Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

T4: Rise of the Scrabble Cheaters

It's hard enough to play word games against a computer that has entire dictionaries at its disposal -- now they're playing dirty pool. Or in this case, dirty Scrabble.

Folks out of the University of Illinois have created a Scrabble playing program that attempts to predict what letter tiles the human player has, and use that information to make moves which might block their opponent's chances at playing higher-scoring words.

What's next? C3PO cheats some poor kid playing Candyland? Cylons stack the Uno decks with "Draw Four" cards? When will the madness end?