Communications of the ACM
The blog archive provides access to past blog postings from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
June 2021
From The Eponymous Pickle
Material Science Continues an Expansion
Consider the value and complexity of multifunctional materials, and how much we are getting from understanding them in detail for design, manufacturing and delivery. Ever new methods for delivering changes in chemistry, physics…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Towards Secure Cloud Computing
Don't know this method, provably it says, reviewing later. Much more technical at the link.
SeKVM Makes Cloud Computing Provably Secure
IEEE Spectrum,Charles Q. Choi, June 7, 2021
Columbia University researchers say they have designed…From The Eponymous Pickle
Autodesk and Digital Twins
Have been connected with Autodesk when it primarily advanced drafting and visualization capabilities, via a number of tools we used. See now that they are working with the concept of Digital Twins, launching the Tandem platform…
From insideHPC
How DOE Scientists Disrupted COVID-19
In early 2020, when the novel coronavirus was gaining momentum but had not yet been named a pandemic, computational chemist Marti Head of Oak Ridge National Laboratory – along with scientists and researchers around the globe …
From Computer Science Teacher - Thoughts and Information From Alfred Thompson
Exploring the Ternary Operator
I’ve never had a lot of use for the ternary operator. Until recently, I think I under appreciated it. I Don’t recall ever using it in professional development though that may be largely related to using languages that didn’tIn…
From insideHPC
XTREME-D Announces Technical Alliance with Fujitsu
Palo Alto, California, June 10, 2021 – Japanese HPC Cloud company XTREME-D today announced the formation of a technical alliance with Fujitsu Limited to conduct verification tests of Fujitsu’s PRIMEHPC FX700 on XTREME-D’s high…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Tracking Seabirds with Drones
Interesting environmental capability with links to monitoring seabird colonies with drones.
Keeping a Closer Eye on Seabirds with Drones
Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, June 8, 2021
Using drones and artificial…From ACM-W supporting, celebrating and advocating for Women in Computing
ACM-W Scholarships Update
Attending conferences in person allows young and upcoming researchers to make meaningful human connections leading to strong collaborations, sometimes life-long ones, and to aspire to be more than they might otherwise do.
From ACM-W supporting, celebrating and advocating for Women in Computing
How does remote work affect early-career women in computing?
A recent survey of early-career computing professionals found that although many people benefit from the flexibility of remote work, many groups, particularly women and minorities, face challenges while working remotely.
From insideHPC
Xilinx Acquires Programming Tools Vendor Silexica
SAN JOSE, June 10, 2021 – Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX), the adaptive computing company, today announced that it has acquired Silexica, a privately-held provider of C/C++ programming and analysis tools. Silexica’s SLX FPGA tool…
From Schneier on Security
FBI/AFP-Run Encrypted Phone
For three years, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police owned and operated a commercial encrypted phone app, called AN0M, that was used by organized crime around the world. Of course, the police…
From insideHPC
GRC Designates August Data Center Liquid Immersion Cooling
AUSTIN – June 10, 2021 – With the summer months quickly approaching and data center managers increasing efforts to keep their operations cool, GRC (Green Revolution Cooling), the leader in single-phase data center liquid immersion…
From insideHPC
US Launches National AI Research Resource Task Force
June 10, 2021 — The U.S. National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy today announced the formation of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force. As directed …
From The Eponymous Pickle
Smart Speakers and secure environments.
Have often had this objection to smart speakers brought. Here a possible solution.
The Michigan Engineer News Center, Gabe Cherry, June 8, 2021
University of Michigan (U-M) researchers have designed a device…From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Task Force
The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy announced the government, academic, and private sector representatives who will serve on the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource…
From The Eponymous Pickle
EU Deciding to Widen the Idea of a Vaccination Wallet
The EU has decided to widen the notion of a smartphone enabled 'passport' for vaccines to a more general wallet that would hold other kinds of ID credentials. Like drivers licenses, access permissions, diplomas and drug prescriptions…
From The Eponymous Pickle
AI of Autonomous Cars also Useful for Conventional Autos
As you might expect, for example automatic lane holding and parking capabilities are already well known. My guess to is that such autonomous solutions will be useful in many places. A good related piece:
AI of Autonomous Cars…From Computational Complexity
The Future of Faculty Hiring
Faculty hiring in computer science is a process long due for an overhaul. The pandemic certainly changed some of the dynamics moving most of the interviews online and saving a ton of money and time. Will this be the start ofA…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Google Proposes Advanced AI Chip Design
Google Proposes an advanced AI chip that is itself improved by AI over time. Impressive idea.
Google used reinforcement learning to design next-gen AI accelerator chips By Kyle Wiggers, @Kyle_L_Wiggers, June 9, 2021 8:00…From insideHPC
Argonne Claims 1st Full-core Pin-resolved Nuclear Reactor Model
Understanding the physical behavior inside an operating nuclear reactor can be done only with simulations on a supercomputer due to the high-pressure, high-temperature, and radioactive environment inside a reactor core. The whirls…
From The Eponymous Pickle
National Strategic Computing Reserve
Good proposal, with strong initial emphasis on security.
The U.S. Needs a National Strategic Computing Reserve
By Scientific American, June 9, 2021
Last spring, as the world was coming to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists…From insideHPC
CW-WDM MSA Consortium Releases Spec for Multi-Wavelength Optical Laser Sources
SANTA CLARA, Calif., –The CW-WDM MSA (Continuous-Wave Wavelength Division Multiplexing Multi-Source Agreement) Group, dedicated to defining and promoting specifications for multi-wavelength advanced integrated optics, today announced…
From insideHPC
Ayar Labs Demos Terabit Optical Link for Co-Packaged Optics and Chip-to-Chip Connectivity
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Ayar Labs announced today that it has successfully demonstrated what is said is the industry’s first terabit per second Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) optical link with its TeraPHY optical I/O chiplet…
From Universal Acceptance Steering Group
Supporting a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Internet Through Email Address Internationalization (EAI) – How Coremail and THNIC Made it a Reality
Since the first online message was sent in 1971, email has evolved to become a mainstay in how we communicate. However, while people around the globe have been adopting and integrating email into their daily lives for nearly …
From The Eponymous Pickle
Voice-assisted AI is Becoming smarter, but Consumers have Higher expectations
I see here is a post by a former school of mine ... Some reasonable thoughts.
Voice-assisted AI is becoming smarter, but consumers have higher expectations by University of Florida
When Huan Chen started researching how consumers…From insideHPC
Anderson and Kochanski Share 2021 Howes Award
AMES, IOWA – A mathematician who has advanced wave-scattering calculations and a researcher who has modeled the complex interactions driving snow formations will share the 2021 Frederick A. Howes Scholar in Computational Science…
From The Eponymous Pickle
EU COVID-19 'Digital Pass' Gateway System Goes Live
Following this aspect of construction, delivery and use of passport systems.
EU COVID-19 'Digital Pass' Gateway System Goes Live By TechCrunch, June 8, 2021
The gateway system for the EU's "digital pass" for verifying COVID…From insideHPC
Honeywell Quantum Solutions and Cambridge Quantum Computing Will Combine
CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 8, 2021 — Honeywell announced today that Honeywell Quantum Solutions (HQS) and Cambridge Quantum Computing (CQC) will combine to form what the companies said will be the largest, most advanced standalone…
From The Eponymous Pickle
Super Productive 3D Bioprinter Speeding Drug Development
Another example. Have now heard many such claims regarding drug development. How many are being used effectively? Here is another.
Super Productive 3D Bioprinter Could Speed Drug Development
UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering…From The Computing Community Consortium Blog
CIFellows Spotlight – Activating Urban Space through Interactive and Augmented Reality Interfaces
Minka Stoyanova began her CIFellowship in January 2021 after receiving her PhD from City University of Hong Kong in October 2019. Stoyanova is at University of Colorado Boulder working with Reece Auguiste, Associate Professor…