Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
March 2020
From ACM TechNews
Intel SGX is Vulnerable to an Unfixable Flaw That Can Steal Crypto Keys and More
A team of international researchers disclosed a previously undiscovered vulnerability that steals information from Intel's Software Guard eXtensions.
From ACM TechNews
3D-Printed Homes: A Concept is Turning Into Something Solid
New three-dimensionally (3D)-printed homes are taking shape at the Community First Village affordable housing development in Austin, TX.
From ACM TechNews
Treating Asthma with Data Analytics
A new health information system was designed to help asthma patients better manage their condition.
From ACM TechNews
Smile! Your Boss Is Tracking Your Happiness
More companies are prioritizing employee happiness to enhance retention and productivity, giving rise to a cottage industry for monitoring, analyzing, and improving workers' moods.
From ACM TechNews
Edinburgh Researchers Use Drones to Map Retreating Andes Glaciers
Researchers are using drones to capture images of some of the tallest glaciers in the Andes Mountains as they retreat, the result of climate change.
From ACM TechNews
Show Me the Methane
A new system uses hyperspectral imaging and machine learning for more accurate detection of methane emissions.
From ACM News
How Wikipedia’s Volunteers Became the Web’s Best Weapon against Misinformation
In the Facebook era, the volunteer editors behind the archaic-looking website have built Wikipedia into a formidable force for truth.
From ACM TechNews
Millions of Tweets Peddled Conspiracy Theories About Coronavirus in Other Countries, an Unpublished U.S. Report Says
An unpublished U.S. State Department study estimated that about 2 million tweets promoted conspiracy theories about the coronavirus over the three-week period when the epidemic started to cross over from China.
From ACM TechNews
This Robot Taught Itself to Walk Entirely on Its Own
Researchers at Google have developed a four-legged robot that learned to walk completely on its own in just a few hours.
From ACM TechNews
Space Weather Model Gives Earlier Warning of Satellite-Killing Radiation Storms
A new machine learning computer model accurately predicts damaging radiation storms caused by Van Allen belts two days before they hit.
From ACM News
Driverless Cars Face Laser Sabotage
Attacks on the light-based radar (LiDAR) of autonomous vehicles could drive them off the road, or freeze them in their (tire) tracks.
From ACM News
Chips that pass in the night: How risky is RISC-V to Arm, Intel and the others? Very
A decade on, expanding open ecosystem highlights limits of monolithic approach to CPU design.
From ACM TechNews
Startups Pitch Tech Hubs Far From Silicon Valley
Entrepreneurs are looking outside Silicon Valley, Seattle, Boston, and New York City to establish technology hubs in U.S. states far from its coasts.
From ACM TechNews
Robots Autonomously Navigate Underground in DARPA Challenge
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Subterranean Challenge recently concluded its Urban Circuit, with a team of robots and operators from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory leading.
From ACM TechNews
Hackers Can Clone Millions of Toyota, Hyundai, Kia Keys
Researchers found previously unknown vulnerabilities in encryption systems used by in-vehicle devices that communicate at close range with key fobs to unlock the vehicle's ignition.
From ACM TechNews
Optical System Could Lead to Devices That Can Recognize Objects Instantly
An optical neural network concurrently works with multiple wavelengths of light.
From ACM TechNews
Robotic Arm Designed in China Could Help Save Lives on Medical Frontline
Researchers in China have developed a robot that can perform ultrasounds, take mouth swabs, and listen to sounds made by a patient's organs.
From ACM TechNews
Integrating Electronics Onto Physical Prototypes
MIT researchers directly integrated three-dimensionally (3D)-printed platforms onto physical products.
From ACM TechNews
How Computer Modeling of COVID-19's Spread Could Help Fight the Virus
Scientists are using computer models to combat the COVID-19 outbreak by predicting how the global epidemic could spread.
From ACM TechNews
Honeywell to Roll Out Quantum Computer
Honeywell will introduce an early-stage quantum computer for commercial experiments within about three months.
From ACM TechNews
NOAA to Triple Supercomputing Capacity in Bid to Dramatically Improve Forecast Accuracy
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contracted for two new supercomputers, which would triple the organization's computing capacity.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Identify Cybersecurity Approach to Protect Army Systems
Researchers have developed an approach to protect Army systems from attack in ways that don't require massive amounts of manual intervention.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Develop Free Computer Program to Map Blood Flow 'Landscape' in Tumors
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers have developed a free computer program that lets scientists measure structural and functional abnormalities in the blood flow feeding tumors.
From ACM TechNews
Motion Prediction Algorithms Enhance Safety Features for Automated Vehicles
Researchers say a new motion prediction system enhances pedestrian detection in autonomous vehicles.
From ACM TechNews
This Clever Robotic Finger Feels With Light
A new robotic skeleton is embedded with 32 photodiodes and 30 adjacent LEDs, and is covered by a squishy skin of reflective silicone that keeps the device's own light in and outside light out.
From ACM TechNews
AI Comes to the Tax Code
Governments increasingly are using artificial intelligence and data analytics to detect tax evasion, respond to taxpayer questions, and boost efficiency.
From ACM News
Clearing Up the Picture
Deep learning approaches can process images and video captured in less-then-desirable conditions, providing much clearer results.
From ACM News
Speak Math, Not Code
Lamport said thinking mathematically can help programmers clarify their thinking and make programs more efficient.
From ACM News
We’re not prepared for the end of Moore’s Law
It has fueled prosperity of the last 50 years. But the end is now in sight.
From ACM TechNews
U.K.-Funded Supercomputer Models Locust Flows, as Outbreak Continues
A U.K.-funded supercomputer in Kenya is being used to simulate locust swarm migrations ravaging East Africa.