Consider the lowly gas pump. For years, its job has been simple: to dispense fuel safely. These days, though, the pump does much more. In a tiny electronic brain, software records transactional information—the amount and type of gas, and the time, date, and price. It automatically transmits the data to the computer of a distributor, which passes it on to refineries owned by the likes of Exxon Mobil Corp. or BP Amoco PLC.
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