Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
January 2021
From ACM TechNews
How to Train a Robot (Using AI and Supercomputers)
Computer scientists are using generative adversarial networks to train robots about objects.
From ACM TechNews
On the 100th Anniversary of 'Robot,' They're Finally Taking Over
Robot technology in many ways hassurpassed the vision presented in Karel Capek's play "R.U.R." ("Rossum's Universal Robots"), which introduced the word "robot" a century ago.
From ACM News
How England Implemented its Computer Science Education Program
Computer science concepts have been part of the official English curriculum for over a decade, but reforms have encouraged wider participation in the last six years.
From ACM News
Google Agrees to Pay French Publishers for News
The agreement comes after several months of talks between Google France and France's Alliance de la Presse d'Information Generale.
From ACM TechNews
Optimizing Traffic Signals to Reduce Intersection Wait Times
Researchers at Texas A&M University and the U.K.'s University of Edinburgh have developed a system that uses machine learning to optimize the timing of traffic signals.
From ACM TechNews
Jellyfish-Inspired Robot Could Be Used to Explore Coral Reefs, Archaeological Sites
A robot developed by researchers at the U.K.'s University of Edinburgh and University of Southampton mimics the efficient swimming movements of the moon jellyfish.
From ACM TechNews
Fake Collaboration Apps Steal Data as Staff Struggle with Home-Working Security
According to cybersecurity company Wandera's Cloud Security Report 2021, malware attacks increasingly targeted remote workers last year.
From ACM TechNews
Facebook AI Predicts Likelihood of Worsening Covid Symptoms
Researchers at Facebook claim to have developed software that can forecast the probability of a Covid-19 patient's symptoms escalating, based on their chest x-rays.
From ACM TechNews
Appreciating a Flower's Texture, Color, Shape Leads to Better Drone Landings
A new optical flow-based learning process lets robots calculate distances through the visual appearance of objects in view.
From ACM News
Google-Linked Balloon Project to Provide Cell Service Will Close
Begun nearly a decade ago, Loon was one of the company's high-profile, cutting-edge efforts. But it was difficult to turn into a business.
From ACM News
ACM TechNews Top Articles of 2020
Once again, the 10 most-clicked-on items in ACM TechNews during 2020 included more than a bit of coverage on programming and programming languages.
From ACM TechNews
How 3D Printing Is Helping CERN Scientists Upgrade the World's Largest Machine
Scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research have spent the past five years working to upgrade to the large hadron collider, the largest particle accelerator ever built.
From ACM TechNews
Autonomous Racing Is Coming to Indianapolis With the Indy Autonomous Challenge
The Indy Autonomous Challenge, announced during the 2021 CES show, will be a spec race with mechanically identical cars, and software that each team hopes will give it a competitive edge.
From ACM TechNews
Hackers Used Four Zero-Days to Infect Windows, Android Devices
Investigators with Google's Project Zero exploit research team uncovered a hacking campaign that used four zero-day exploits to install malware on Android and Windows devices.
From ACM TechNews
AI Could Train Your Dog How to Sit
A prototype artificial intelligence developed by Colorado State University researchers could train dogs while their owners are out.
From ACM News
Superintelligent AI May Be Impossible to Control; That's the Good News
Postcard from the 23rd century: Not even possible to know if an AI is superintelligent, much less stop it.
From ACM News
Spotting High-Risk Behavior Online
Using machine learning to identify signs of dangerous behavior on social media.
From ACM News
When Joe Biden Took the White House, He Also Took @WhiteHouse
The transition of official White House social media handles in 2020 was more complicated than four years ago.
From ACM News
President Biden’s Tech To-Do List
The new administration will try to restrain Big Tech, manage China, and expand internet access.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Internet Signals Beamed Between Drones a Kilometer Apart
Researchers have sent entangled photons between two 35-kilogram drones located a kilometer apart, a development that could pave the way for quantum encryption.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Count Elephants From Space with Satellites, Computer Smarts
Scientists in the U.K. have developed a technique for counting African elephant populations using satellite camera imagery and a deep learning algorithm.
From ACM TechNews
Are Videogames the Future of Remote Work?
The startup Gather offers a videogame-like format for remote work, supporting virtual two-dimensional workspaces for enterprise clients. \
From ACM TechNews
Report Names Bengaluru World's Fastest-Growing Tech Hub
Dealroom.com data analyzed by London & Partners found that Bengaluru (Bangalore), India's IT capital, is the world's fastest-growing mature tech ecosystem.
From ACM TechNews
Robotic Swarm Swims Like a School of Fish
Fish-inspired robots can synchronize their movements like an actual school of fish, without outside control.
From ACM TechNews
NASA Readies Astrobee Flying Robots for Serious Space Science
Astrobee flying robots are being prepared by astronauts on the International Space Station, to help perform science investigations.
From ACM News
CISQ Publishes the Cost of Poor Software Quality in the U.S.: A 2020 Report
Software quality is crucial to delivering value to organizations, U.S. economy.
From ACM News
“Can You Hear Me Now That I’m On 5G?”
Additional 5G spectrum is on the way…but which entity will control it?
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Use Supercomputers, AI to Determine How Good (or Deadly) Your Street Drugs Are
An artificial intelligence system developed by scientists at Canada's University of Victoria can ascertain the predicted chemical composition of drugs.
From ACM TechNews
Side-Channel Attack Can Recover Encryption Keys From Google Titan Security Keys
Researchers at French security company NinjaLab found a vulnerability impacting chips used in Google Titan and YubiKey hardware security keys.
From ACM News
Biden Will Elevate White House Science Office to Cabinet-Level
In a move that signals the importance of science to the incoming administration, President-elect Joe Biden announced a plan to make the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy a cabinet-level agency.