Software refers to the programs and operating information used by a computer to perform specific tasks. It contrasts with hardware, which encompasses the physical components of a computer system. Software can be categorized into system software, which includes operating systems like Windows or macOS that manage the hardware and software resources; application software, which performs specific user-oriented tasks such as word processing, web browsing, or gaming; and utility software, which provides tools to manage and optimize the computer’s performance. Software development involves various methodologies and programming languages, adapting to different platforms and user needs. This dynamic field continuously evolves, driven by technological advancements and growing user demands, shaping how individuals and organizations interact with digital technologies.
The software discipline has broad involvement across each of the NASA Mission Directorates. Some recent discipline focus and development areas are highlighted below, along with…
MIT spinout DataCebo helps companies bolster their datasets by creating synthetic data that mimic the real thing. Generative AI is getting plenty of attention for…
The MIT spinout Silverthread helps companies transform complex codebases into modular systems that can be changed or updated without headaches. As a software engineer, Dan…
NASA awarded its Software of the Year to the team behind LHASA 2.0, a tool providing global insights into rainfall-triggered landslides. Available as open-source, LHASA…
Researchers are conducting a public survey to gauge opinions on artificial intelligence (AI) and software in general, aiming to better understand public perceptions, fears, and…
Computers, laptops, and other smart gadgets in our homes could be protected by artificial intelligence that can quickly identify and eliminate malware. Cardiff University researchers…
MIT AI Hardware Program launches with five inaugural companies to advance AI technologies for the next decade. The MIT AI Hardware Program is a new academia and…
Swarms of small satellites could communicate with one another to collect data on important weather patterns at different times of the day or year, and…
Created at NASA’s JPL, the open-source flight software called F Prime isn’t just powering humanity’s first interplanetary helicopter; it’s also powering inspiration at multiple universities….
Responding to artificial intelligence’s exploding demands on computer networks, Princeton University researchers in recent years have radically increased the speed and slashed the energy use…
NASA is improving a flight software system to help create and certify essential software for the lunar Gateway. As part of the Artemis program, NASA…
An astro-statistics course University of California, Riverside, graduate student Remington O. Sexton took three years ago taught him techniques that led him to develop free,…
Curved glass façades can be stunningly beautiful, but traditional construction methods are extremely expensive. Panes are usually made with “hot bending,” where glass is heated…
A major technical challenge for any practical, real-world quantum computer comes from the need for a large number of physical qubits to deal with errors…
Companies often employ number-crunching data scientists to gather insights such as which customers want certain services or where to open new stores and stock products….
Researchers from Yale University have unveiled CertiKOS, the world’s first operating system that runs on multi-core processors and shields against cyber-attacks. Scientists believe this could…
A new debugging system found 23 previously undiagnosed security flaws in 50 popular Web applications, and it took no more than 64 seconds to analyze…
New thermal-imaging cars from MIT spinout Essess can quickly track energy leaks in thousands of homes and buildings, helping owners curb energy loss. In 2007,…