Computers and Society explores the history and impact of modern technology on everyday human life, considering its benefits, drawbacks, and repercussions. Particular attention is paid to new developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the issues that have arisen from our complex relationship with AI.

Writers including Vannevar Bush and Herbert A. Simon discuss the impact of the computer in its first twenty years. Writers discuss the extraordinary growth of the computer in its first twenty years and its use in fields as diverse as medicine and economics, management and physics. Employed in areas once thought to be exclusively the province of the human mind, the computer rendered profound changes in the traditional ways and means of decision making. Contributors C.P. Snow, Walter A. Rosenblith, Norbert Wiener, Vannevar Bush, Herbert A. Simon, Howard W. Johnson, Marvin L. Minsky, Peter Elias, J. C. R. Licklider, Elting E. Morison, Philip M. Morse, Jay W. Forrester, Grace M. Hopper, Alan J. Perlis, John R. Pierce, Robert C. Sprague, Claude E. Shannon, Charles C. Holt, John G. Kemeny, Donald J. Marquis, Gene M. Amdahl, Sidney S. Alexander, Robert M. Fano, and others

In The World Computer Jonathan Beller forcefully demonstrates that the history of commodification generates information itself. Out of the omnipresent calculus imposed by commodification, information emerges historically as a new money form. Investigating its subsequent financialization of daily life and colonization of semiotics, Beller situates the development of myriad systems for quantifying the value of people, objects, and affects as endemic to racial capitalism and computation. Built on oppression and genocide, capital and its technical result as computation manifest as racial formations, as do the machines and software of social mediation that feed racial capitalism and run on social difference. Algorithms, derived from for-profit management strategies, conscript all forms of expression—language, image, music, communication—into the calculus of capital such that even protest may turn a profit. Computational media function for the purpose of extraction rather than ameliorating global crises, and financialize every expressive act, converting each utterance into a wager. Repairing this ecology of exploitation, Beller contends, requires decolonizing information and money, and the scripting of futures wagered by the cultural legacies and claims of those in struggle.

The Closed World offers a radically new alternative to the canonical histories of computers and cognitive science. Arguing that we can make sense of computers as tools only when we simultaneously grasp their roles as metaphors and political icons, Paul Edwards shows how Cold War social and cultural contexts shaped emerging computer technology--and were transformed, in turn, by information machines. The Closed World explores three apparently disparate histories--the history of American global power, the history of computing machines, and the history of subjectivity in science and culture--through the lens of the American political imagination. In the process, it reveals intimate links between the military projects of the Cold War, the evolution of digital computers, and the origins of cybernetics, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence. Edwards begins by describing the emergence of a "closed-world discourse" of global surveillance and control through high-technology military power. The Cold War political goal of "containment" led to the SAGE continental air defense system, Rand Corporation studies of nuclear strategy, and the advanced technologies of the Vietnam War. These and other centralized, computerized military command and control projects--for containing world-scale conflicts--helped closed-world discourse dominate Cold War political decisions. Their apotheosis was the Reagan-era plan for a " Star Wars" space-based ballistic missile defense. Edwards then shows how these military projects helped computers become axial metaphors in psychological theory. Analyzing the Macy Conferences on cybernetics, the Harvard Psycho-Acoustic Laboratory, and the early history of artificial intelligence, he describes the formation of a "cyborg discourse." By constructing both human minds and artificial intelligences as information machines, cyborg discourse assisted in integrating people into the hyper-complex technological systems of the closed world. Finally, Edwards explores the cyborg as political identity in science fiction--from the disembodied, panoptic AI of 2001: A Space Odyssey, to the mechanical robots of Star Wars and the engineered biological androids of Blade Runner--where Information Age culture and subjectivity were both reflected and constructed. Inside Technology series

Computer Forensics in Today's World" is a comprehensive guide that delves into the dynamic and evolving landscape of digital forensics in the contemporary era. Authored by seasoned experts in the field, this book offers a thorough exploration of the principles, methodologies, techniques, and challenges of computer forensics, providing readers with a deep understanding of the critical role forensic investigations play in addressing cybercrimes, security breaches, and digital misconduct in today's society. The book begins by introducing readers to the fundamental concepts and principles of computer forensics, including the legal and ethical considerations, investigative processes, and forensic methodologies employed in the examination and analysis of digital evidence. Readers will gain insights into the importance of preserving evidence integrity, maintaining chain of custody, and adhering to best practices in evidence handling and documentation to ensure the admissibility and reliability of digital evidence in legal proceedings. As readers progress through the book, they will explore a wide range of topics relevant to computer forensics in contemporary contexts, including: Cybercrime Landscape: An overview of the current cybercrime landscape, including emerging threats, attack vectors, and cybercriminal tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) commonly encountered in forensic investigations. Digital Evidence Collection and Analysis: Techniques and methodologies for collecting, preserving, and analyzing digital evidence from various sources, such as computers, mobile devices, cloud services, social media platforms, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Forensic Tools and Technologies: A survey of the latest forensic tools, software applications, and technologies used by forensic investigators to acquire, analyze, and interpret digital evidence, including disk imaging tools, memory forensics frameworks, and network forensic appliances. Legal and Regulatory Framework: An examination of the legal and regulatory framework governing computer forensics investigations, including relevant statutes, case law, rules of evidence, and procedural requirements for the admission of digital evidence in court. Incident Response and Crisis Management: Strategies and practices for incident response, digital crisis management, and cyber incident investigation, including incident triage, containment, eradication, and recovery procedures to mitigate the impact of security incidents and data breaches. Digital Forensics in Law Enforcement: Case studies, examples, and real-world scenarios illustrating the application of computer forensics principles and techniques in law enforcement investigations, criminal prosecutions, and cybercrime prosecutions. Forensic Readiness and Preparedness: Best practices for organizations to develop and implement forensic readiness and preparedness programs, including policies, procedures, and incident response plans to enhance their ability to detect, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents. Ethical and Professional Considerations: Ethical principles, professional standards, and guidelines that govern the conduct, behavior, and responsibilities of forensic investigators, including confidentiality, integrity, impartiality, and accountability in forensic practice. Future Trends and Emerging Technologies: Anticipated trends, developments, and challenges in the field of computer forensics, including advancements in forensic techniques, tools, technologies, and methodologies, and their implications for forensic investigations in the digital age. Case Studies and Practical Examples: Real-world case studies, examples, and practical exercises that illustrate the application of computer forensics principles and techniques in solving complex investigative challenges, analyzing digital evidence, and presenting findings in legal proceedings. "Computer Forensics in Today's World" is designed to serve as a comprehensive reference and practical guide for forensic practitioners, cybersecurity professionals, law enforcement officers, legal professionals, and students seeking to gain expertise in the field of computer forensics. With its comprehensive coverage of key topics, practical insights, and real-world examples, this book equips readers with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of modern forensic investigations and effectively address the challenges of digital forensics in today's interconnected world.

How the computer became universal. Over the past fifty years, the computer has been transformed from a hulking scientific supertool and data processing workhorse, remote from the experiences of ordinary people, to a diverse family of devices that billions rely on to play games, shop, stream music and movies, communicate, and count their steps. In A New History of Modern Computing, Thomas Haigh and Paul Ceruzzi trace these changes. A comprehensive reimagining of Ceruzzi's A History of Modern Computing, this new volume uses each chapter to recount one such transformation, describing how a particular community of users and producers remade the computer into something new. Haigh and Ceruzzi ground their accounts of these computing revolutions in the longer and deeper history of computing technology. They begin with the story of the 1945 ENIAC computer, which introduced the vocabulary of "programs" and "programming," and proceed through email, pocket calculators, personal computers, the World Wide Web, videogames, smart phones, and our current world of computers everywhere--in phones, cars, appliances, watches, and more. Finally, they consider the Tesla Model S as an object that simultaneously embodies many strands of computing.

Nine revolutionary algorithms that power our computers and smartphones Every day, we use our computers to perform remarkable feats. A simple web search picks out a handful of relevant needles from the world's biggest haystack. Uploading a photo to Facebook transmits millions of pieces of information over numerous error-prone network links, yet somehow a perfect copy of the photo arrives intact. Without even knowing it, we use public-key cryptography to transmit secret information like credit card numbers, and we use digital signatures to verify the identity of the websites we visit. How do our computers perform these tasks with such ease? John MacCormick answers this question in language anyone can understand, using vivid examples to explain the fundamental tricks behind nine computer algorithms that power our PCs, tablets, and smartphones.