A computer is a programmable machine designed to automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations.
Questions tagged [computers]
119 questions
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votes
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Did deep learning start at Microsoft?
Bill Gates has recently said:
The ultimate is computers that learn. So called deep learning which
started at Microsoft and is now being used by many researchers looks
like a real advance that may finally learn. It has already made a big
…
Franck Dernoncourt
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8
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1 answer
Do US agents intercept and install spyware on new computers ordered by persons of interest?
In a Fox news article entitled "German magazine claims NSA hacking unit uses powerful methods to obtain data", a magazine article in Der Spiegel is cited as claiming, among other things:
...if the NSA tracked a target ordering a new computer or…
Paul
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8
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1 answer
Can hot-plugging an HDMI cable damage the HDMI port?
I found this site on the Internet saying something to that effect:
Warning!!.....Never connect and disconnect HDMI cables and equipment while your devices are powered on (hot plugging cables). The hdmi cables carries a low DC voltage while…
sashoalm
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4 answers
Will NSA's Utah Data Center be able to handle and process five zettabytes of data?
The claim I want to have examined is
The NSA's Utah Data Center will be able to handle and process five zettabytes of data.
I think that "zettabytes" is much too big. Even one Exabyte might be to much to store (not even to speak about the…
Martin Thoma
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8
votes
1 answer
Has 90% of the world's data been created in the last two years?
"Big Data" is a big trending term on the internet (especially on the web sites of big companies selling data management services). For example, I came across this article while reading the Irish Times in an airport. It contained this recent claim…
matt_black
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votes
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Does Windows 7 have lower latencies than Windows 10 in gaming workflows?
I saw a claim that Windows 7 is superior to Windows 10 for gaming:
There’s a lot of reasons win7 is utilized. Especially in strictly
competitive games that support it, (CSGO, Valorant, Fortnite), a lot
of the time it’s a superior option due to…
niemiro
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7
votes
1 answer
Were flight reservations centrally managed on wall boards in huge halls in the pre-computer era?
For the first fifty years of scheudled air travel, agents' bookings were done over the telephone. At first, charts recording space on particular flights were sheets of paper. Eventually, for large airlines, space boards covered the walls in a large…
user41782
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7
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Did the "Windows Web Browser Choice Screen" enforced by the EU make a difference?
In response to a EU anti-trust ruling, European Android users will soon be presented with a browser choice screen.
Those of us who are old enough will remember that the same thing happened on Windows in 2010.
Did it work?
Apparently, the EU seems…
Heinzi
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7
votes
1 answer
Does Ubuntu have 40 million users?
Ubuntu.com claims that there are 40 million Ubuntu users:
Ubuntu now has over 40 million desktop users and counting.
40 million seems quite low, so I'm wondering how accurate this number is.
Tim
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7
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1 answer
Can you use a computer's CPU's electrical noise to extract an encryption key?
This 2015 Wired article claims it is possible to use a remote device to determine a key used during decryption by sampling the radio emissions from the processor at 100kHz
They also claim that by:
tricking the target into decrypting a carefully…
Akash
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7
votes
1 answer
Does using a matched pair of memory sticks provide any benefit?
Apple recommends installing pairs of memory sticks with matched sizes to allow for dual-channel memory interface.
However, some people believe that it's also important not only to match the sizes of the two RAM sticks, but to install what…
user5582
7
votes
1 answer
Do 52% of computer users lose irreplaceable documents, photos, music and videos every year?
Livedrive claims that "52% of computer users lose irreplaceable documents, photos, music and videos every year?".
Is there any published study on that matter?
Franck Dernoncourt
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7
votes
2 answers
Do ad blockers in browsers save significant energy?
There is a claim that adverts sometimes include animations, which requires more energy to display, and that, hence, ad blockers save significant energy?
Source: Blocking Online Ads May Save Energy
Using Firefox 3.04, with AdBlock Plus and NoScript,…
Rob Audenaerde
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6
votes
2 answers
Do cyber crimes cost $US114b annually?
A study Symantec claims that the global damages from cyber crime were
A study by Symantec Corp, the maker of Norton computer security
software, estimates the cost of global cybercrimes at $114 billion
…
Daniel Iankov
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Is Linux less prone to getting infected by viruses than Windows?
Many sources (1, 2, 3) state that Linux operating systems have generally a smaller chance of getting infected/compromised by malware or spyware, and have some reasoning behind their claim. On the other hand, some sources (1, 2) say that Linux being…
user36263
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