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
2020 ACM Fellows Recognized for Work That Underpins Today's Computing Innovations
ACM has designated 95 members 2020 ACM Fellows for their significant contributions to a multitude of computing fields.
From ACM TechNews
Social Media Manipulation by Political Actors an industrial Scale Problem
A 2020 survey of 81 countries by the U.K.'s Oxford Internet Institute uncovered evidence of social media manipulation of political communications in each country.
From ACM TechNews
Fleet of Robots Successfully Tracks, Monitors Marine Microbes
Researchers have demonstrated that a fleet of autonomous robots can track and study a community of marine microbes.
From ACM TechNews
Venice Is Watching Tourists' Every Move
Officials in Venice, Italy, are using technology to track the number of tourists in the city, and where they go.
From ACM TechNews
Superconducting Microprocessors? Turns Out They're Ultra-Efficient
Researchers at Japan's Yokohama National University report the creation of the first prototype superconducting microprocessor, which they said has no electrical resistance.
From ACM News
Microsoft, Oracle and Salesforce Join Push for Digital Vaccination Credentials
In the U.S., there is no federal system consumers can use to get easy access to their immunization records online and establish their vaccination status for work or travel.
From ACM News
Millions Flock to Telegram, Signal as Fears Grow Over Big Tech
The encrypted messaging services have become the world's hottest apps over the last week, driven by growing anxiety over the power of the biggest tech companies and privacy concerns.
From ACM TechNews
Spider Legs Build Webs Without the Brain's Help
Researchers have simulated the way each leg of a spider functions as a semi-independent "computer," with sensors that trigger movements based on environmental readings.
From ACM TechNews
Microscanner Mirrors Replace Human Vision
Researchers have developed a microscanner mirror for LiDAR systems that enables the three-dimensional scanning of a vehicle's surroundings out to more than 200 meters.
From ACM TechNews
Hack the Army Bug Bounty Challenge Asks Hackers to Find Vulnerabilities in Military Networks
The Defense Digital Service and HackerOne are calling on military and civilian hackers to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the U.S. Army's computer systems.
From ACM TechNews
Sharper Signals: How Machine Learning Is Cleaning Up Microscopy Images
Researchers increasingly are using machine learning to eliminate noise from microscopy images.
From ACM News
Just Think: The Outlook for BCI
Where Brain-Computer Interfaces are headed.
From ACM News
U.S. Law Sets Stage for Boost to AI Research
If funded, the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020, which became law last week, would significantly ramp up federal AI investments.
From ACM News
White House Launches the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office
The White House's new National AI Initiative Office will be integral to the Federal Government's efforts to maintain its leadership position in artificial intelligence for many years to come.
From ACM TechNews
CES Goes Full Pandemic with Smart Masks, Stickers to Detect Covid, Biggest Wi-Fi Update in Years
The 2021 Consumer Electronics Show is highlighting innovations spurred by Covid-19.
From ACM TechNews
Tweaking AI Software to Function Like a Human Brain Improves Computer's Learning Ability
Neuroscientists have developed a model that enables artificial intelligence software to function more like a human brain and learn new visual concepts more quickly.
From ACM TechNews
Programming Languages: Python Rules While Java Dips
Software-quality tracking company Tiobe named Python 2020's top programming language because its popularity outgrew that of all other languages in its index last year.
From ACM TechNews
Slouch or Slack Off, This 'Smart' Office Chair Cushion Will Record It
"Smart cushions" designed by a Chinese technology company and used in office chairs have engendered controversy over privacy and surveillance.
From ACM TechNews
Auto Production Disrupted by Chip Shortages
A global shortage of computer chips has hit automakers worldwide, a problem compounded by spiking demand for new cars.
From ACM TechNews
As Coronavirus Cases Surge, So Do Cyberattacks Against the Healthcare Sector
Cybersecurity firm Check Point found a 45% increase in cyberattacks against the global healthcare sector since November, versus a 22% uptick against all worldwide industries over the same period.
From ACM TechNews
An Avalanche of Violence: Analysis Reveals Predictable Patterns in Armed Conflicts
An armed conflict model developed by researchers explains how such conflicts spread geographically, with violent interactions growing temporally and spatially in a scale-free pattern.
From ACM TechNews
Your Next Car May Let You Drive Hands-Free. Is That a Good Thing?
More automakers are installing automated steering and speed control in more vehicles, using sensors, radar, and cameras to keep the car centered, control speed, and change lanes.
From ACM News
Finally, Apps to Sink Your Teeth Into
Developers are beginning to incorporate teeth into new technologies.
From ACM News
Rediscovering RISC-V: Apple M1 sparks renewed interest in non-x86 architectures
With the runaway success of the new ARM-based M1 Macs, non-x86 architectures are getting their closeup. RISC-V is getting the most attention from system designers looking to horn-in on Apple's recipe for high performance. Here's…
From ACM TechNews
He Created the Web. Now He's Out to Remake the Digital World.
Tim Berners-Lee hopes to bring the Web back to his original vision of a decentralized marketplace through personal online data stores (pods), with users controlling their data in individual vaults.
From ACM TechNews
Tiny Satellites Will Connect Cows, Cars, Shipping Containers to the Internet
Scientists are tapping tiny satellites developed by startups for research.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Foresters Could Plant Thousands of Trees a Day
Two types of autonomous robot foresters developed by Estonia's University of Tartu and robot manufacturer Milrem are planting trees from Milrem's driverless ground vehicles.
From ACM TechNews
Neural Networks Playing Video Games Teach Us About Our Own Brains
Researchers found artificial intelligence's “neurons” behaved similarly to neurons in the human brain when playing classic Atari video games.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Paint Multicolor Atlas of the Brain
A novel technique developed by Columbia University researchers helped to map neural network dynamics in the C. elegans worm.
From ACM TechNews
U.K. Government Use of 'General Warrants' to Authorize Computer, Phone Hacking Is Unlawful: Court
The U.K.'s High Court has ruled that government security and intelligence services cannot use "general warrants" to indiscriminately hack domestic mobile phones and computers.