Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
December 2011
From ACM TechNews
Cyber Security Must Focus on Users, Not Just Attackers
Cybersecurity measures must aim at users, not just attackers, according to researchers at the University of Maryland, College Park's Maryland Cybersecurity Center.
From ACM TechNews
Video Search Solves the News Segmentation Problem
Computer scientists at Paris-based search engine company Exalead have developed Voxalead, a video search service that automatically divides news broadcasts into standalone passages on specific topics.
From ACM TechNews
Free Software Activists to Take on Google With New Free Search Engine
The organizers of the YaCy free software project hope to one day replace centrally run search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.
From ACM TechNews
A High-Tech Pioneer Reflects on the Digital Revolution
In an interview, Frederico Faggin, who led the design and development of the first microprocessor in 1970, says he sees a future in which quantum and cognitive computing are widely used.
From ACM News
Comedy of Errors Led to False 'water-Pump Hack' Report
It was the broken water pump heard 'round the world. Cyberwar watchers took notice this month when a leaked intelligence memo claimed Russian hackers had remotely destroyed a water pump at an Illinois utility.
From ACM News
Photoshopped or Not? A Tool to Tell
The photographs of celebrities and models in fashion advertisements and magazines are routinely buffed with a helping of digital polish.
From ACM News
Soft Robots Inspired By Nature Could Become Our Flexible Friends
Robbie the Robot in the 1950s movie Forbidden Planet may have been endearing in a clunky, metallic way, but negotiating tricky terrain was never his strong point.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Reduce Smart Phones Power Consumption By More Than 70 Percent
Aalto University researchers have developed new ways to significantly reduce power consumption for smartphones, particularly in locations that do not have reliable sources of electricity.
From Communications of the ACM
Brave NUI World
Natural user interface developments, such as Microsoft's Kinect, may indicate the beginning of the end for the mouse.
From Communications of the ACM
Activism Vs. Slacktivism
Today's activists are highly plugged into social media, mobile apps, and other digital tools. But does this make a difference where it matters most?
From Communications of the ACM
The Rise of Molecular Machines
The field of molecular computing is achieving new levels of control over biochemical processes and fostering sophisticated connections between computer science and the biological sciences.
From Communications of the ACM
CSEdWeek Takes Hold
Groups in more than 130 countries will participate in Computer Science Education Week this year.
From Communications of the ACM
Dennis Ritchie, 1941-2011
Colleagues recall the creator of C and codeveloper Unix, an unassuming but brilliant man who enjoyed playing practical jokes on his coworkers.