Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
October 2010
From ACM TechNews
In New Project, Russian niversities Tap American Expertise in Tech Transfer
The Enhancing University Research and Entrepreneurial Capacity initiative to promote stronger linkages between Russian academe and industry could help Russian universities adopt U.S.-style advancements with an eye toward research…
From ACM TechNews
'fabric' Would Tighten the Weave of Online Security
Cornell University professors Fred Schneider and Andrew Myers are developing a way to incorporate security into the programming language used to write computer programs, so that systems are protected from the beginning.
From ACM TechNews
Tablet, Phone Software Developers Face Multicore Challenge
Industry experts at the recent Linley Tech Processor conference said that writing applications for mobile devices could become more challenging as central processing units and hardware accelerators are added to mobile chips.
From ACM TechNews
Eu Seeks to Boost Defenses Against Cyber Attacks
The European Commission has made several proposals designed to counter large-scale cyberattacks that could paralyze the computer networks of European Union nations. The proposals include criminalizing the use and creation of…
From ACM TechNews
Professor Wendy Hall Speaks
Dame Wendy Hall of the University of Southampton says she is interested in "what makes the Web what it is, how it evolves and will evolve, what are the scenarios that could kill it or change it in ways that would be detrimental…
From ACM TechNews
Regulators Blame Computer Algorithm for Stock Market 'Flash Crash'
A new report calls the May 6 stock market flash crash the responsibility of an automated trade execution system that inundated the Chicago Exchange's e-trading platform with a major sell order that triggered a nearly 1,000-point…
From ACM TechNews
Underwater Robot Swims Free Thanks to Wireless Controller
A team at York University has designed and built a waterproof tablet for wirelessly controlling the underwater robot AQUA, which is designed to collect data from shipwrecks and reefs.
From ACM TechNews
Middle School STEM Gets $12 Million NSF Infusion
The U.S. National Science Foundation recently gave a nearly $12 million grant to northern California middle schools to implement a program for STEM education that could serve as a national model for underserved students to pursue…
From ACM News
One Program to Watch Them All: DARPA
The Pentagon’s surveillance net is massive. But it was holes and seams. Spy drone videos and communications intercepts may be aimed at the same target. Analysts have a hard time flipping easily from one kind of intel to the…
From ACM News
Signing Made Easy
From video games to cell phone apps, making sign language easier to learn Put on the gloves. Turn on the camera and... action!
From ACM News
Would Wiretapping Laws Spell the End of Quantum Encryption?
A new effort to ensure that the government can gain back-door access to encrypted messages could thwart one of the most promising applications of physics for digital security.
From ACM News
Stuxnet Worm Heralds New Era of Global Cyberwar
Attack aimed at Iran nuclear plant and recently revealed 2008 incident at US base show spread of cyber weapons.
From ACM News
Goooaal! Students Scoring with Computer Science
Rowan University students are using their computer skills to help score goals on the soccer field. CS master's degree students developed Soccer Scoop, a computer application that allows soccer coaches to take player evaluation…
From ACM News
Inventions Ease the Plight of Trapped Miners
From copper-fibersocks to fiber-optic cable, innovation and improvisation make time more bearable for 33 Chilean.
From ACM TechNews
Change to 'bios' Will Make For Pcs That Boot in Seconds
The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is set to replace BIOS as the dominant PC startup software and could allow computers to start in just seconds.
From ACM TechNews
Flying Robot Swarm Takes Off
The Ecole Polytechnic Federale de Lausanne is experimenting with flying robots that would create a communications network for rescuers in disaster areas. Researchers have equipped 10 flying robots with autopilot capabilities…
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Say Web Searches Are Good Predictors of Success
Web searches are an indicator of the success of movies, games, and songs, according to a Yahoo! research group. Although the study found that traditional predictors were generally better, Web search data outperformed traditional…
From ACM TechNews
Breakthrough in Quantum Computing
A team led by engineers and physicists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has developed a single electron reader to measure the spin of an electron in silicon in a single-shot experiment.
From ACM TechNews
Computer Graphics to Help Streamline Green Building Design
Cornell University researchers are developing simulation software that streamlines the process of making buildings meet sustainability requirements, which will enable architects to employ environment-conscious design principles…
From ACM TechNews
Google Offers JPEG Alternative for Faster Web
Google has developed a new format for Web images called WebP, which it says can reduce image file sizes by 40 percent compared to the widely used JPEG format.
From ACM TechNews
Feelings By Phone
Computer scientists and psychologists at the University of Cambridge have developed EmotionSense, a system for tracking emotional behavior via smartphones using speech-recognition software and phone sensors.
From ACM News
Scidac Visualizations Bring Science to the Senses
The recent SciDAC 2010 conference included a visualization competition involving attendees' best scientific visualizations from simulations run on high-performance computers.
From ICT Results
Computers to Read Your Body Language?
Can a computer read your body language? A consortium of European researchers thinks so, and has developed a range of innovative solutions from escalator safety to online marketing.
From ACM News
Charge Your Phone With a Beach Towel
With a view to bringing down the costs of solar cells, Brian Korgel and colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a light-harvesting ink that can be sprayed onto a range of surfaces at room temperature…
From ACM News
Inside Stuxnet: Researcher Drops New Clues About Origin of Worm
The mysterious Stuxnet worm took center stage at the Virus Bulletin 2010 conference here with a prominent security researcher dropping a raw hint that Israel may be behind the industrial-strength malware attack.
From Communications of the ACM
Personal Fabrication
Open source 3D printers could herald the start of a new industrial revolution.
From Communications of the ACM
Linear Logic
A novel approach to computational logic is reaching maturity, opening up opening up new vistas in programming languages, proof nets, and security applications.
From Communications of the ACM
Should Code Be Released?
Software code can provide important insights into the results of research, but it's up to individual scientists whether their code is released---and many opt not to.