Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
April 2022
From ACM News
Éva Tardos Named ACM Athena Lecturer For Technical and Mentoring Contributions
Cornell University professor made significant contributions in many areas of theoretical computer science.
From ACM News
Football Tech That's More Than a Laser and Light Show
The U.S.F.L. is testing tech that could resolve disputes over where balls are spotted, clearly show if a first down was reached, and track players who stand too high on tackles. The N.F.L. is watching.
From ACM News
A 2020 Ransomware Attack is Still Harming Baltimore Teachers
A glitch that affects up to 9,000 retirees is one of the longest-lasting effects of the devastating ransomware attack that cost the district roughly $10 million in recovery costs.
From ACM News
The Tech Bubble That Never Burst
Today's warnings are different from those of the last decade. Investors tiptoe around the word "bubble," referring instead to a "recalibration," a "pullback" or even a gentle "softening."
From ACM TechNews
Want to 3D-Print a Kidney? Start by Thinking Small
Scientists have developed microfludic-enabled three-dimensional (3D) printing of organs.
From ACM TechNews
AF2Complex: Researchers Leverage Deep Learning to Predict Physical Interactions of Protein Complexes
Researchers built a deep learning model to predict the biologically active structure of proteins and protein complexes.
From ACM TechNews
Feel the Attraction of Zwitterionic Janus Particles
Researchers have simulated the electrostatic self-configuration of zwitterionic Janus nanoparticles.
From ACM News
Ancient Namibian Gemstone Holds Key to Future Quantum Computers
Hamid Ohadi of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews said: "Making a quantum simulator with light is the holy grail of science."
From ACM News
U.S. Authorities Link $600m Cryptocurrency Theft to Notorious North Korean Lazarus Group
The hacking incident occurred in March 2022, resulting in the theft of more than $600 million in Ethereum and USDC stablecoins.
From ACM News
Magnetic Snoops Plunder Deep Learning's Secrets
Even the smallest window of opportunity for snooping cab pose a threat to the intellectual property and privacy of neural architectures.
From ACM News
How Democracies Spy on Their Citizens
The inside story of the world's most notorious commercial spyware and the big tech companies waging war against it.
From ACM TechNews
Driverless Cars Can Be Tricked into Seeing Red Traffic Lights as Green
Researchers at China's Zhejiang University found driverless cars could be fooled into seeing red traffic lights as green.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computing Ambition: Japan Aims for 10 Million Users by 2030
Japan has unveiled plans to bring its first domestic quantum computer online by next March, and to have 30 million users by 2030.
From ACM TechNews
Tool Could Predict How at Risk Your Job is From Automation
Scientists have designed an algorithm to predict the extent to which specific occupations are at risk from automation.
From ACM TechNews
Hospital Robot Vulnerabilities Promptly Caught, Killed
Researchers at New York-based cybersecurity startup Cynerio identified five zero-day vulnerabilities affecting Aethon TUG smart autonomous robots used in hospitals across the globe.
From ACM News
Dutch Scandal Serves as a Warning for Europe over Risks of Using Algorithms
The Dutch tax authority ruined thousands of lives after using an algorithm to spot suspected benefits fraud — and critics say there is little stopping it from happening again.
From ACM News
A.I. Is Mastering Language. Should We Trust What It Says?
OpenAI's GPT-3 and other neural nets can now write original prose with mind-boggling fluency — a development that could have profound implications for the future.
From ACM News
How Native Americans Are Trying to Debug A.I.'s Biases
Data on Native communities are not at the levels needed for accuracy in A.I.-driven tools. A group is trying to solve that problem.
From ACM News
U.S. Agency Links North Korea Crime Ring to $540 Million Axie Infinity Crypto Hack
Lazarus Group allegedly has stolen nearly $2 billion in cryptocurrency since 2017.
From ACM TechNews
Web Surfing that Feels Instantaneous, Even Though It's Not
Researchers have developed a design for a speed-of-light Internet network across 120 U.S. cities.
From ACM TechNews
7-Foot-Tall Robots Watch for Unmasked Travelers, Curbside Loiterers
Two seven-foot-tall robots have been deployed at Dallas Love Field Airport in Dallas, TX, to assist and monitor passengers.
From ACM TechNews
AI Is Explaining Itself to Humans. It's Paying Off.
Startups and major technology companies alike are investing heavily in explainable artificial intelligence.
From ACM TechNews
Bot Can Spot Depressed Twitter Users in 9 of 10 Cases
A new algorithm can ascertain a person's mental state by extracting and analyzing 38 data points from their public Twitter profile.
From ACM News
Quantum Secure Communication Breakthrough for China Scientists
Technology inventor achieves new transmission distance of 100km, and says it is suitable at shorter distances for audio calls and texts.
From ACM News
Russia Is Leaking Data Like a Sieve
Ukraine claims to have doxed Russian troops and spies, while hacktivists are regularly leaking private information from Russian organizations.
From ACM News
How Apple's Monster M1 Ultra Chip Keeps Moore's Law Alive
By combining two processors into one, the company has squeezed a surprising amount of performance out of silicon.
From ACM News
U.S. Department of Commerce Appoints 27 Members to National AI Advisory Committee
Appointments are the first for the recently established committee, which will advise the President.
From ACM TechNews
Chinese Hackers Abuse VLC Media Player to Launch Malware Loader
Symantec researchers have identified a campaign perpetrated by a hacker group associated with the Chinese government using VLC Media Player to launch a custom malware loader.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Subscription Services Let Companies Automate on the Cheap
The robots-as-a-service model is gaining ground as companies increasingly automate amid the pandemic, worker shortages, and surging demand.
From ACM TechNews
Ukraine Has Deployed Technology to Investigate Alleged War Crimes in Bucha
Authorities in Ukraine have deployed technology as part of a wide-ranging investigation into alleged war crimes by Russian forces in the town of Bucha.