Encyclopedia of Computer Science and Technology

viIntroduction to the Revised Editionas• threats to data security, ranging from identity thievesand “phishers” to stalkers and potential “cyberterrorists”• the benefits and risks of social networking sites (suchas MySpace)• the impact of new technology on women and minorities,young people, the disabled, and other groupsOther entries feature new or emerging technology, such• portable media devices (the iPod and its coming successors)• home media centers and the gradual coming of thelong-promised “smart house”• navigation and mapping systems (and their integrationwith e-commerce)• how computers are changing the way cars, appliances,and even telephones work• “Web 2.0”—and beyondFinally, we look at the farther reaches of the imagination,considering such topics as• nanotechnology• quantum computing• science fiction and computing• philosophical and spiritual aspects of computing• the ultimate “technological singularity”In addition to the many new entries, all existing entrieshave been carefully reviewed and updated to include thelatest facts and trends.Getting the Most Out of This BookThis encyclopedia can be used in several ways: for example,you can look up specific entries by referring from topics inthe index, or simply by browsing. The nearly 600 entriesin this book are intended to read like “mini-essays,” givingnot just the bare definition of a topic, but also developing itssignificance for the use of computers and its relationship toother topics. Related topics are indicated by small capitalletters. At the end of each entry is a list of books, articles,and/or Web sites for further exploration of the topic.Every effort has been made to make the writing accessibleto a wide range of readers: high school and collegestudents, computer science students, working computerprofessionals, and adults who wish to be better informedabout computer-related topics and issues.The appendices provide further information for referenceand exploration. They include a chronology of significantevents in computing; a listing of achievements incomputing as recognized in major awards; an additionalbibliography to supplement that given with the entries;and finally, brief descriptions and contact information forsome important organizations in the computer field.This book can also be useful to obtain an overview ofparticular areas in computing by reading groups of relatedentries. The following listing groups the entries by category.AI and Roboticsartificial intelligenceartificial lifeBayesian analysisBreazeal, CynthiaBrooks, Rodneycellular automatachess and computerscognitive sciencecomputer visionDreyfus, Hubert L.Engelberger, Josephexpert systemsFeigenbaum, Edwardfuzzy logicgenetic algorithmshandwriting recognitioniRobot Corporationknowledge representationKurzweil, Raymond C.Lanier, JaronMaes, PattieMcCarthy, JohnMinsky, Marvin LeeMIT Media Labnatural language processingneural interfacesneural networkPapert, Seymourpattern recognitionroboticssingularity, technologicalsoftware agentspeech recognition and synthesistelepresenceWeizenbaum, JosephBusiness and E-Commerce ApplicationsAmazon.comAmerica Online (AOL)application service provider (ASP)application softwareapplication suiteauctions, onlineauditing in data processingbanking and computersBezos, Jeffrey P.Brin, Sergeybusiness applications of computersCraigslistcustomer relationship management (CRM)decision support systemdesktop publishing (DTP)