Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
October 2009
From ACM TechNews
Augmented Reality Gets Off to a Wobbly Start
Although the iPhone can superimpose navigation routes or reviews on top of real-time images, augmented reality (AR) still has a long way to go. The iPhone's application is easily confused and can make errors.
From ACM TechNews
Next Stop The Visual Walkman
With help from the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, Delft University doctoral student Jurjen Caarls has created a device that allows users to see computer and real-world images simultaneously through augmented reality (AR)…
From ACM TechNews
'time Telescope' Could Boost Web
Researchers led by Cornell University's Mark Foster report that they have developed a prototype device that could significantly boost the volume of information squeezed into data packets sent over the Web by focusing information…
From ACM TechNews
Louisiana Tech Receives Grant to Advance Women in Engineering, Science
The U.S. National Science Foundation's ADVANCE program has awarded Louisiana Tech University $736,500 for a four-year initiative called "Creating a Culture of Success for Women in Engineering and Science." Louisiana Tech will…
From ACM TechNews
Pioneering Software Robots to Aid Businesses
Royal Holloway, University of London, will integrate its intelligent agent technology with distributed data management technology developed by the software company Thinking SAFE in an attempt to give networks the ability to heal…
From ACM TechNews
Google Invites sers to Join Wave
Google developers Lars and Jens Rasmussen have released a limited preview of an open source messenger called Wave. Users must be invited to test the application, but can then send five more invitations to friends. Google Wave…
From ACM TechNews
ACM Plans to Serve European Computing Community With World-Class Resources
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting computing educators, researchers, and professionals, will introduce 15 leading computer scientists fromhttp…
From ICT Results
Self-Managing Internet Applications Flex Their Muscles
A European research project that incubates self-managing Internet applications is paying off. It has inspired a Wikipedia that the researchers claim is better than the original and super-efficient streaming video, with moreSELFMAN…
From ACM News
'state of the Internet' Assessed
Internet attacks came from 201 different countries in the second quarter of 2009, up from 68 countries in the first quarter, according to a report released Thursday (October 1). Akamai Technologies' quarterly "State of the Internet"…
From ACM News
Researchers to Create Semantic Web Platforms For Massive Scientific Collaboration
Web scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will use the World Wide Web to compile and share scientific data on an unprecedented scale. Their goal is to hasten scientific discovery and innovation by enabling rapid and…
From ACM News
Honda Research Hints at Nano Class of Electronics
Microscopic carbon nanotubes may have the potential to transport electricity faster and over greater distances with minimal loss of energy, according to new research that will be published Friday, in the October 2 edition of…
From ACM News
Gaming Tech Aids Scientists Building Virtual Synthetic Chromatophore
Researchers are relying on graphics processing units to help build a highly complex computer simulation depicting how chromatophore proteins create photosynthesis.
The study of processes that make life possible is hardly a …From ACM News
Wireless Network Modded to See Through Walls
The way signal strength varies in a wireless network can reveal what's going on behind closed doors.
It's every schoolboy's dream: an easy way of looking through walls to spy on neighbours, monitor siblings and keep tabs on…From ACM TechNews
Scientists Create Computer Language to Describe Color
Xerox researchers have created Natural Language Color technology, a computer language that enables users to describe how they want an image's colors adjusted. The program translates over 65 keywords into algorithms to edit an…
From ACM TechNews
Smart Grid Vulnerabilities Could Cause Widespread Disruptions
A new cybersecurity coordination task force report highlights the need for planners to prepare for possible attacks on the U.S.'s smart grid and the technology it uses to transmit, distribute, and deliver electricity to consumers…
From ACM TechNews
Conficker Showdown: No End in Sight
Despite the efforts of security researchers and vendors to fight it, the Conficker worm has maintained a steady botnet count of about six million machines since mid 2009, with no signs of abating. Experts are unsure what the…
From ACM TechNews
Locust Flight Simulator Helps Robot Insects Evolve
A team at the University of Oxford has built a computer model of the wing motion of a locust, and says the surface structures of the wings are key to generating efficient lift.
From ACM TechNews
A Peek Into Xerox R&d
Xerox is executing a research and development (R&D) strategy with concentrations on information explosion, mass customization, and sustainability, says Xerox CTO Sophie Vandebroek. Notable R&D areas at the Xerox Research Center…
From ICT Results
Networked Media: More Than Fun and Games
Networked media means a lot to two different groups. To the billions of Web users worldwide, it is the stuff that makes the Web so great — the 3D games, the mobile streaming, the online services, the virtual office, the Internet…
From ACM News
Silicon-Germanium Electronics May Cut Spacecraft Weight
Satellites and other spacecraft typically use bulky and expensive shielding to protect vital microprocessors and other microelectronic integrated circuits from space radiation. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology…
From Communications of the ACM
Debating Net Neutrality
Advocates seek to protect users from potential business practices, but defenders of the status quo say that concerns are overblown.
From Communications of the ACM
Managing Data
Dealing with terabytes of data is not the monumental task it once was. The difficult part is presenting enormous amounts of information in ways that are most useful to a wide variety of users.
From Communications of the ACM
Shaping the Future
To create shape-shifting robotic ensembles, researchers need to teach micro-machines to work together.