Teaching IBM's Watson the meaning of 'OMG'

Getting supercomputers like IBM's Watson to understand slang may be the final frontier in machine intelligence.

FORTUNE -- The scientific test to gauge if a computer can "think" is surprisingly simple: Can it engage in small talk? The so-called Turing test says a computer capable of carrying on a natural conversation without giving itself away can be considered intelligent. So far, no machine has made the cut.

Eric Brown, a research scientist MORE

The next chip battleground: Data centers

Diminutive smartphone chips will help power-hungry data centers cut down on costs.

FORTUNE -- The next time you upload a photo to Facebook, consider this: All those pictures have to be processed and stored somewhere, presumably forever. Some 3 million data centers occupy more than 600 million square feet of space in the U.S. alone to help do so. Trouble is, a single location can slurp as much power as a MORE

The supercomputer will see you now

Two of tech's hottest trends - powerful analytics and mobile gadgets - are making their way into hospitals. They could soon be saving lives.

FORTUNE -- Fans of television medical dramas are probably aware of the grim condition known as septic shock. But few people know that sepsis, a disease that causes the body to attack itself in an attempt to fight off infection, kills 258,000 Americans each year. Though easy MORE

Marissa Mayer on God, family and Yahoo

In her first public interview since taking on the CEO gig at Yahoo, Marissa Mayer outlines her priorities both in and out of the company.

FORTUNE -- In her first public interview since taking on the CEO gig at Yahoo, Marissa Mayeroutlined her priorities both inside and out of the company.

"I think that for me, it's God, family and Yahoo—in that order," said the new chief executive referencing the Vince Lombardi MORE

Intel's Otellini won't be remembered for mobile

Even if his departure is amicable, Otellini is leaving Intel during a rough patch. While the chipmaker still rules the PC industry, it has stumbled in the smartphone and tablet markets.

FORTUNE -- Intel CEO Paul Otellini led the chipmaker to record sales -- a whopping $54 billion in its last fiscal year. He also drove the "ultrabooks" movement in an effort to reignite demand for PCs and spearheaded breakthrough innovations like MORE

Microsoft is entering a new era

As Microsoft's business changes, the company needs its groups to work cooperatively. The polarizing working style of former Windows head Steven Sinofsky may not have fit that mandate.

FORTUNE -- The departure of Windows chief Steven Sinofsky came as a shock both inside and outside of Microsoft. Up until this week, many believed the long-time, powerful exec was next in line for current CEO Steve Ballmer's job. But regardless of Sinofsky's MORE

Making Big Data easy on the eyes

Tableau Software turns huge data sets into beautiful graphics. And now it has one of tech's most powerful companies as a partner.

FORTUNE -- A big data tool is only as good as the data that feeds into it. Business intelligence startup Tableau Software has earned rave reviews for turning data computations into beautiful graphics, but now the company is busy expanding its pool of partners and building "connectors" -- technology MORE

Data centers open new front in tech war

ARM wants to eat Intel's lunch -- and it now has a plan to do just that.

FORTUNE -- ARM Holdings (ARMH) rules the smartphone market. Now the British firm is trying to get its processor designs into somewhat larger gadgets -- servers.

ARM has yet to make any significant inroads into lucrative data centers currently dominated by a different breed of chips that are manufactured by Intel (INTC). But the company MORE

Microsoft tries again with Windows Phone 8

A slew of new features prove the company is determined to make a dent in the crucial phone segment.

FORTUNE -- Lucky for Microsoft, its Windows Phone 8 launch event was not scheduled for stormy New York. But that doesn't mean prospects for the latest version of its mobile operating system aren't cloudy.

The tech giant is throwing all its weight behind new efforts to reclaim dominance in the changing computing market, MORE

The new Cisco: Slower growth, higher dividend

Rocky times have precipitated a change in tactics at the maker of networking gear.

FORTUNE -- Cisco's (CSCO) days of double-digit growth may be over, but the tech giant has made some smart moves over the last couple of years—like cutting costs, focusing in on its most promising businesses, and giving out a quarterly dividend to shareholders for the first time in its nearly 30-year-long history. As the company's chief financial MORE