The best of SIGGRAPH 2018

I was too young to appreciate the BBC Micro, the computer of my generation's older brothers and sisters. We had Amigas at home and Archimedes in the school lab. But we also weren't learning any computer science on those fancy machines, either, and it's never a surprise to me that kids learning things about computers… READ THE REST

In the 8-bit age, data screeched slowly off tape decks. In the 16-bit era, floppy drives whirred, clinked and chunked according to the peculiarities of the system's disk controller. For the BBC's "Boring Talks"—podcasts about things most people would find boring—journalist Keith Stuart remembers. If you're never heard these sounds before, you're in for a… READ THE REST

On Monday, Rob wrote about the new Raspberry Pi 400 computer-in-a-keyboard. The computer by itself sells for US$70 and there's a full kit with mouse, guidebook, cables, etc. for $100. The rub was that you had to pay for shipping from the UK. But fear not, citizens, Adafruit will be carrying both of these models… READ THE REST

Bitcoin. By now, nearly everyone understands that Bitcoin is a form of cryptocurrency, an intangible item that carries with it a truckload of very tangible value. But while everybody kind of knows what Bitcoin is, there are incredibly few who actually understand how Bitcoin works, how you buy it, or how people in the know… READ THE REST

The best toys are the ones with an extended shelf life. While you can do a puzzle once, it doesn't always have the same spark when you solve it the second, third, or fourteenth time. That's why a lot of project kits start to lose their luster once all the projects are completed. One way… READ THE REST

English and Spanish top the list as the first and second most used languages in the United States, but what's the third? As your mind sprints through options like French, Chinese, or Japanese, there's a good chance you might not nail it on the first try. According to expert Trudy Suggs, the third most used… READ THE REST