetting them afterward.