Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
May 2011
From ACM News
Divorce Lawyers' New Friend: Social Networks
Discretion and privacy have become antiquated notions on social networks, and the generous revelation of secrets make some people cringe—though not divorce lawyers searching for evidence of misbehavior by their clients' spouses…
From ACM News
Crazy Military Tracking Tech, From Super Scents to Quantum Dots
Scents that make you trackable, indoors and out. Nanocrystals that stick to your body, and light up on night-vision goggles. Miniradar that maps your location on Google Earth.
From ACM TechNews
The Search Serpent: The Next Wave in Robotics
Carnegie Mellon University researcher Howie Choset worked with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Annette Hossoi to develop a snake-like robot that can chart its own path through any type of terrain and has many degrees…
From ACM News
Siemens Scada Hacking Talk Pulled Over Security Concerns
A planned presentation on security vulnerabilities in Siemens industrial control systems was pulled Wednesday over worries that the information in the talk was too dangerous to be released.
From ACM TechNews
Iphone App Uses Crowd Sourcing to Help the Blind
Researchers from several universities have collaborated on a crowdsourcing project to develop VizWiz, a system that enables a blind user to take photos of an object, ask a question about something in the picture, and receive…
From ACM News
Eric Schmidt: Anti-Piracy Laws Would Be Disaster For Free Speech
Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, warned on Wednesday that government plans to block access to illicit filesharing websites could set a "disastrous precedent" for freedom of speech.
From ACM News
Spy Planes Played Indispensable Role in Mission
The raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan represents probably the biggest success so far of a revolution in military technology: the ability to relay vast amounts of digital imagery through the unblinking eye of robotic…
From ACM News
Bin Laden Compound Now a Virtual Training Ground for Commandos
To passers-by, T.J., a fit 20-something, is running around a red felt carpet about half the size of a basketball court inside a convention center. In his mind, he's wearing a full set of body armor, his face obscured by a…
From ACM News
For Buyers of Web Start-ps, Quest to Corral Young Talent
Sam Lessin sold his Web start-up to Facebook for millions last year, and Facebook promptly shut it down. All Facebook wanted was Mr. Lessin.
From ACM News
Irobot Contemplates the Next Big Leap For Robotics, Google's Along For the Ride
When I saw iRobot's Ava at CES this January, I was pretty insanely excited. Just a month or so prior I had been prodding iRobot CEO Colin Angle about building a "real" robot, something that was multipurpose (not a vacuum cleaner)…
From ACM News
Free-Floating Planets May Be More Common Than Stars
Astronomers, including a NASA-funded team member, have discovered a new class of Jupiter-sized planets floating alone in the dark of space, away from the light of a star.
From ACM News
Sony Ceo Warns of 'bad New World'
After spending weeks to resolve a massive Internet security breach, Sony Corp. Chief Executive Howard Stringer said he can't guarantee the security of the company's videogame network or any other Web system in the "bad new…
From ACM News
It Employment Passes 4 Million Again, Regains Recession Losses
In November 2008, two months after Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and Hewlett-Packard announced plans to lay off some 25,000 workers, IT employment reached 4 million for the first time. From that point on, the economy…
From ACM TechNews
Successful First Test Drive of "sighted" Wheelchair
Lulea University of Technology researchers have developed an electric wheelchair that can detect the surrounding environment and transmit the information to a visually impaired user.
From ACM TechNews
The Next Computer: Your Genes
Nanyang Technical University researchers are developing a new form of computing, based on DNA strands, which could be used to solve complex problems, such as strategic assignment problems, massive parallel problems, and artificial…
From ACM TechNews
Obama Administration Outlines International Strategy For Cyberspace
President Obama has released an international strategy for cyberspace security that focuses on developing rules for responsible state behavior with the goal of promoting a secure, open Internet and other important computer networks…
From ACM TechNews
Which Technologies Get Better Faster?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have developed a mathematical model to predict which technologies are the most likely to rapidly advance and be worth more investment in research and resources.
From ACM News
Why Bayes Rules: The History of a Formula That Drives Modern Life
Google has a small fleet of robotic cars that since autumn have driven themselves for thousands of miles on the streets of Northern California without once striking a pedestrian, running a stoplight or having to ask directions…
From ACM News
Netflix Biggest Driver of U.s. Internet Traffic, Puts Spotlight on Broadband Pricing
Netflix streaming videos drove nearly 30% of all North American broadband Internet traffic during peak hours, with consumers continuing their voracious appetite for real-time entertainment on the Web, according to broadband…
From ACM News
Why You Can't Really Anonymize Your Data
One of the joys of the last few years has been the flood of real-world data sets being released by all sorts of organizations. These usually involve some record of individuals' activities, so to assuage privacy fears, the…
From ACM News
Memristors' Current Carves Protected Channels
A circuit component touted as the "missing link" of electronics is starting to give up the secrets of how it works.
From ACM News
Intel Ceo: Big Shift to Mobile
CEO Paul Otellini said today that Intel is embarking on a big shift in focus, moving its center of gravity to the most power-efficient devices.
From ACM News
Considering the Chromebook
Is Google's new Web-based laptop a game-changing computer or a warmed-over netbook?
From ACM News
Andy Rubin: Why Android Is Only Quasi-Open
Android is open-source software, but it doesn't come with much of an open-source community, and the Google leader of the project explained why.
From ACM News
Why Gadget Makers Wield a 'Kill Switch'
When you buy a video game from Best Buy, you don't give the retailer the right to barge into your house whenever it wants. So why do we give that permission to software companies?
From ACM News
Sec Is Pressed on Firms' Disclosures of Cyberattacks
A group of U.S. lawmakers wants the Securities and Exchange Commission to push companies to disclose when they have fallen victim to cyberattacks.
From ACM TechNews
System Enables Hands-Free Control of Electric Wheelchairs
People suffering from severe disabilities would be able to use a new recognition system to control an electric-powered wheelchair developed by a team at Essex University.
From ACM TechNews
Kermit Helps Households Monitor and Manage Their Internet Speed
Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have developed Kermit, an application that enables home users to monitor and manage their Internet connection speed.
From ACM TechNews
Software Reveals Critical Crop Growth Stages
The U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher Greg McMaster has developed the Phenology Modular Modeling System, software that can predict the growth stages of plants and help farmers and ranchers with time-management tasks.
From ACM News
How Computers Got US Into Space
When you look back at the past 50 years of human spaceflight, don't forget the computer scientists who helped make it possible.