Go computer program

You may have heard of "go," a popular game from the Orient, widely played in Japan, China, and Korea. To the casual observer it looks like Pente (basically "connect 5") but is really as complex as (perhaps more complex than) chess.

With chess, a typical computer program can defeat most people, and the best computer programs play as well as the best professionals. With go, this is not the case. Even the best computer algorithms for go have trouble beating novices. I know that there was a contest paying a million dollars for a while (don't know if that's still going on) for a decent go program. Well, a major breakthrough has occurred that may lead to a good program. Here's a Reuters article about the new program.

EDIT: here's a 1997 article describing more about the game.

Is software patentable?

This is the key question before the Supreme Court in a case between AT&T and Microsoft.

Obligatory clicky to article.