Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
March 2012
From ACM News
I'm Being Followed: How Google
This morning, if you opened your browser and went to NYTimes.com, an amazing thing happened in the milliseconds between your click and when the news appeared on your screen.
From ACM News
Et Tu, Google? Android Apps Can Also Secretly Copy Photos
It's not just Apple. Photos are vulnerable on Android phones, too.
From ACM News
Dhs, Not Nsa, Should Lead Cybersecurity, Pentagon Official Says
In the midst of an ongoing turf battle over how big a role the National Security Agency should play in securing the nation’s critical infrastructure, a Defense Department official asserted that the military’s controversial intelligence…
From ACM TechNews
City With Superfast Internet Invites Innovators to Play
Chattanooga residents have access to a 1 Gbps Internet, which is about 100 times faster than the U.S. national average, and now the city is holding a contest with $300,000 in prize money to help determine what to do with the…
From ACM TechNews
Darpa's $40k 'quest' Tests Social Media's Ability to Help in Emergency
DARPA has launched a contest to gain a better understanding of how social media can spread the word during a crisis.
From ACM News
Despite Intrusions, Chances Of U.s.-China Cyberwar Are Small
A panel of security and policy experts said that, despite dire warnings about the information warfare capabilities of China and other developing nations, the risk of an all-out cyberwar is remote, and that the U.S. still holds…
From ACM TechNews
Cryptographic Attack Highlights the Importance of Bug-Free Software
University of Bristol researchers have circumvented the security that OpenSSL should provide by targeting a bug in the software.
From ACM TechNews
Educators, Innovators Call For Earlier Introduction to Computer Science
Many educators believe schools need to introduce computer science to students as early as kindergarten, while private companies are developing programs to mentor students and maintain interest in computer science and engineering…
From ACM News
For Impatient Web Users, an Eye Blink Is Just Too Long to Wait
Wait a second. No, that's too long.
From ACM TechNews
Science: Too Many Connections Weakens Networks
University of California, Davis researchers have found that when it comes to linking together networks or other systems, it is best to have many, but not too many, connections.
From ACM News
How a Web Link Can Take Control of Your Phone
A chilling demonstration to a small, packed room at the RSA security conference showed how clicking a single bad Web link while using a phone running Google's Android operating system could give an attacker full remote control…
From ACM News
.s. Wants You to Hunt Fugitives With Twitter
A worldwide manhunt kicks off at the end of March—a search across America and Europe for five fugitives, identifiable only by their mugshots.
From ACM News
Google: Technology Is Making Science Fiction Real
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt predicted that rapid advances in technology will soon transform science fiction into reality—meaning people will have driverless cars, small robots at their command, and the ability to experience…
From ACM News
Microsoft Ponders Future of Kinect, Tech
When Microsoft thinks about the future of technology, it seems to do so with its stomach.
From ACM TechNews
IBM Touts Quantum Computing Breakthrough
IBM scientists say they achieved a major advance in quantum computing that will enable engineers to start creating a full-scale quantum computer.
From ACM TechNews
Ibm's Molecular Images May Help Nanoscale Circuits
IBM researchers have succeeded in imaging how charge is distributed inside a single molecule, a breakthrough that could lead to nanometer-scale circuits.
From ACM TechNews
Penn Researchers Build First Physical "metatronic" Circuit
University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated "lumped" optical circuit elements, which they say represents a milestone in the field of metatronics.
From ACM TechNews
Engineers se Computer Models to Help Resource-Poor Nations Improve Allocation of Limited Health Care Resources
Georgia Tech researchers are using computer models to help resource-poor nations improve supply chain decisions.
From ACM TechNews
CeBIT: Robot Obeys to Commands and Gestures
Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the FZI Research Center for Information Technology will present technology innovations designed to augment daily living at the upcoming CeBIT Fair.
From ACM News
In the World of Big Data, Privacy Invasion Is the Business Model
Recent weeks have seen a lot of (overdue) talk about privacy and technology. There was theflap over Path and other mobile apps uploading your phone's address books to their servers without your permission. A follow-up story noted…
From ACM News
DARPA Warns: Your Iphone Is a Military Threat
There’s a growing threat to the U.S. military, according to the Pentagon's premier research wing. No, it's not Iran’s nukes or China's missiles. It's the iPads, Android phones, and other gadgets we all carry around with us every…
From ACM News
Defense Department Wants More Control Over the Internet
The U.S. Department of Defense may have funded the research that led to the Internet, but freewheeling innovation created the patchwork of privately owned technology that makes up the Internet today.
From Communications of the ACM
Policing the Future
Computer programs and new mathematical algorithms are helping law enforcement agencies better predict when and where crimes will occur.
From Communications of the ACM
Stanford Schooling - Gratis!
Stanford University's experiment with online classes could help transform computer science education.
From Communications of the ACM
Computer Science Awards
Scientists worldwide are honored for their contributions to design, computing, science, and technology.
From Communications of the ACM
Gaining Wisdom from Crowds
Online games are harnessing humans' skills to solve scientific problems that are currently beyond the ability of computers.
From Communications of the ACM
Computing With Magnets
Researchers are finding ways to develop ultra-efficient and nonvolatile computer processors out of nanoscale magnets. A number of obstacles, however, stand in the way of their commercialization.