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
Using AI to Find New Uses for Existing Medications
Ohio State University researchers used artificial intelligence to process massive datasets to determine whether existing drugs could be applied to illnesses for which they were not previously used.
From ACM TechNews
Trump Administration Rolls Out Plan to Secure Maritime Sector Against Cyber Threats
The White House has unveiled a plan to protect the U.S. maritime transportation sector against cybersecurity threats.
From ACM TechNews
Airport Screening While Wearing Masks? Facial Recognition Tech Shows Up to 96% Accuracy in Recent Test
What was described as a controlled test of facial recognition technologies found potential for accurately identifying individuals on security lines at airports and other points of entry while they wear face masks.
From ACM TechNews
Nissan Source Code Leaked Online After Git Repo Misconfiguration
Software engineer Tillie Kottmann said Nissan North America's misconfiguration of a Bitbucket Git server led to the online leakage of the automaker’s source code for its mobile applications and internal tools.
From ACM TechNews
This Avocado Armchair Could Be the Future of AI
Researchers at artificial intelligence company OpenAI have engineered two deep learning models combining language and images to improve AI's understanding of text and to what it refers.
From ACM News
Court Rules Deliveroo Used 'Discriminatory' Algorithm
An Italian court determined that companies can be held liable even if an algorithm unintentionally discriminates against a protected group.
From ACM News
The Tech That Will Invade Our Lives in 2021
Spoiler: We're looking at another year of Internet services dominating many aspects of our lives.
From ACM TechNews
Telegram Feature Exposes Your Precise Address to Hackers
Hackers can exploit the Telegram messenger application employed in Android devices and iPhones to pinpoint users' precise locations.
From ACM TechNews
How DOE Researchers Are Using AI, Robots to Design the Successor to Lithium-Ion Batteries
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Joint Center for Energy Storage Research are using artificial intelligence and robots to design an organic redox-flow battery.
From ACM TechNews
A Pursuit of Better Testing to Sort Out the Complexities of ADHD
Computer simulation could help identify symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children, according to Ohio State University (OSU) researchers.
From ACM TechNews
Malware Uses WiFi BSSID for Victim Identification
A newly discovered malware strain collects an infected user's Basic Service Set Identifier, in order to ascertain the location of the user and their Wi-Fi access point.
From ACM News
Autonomous Shipping Charts Its Course
The maritime industry wades into digitalization; will it float?
From ACM TechNews
Open Source Developer, Manager David Recordon Named White House Director of Technology
President-elect Joe Biden's transition team announced that open source software developer David Recordon will serve as the White House Director of Technology.
From ACM TechNews
Leading Computer Scientists Debate the Next Steps for AI in 2021
Canadian research company MontrealAI convened leading computer scientists in December to debate moving artificial intelligence (AI) forward in the year ahead.
From ACM TechNews
A Robotic Revolution for Urban Nature
An international team of more than 170 experts evaluated the opportunities and challenges facing the use of robotic technology for urban nature and green space.
From ACM TechNews
Hackers Exploit Backdoor Built Into Zyxel Devices
Niels Teusink, a researcher at Netherlands-based security firm Eye Control, found that hackers are attempting to exploit a backdoor built into several Zyxel device models.
From ACM TechNews
CIOs Enter 2021 with Expanded Role
Information technology (IT) executives say the pandemic has expanded their clout in corporate boardrooms and front-office decision-making.
From ACM TechNews
Fermilab and Partners Achieve Sustained, High-Fidelity Quantum Teleportation
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time a sustained, long-distance teleportation of qubits made of photons with fidelity greater than 90%, paving the way for a quantum Internet.
From ACM News
A Decade Of AI: Most Defining Moments 2010-20
Be it access to world standard courses, platforms, libraries, frameworks, hardware, this was the decade when AI went mainstream.
From ACM TechNews
How Supercomputing, Advanced X-Rays Helped the Government Fight Covid-19
More than a decade of research advanced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Photo Source played a role in the development of the Covid-19 vaccines.
From ACM TechNews
Shift Gears, Accelerate: CIOs Reordered IT Priorities in 2020
Chief information officers last year had to reprioritize corporate demands and establish new boundaries to prevent team burnout due to remote work and the ramp-up of digital projects.
From ACM TechNews
LinkedIn Migration Data Shows Techies Aren't Leaving Seattle Despite 'Exodus' in Silicon Valley
While tech workers appear to be fleeing Silicon Valley in an exodus sparked by the pandemic, Seattle—home to tech giants Microsoft and Amazon—has not seen the same outflow.
From ACM News
Digital IDs Make Their Mark
Encrypted identification data on a smartcard or smartphone can deliver significant benefits while boosting security, but raise concerns about privacy and the potential for abuse.
From ACM News
Leading Computer Scientists Debate the Next Steps for AI in 2021
What do we need to push AI to the next level? More data and larger neural networks? New deep learning algorithms? Approaches other than deep learning?
From ACM TechNews
Drone-Crowded Skies Get a Step Closer With U.S. Safety Rules
New regulations from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration will require most U.S. drones to broadcast a radio signal identifying them and their location.
From ACM TechNews
Microsoft Says Russian Hackers Viewed Some of Its Source Code
Microsoft on Thursday said the Russian exploit of U.S. government agencies and private corporations extended further into its network than previously thought.
From ACM TechNews
10 Most 'Disruptive' IT Jobs in the Year Ahead
Software company Burning Glass Technologies projected quantum computing and connected technologies will be among the 10 most "disruptive" information technology job roles this year.
From ACM TechNews
Insecure Wheels: Police Turn to Car Data to Destroy Suspects' Alibis
Law enforcement agencies increasingly are using data stored in an automobile's onboard computers to solve crimes.
From ACM TechNews
Nuro to Be California's First Driverless Delivery Service
California has approved the operation of R2 driverless delivery vehicles from robotics startup Nuro.
From ACM TechNews
Apple Loses Copyright Battle Against Security Startup Corellium
Apple's lawsuit against security research firm Corellium has failed, with a federal judge rejecting claims that Corellium's software breached copyright law.