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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


FBI, ICE Find State Driver's License Photos a Gold Mine for Facial-Recognition Searches
From ACM TechNews

FBI, ICE Find State Driver's License Photos a Gold Mine for Facial-Recognition Searches

U.S. federal investigators using facial-recognition technology to search millions of Americans' state driver's license photos, without their knowledge or permission...

How Do You Read Ancient Scrolls Too Brittle to ­nfurl? American Scientist May Have Answer
From ACM TechNews

How Do You Read Ancient Scrolls Too Brittle to ­nfurl? American Scientist May Have Answer

Ancient papyrus scrolls too fragile to unwrap are being scanned with the hope of "digitally unwrapping" and reading them.

Florida's Latest Oddity: Semi Trucks With Nobody Inside
From ACM TechNews

Florida's Latest Oddity: Semi Trucks With Nobody Inside

Startup Starsky Robotics is testing unmanned semi trucks on public roads in Florida.

Domino's Will Start Delivering Pizzas via Autonomous Robot This Fall
From ACM TechNews

Domino's Will Start Delivering Pizzas via Autonomous Robot This Fall

Robotics startup Nuro has announced plans to dispatch robots this fall to deliver Domino's pizzas to customers in Houston.

Even Voting Machine Company Pushes for Election Security Legislation
From ACM TechNews

Even Voting Machine Company Pushes for Election Security Legislation

Voting machine vendor Election Systems & Software has called on Congress to pass legislation requiring paper trails for all votes to protect against hacking.

Tech Giant Brings Software to a Gun Fight
From ACM TechNews

Tech Giant Brings Software to a Gun Fight

Salesforce.com is pressuring sporting-goods retailers and other customers to stop selling a range of firearms, or be prohibited from using its products.

Apple, Google, WhatsApp Condemn British Spy Agency Proposal to Access Encrypted Messages
From ACM TechNews

Apple, Google, WhatsApp Condemn British Spy Agency Proposal to Access Encrypted Messages

Leading technology organizations have criticized an intelligence proposal by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters to let law enforcement to spy on encrypted...

Tech Giant Brings Software to a Gun Fight
From ACM News

Tech Giant Brings Software to a Gun Fight

Stepping into a charged social issue, Silicon Valley tech giant Salesforce.com has asked retailers to stop selling military-style rifles, or stop using its software...

How Amazon Turned the Tedium of Warehouse Work Into A Game
From ACM TechNews

How Amazon Turned the Tedium of Warehouse Work Into A Game

Amazon has developed a videogame-like competition aimed at making warehouse workers' jobs less tedious, in order to boost their productivity.

Businesses, ­niversities Team ­p on New Digital Technology Credential
From ACM TechNews

Businesses, ­niversities Team ­p on New Digital Technology Credential

George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth universities now offer a digital technology credential.

Android App to Tackle Cybersecurity in the Developing World
From ACM TechNews

Android App to Tackle Cybersecurity in the Developing World

Android is offering a free app to boost security for smartphone users in the developing world.

Drones in Aisle 5? Grocery Stores Becoming ­nusual Hotbeds of Innovation
From ACM TechNews

Drones in Aisle 5? Grocery Stores Becoming ­nusual Hotbeds of Innovation

Texas-based data subscription service Pensa has created a drone and its underlying artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance grocery operations.

Oregon's a Testing Ground for Amazon's Facial Recognition Policing, But What if Rekognition Gets it Wrong?
From ACM TechNews

Oregon's a Testing Ground for Amazon's Facial Recognition Policing, But What if Rekognition Gets it Wrong?

Police in Washington County, OR, have used a facial-recognition algorithm from Amazon to publicly test new surveillance techniques for more than a year.

They Asked AI to Create a New Game. One of Its First Ideas Involved Exploding Frisbees.
From ACM TechNews

They Asked AI to Create a New Game. One of Its First Ideas Involved Exploding Frisbees.

Design firm AKQA used artificial intelligence to create a new game that combines elements of rugby, croquet, soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee.

In Australia, Hacked Lime Scooters Spew Racism, Profanity
From ACM TechNews

In Australia, Hacked Lime Scooters Spew Racism, Profanity

Vandals hacked the audio files of scooters in Australia, to make them generate profanities and racist speech.

How WhatsApp, FaceTime and Other Encryption Apps Shaped the Outcome of the Mueller Report
From ACM News

How WhatsApp, FaceTime and Other Encryption Apps Shaped the Outcome of the Mueller Report

Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III detailed multiple contacts among Russian operatives and associates of President Trump in the report made public Thursday....

Firefighters Had Secret Weapon When Notre Dame Caught Fire: A Robot Named 'Colossus'
From ACM TechNews

Firefighters Had Secret Weapon When Notre Dame Caught Fire: A Robot Named 'Colossus'

Paris firefighters used a 1,100-pound, tank-like robot to mitigate damage to Notre Dame cathedral and prevent the conflagration from spreading further by entering...

Craftsmen Built Notre Dame Eight Centuries Ago. Now It May Be Up to Robots to Save It.
From ACM News

Craftsmen Built Notre Dame Eight Centuries Ago. Now It May Be Up to Robots to Save It.

As the first images of charred wreckage inside the Notre Dame cathedral appeared online Tuesday, engineers around the world said one observation was already clear...

Self-Driving Car Learns to Navigate Narrow European Streets Like a Human Driver
From ACM TechNews

Self-Driving Car Learns to Navigate Narrow European Streets Like a Human Driver

U.K. startup Wayve said it has created an autonomous vehicle that can learn to drive the way a human does, through trial and error, using cameras and satellite...

How China's Huawei Took the Lead Over ­.S. Companies in 5G Technology
From ACM News

How China's Huawei Took the Lead Over ­.S. Companies in 5G Technology

As U.S. officials have pressured allies not to use networking gear from Chinese technology giant Huawei over spying concerns, President Trump has urged American...
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