Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
May 2021
From ACM TechNews
Smart Finger Ring with Integrated RFID Chip
Researchers have developed a three-dimensionally printed smart finger ring that potentially could replace house keys, wallets, health insurance cards, and more.
From ACM TechNews
Germany to Support Quantum Computing with €2 Billion
Germany's economy and science ministries announced an approximately €2-billion ($2.4-billion) allocation to develop the country's first competitive quantum computer.
From ACM TechNews
This System Helps Robots Better Navigate Emergency Rooms
A new navigation system aims to improve the ability of robots to navigate busy clinical environments, especially hospital emergency departments.
From ACM TechNews
96% of U.S. Users Opt Out of App Tracking in iOS 14.5, Analytics Find
U.S. users have opted out of application tracking nearly all of the time following Apple's release of iOS 14.5 in April.
From ACM TechNews
Biden Administration Will Prioritize Cybersecurity in Distribution of $1 Billion in Federal IT Funding
The Biden administration will prioritize cybersecurity in the distribution of $1 billion in technology modernization funds signed into law by Congress in March.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Advance 3D Printing to Aid Tissue Replacement
A unique scaffolding material for engineered tissues can be altered to grow natural tissue.
From ACM TechNews
Digital Mental Health Interventions for Young People Are Perceived Promising, But Are They Effective?
A study of digital mental health interventions for adolescents and young people found mixed results when it comes to their effectiveness.
From ACM News
Election Security: A Scientific View
Barbara Simons and the issues with Internet voting.
From ACM News
Despite Chip Shortage, Chip Innovation Is Booming
While a variety of industries struggle with supplies, semiconductor experts say there are plenty of new ideas and, most surprising, start-ups.
From ACM News
Online Cheating Charges Upend Dartmouth Medical School
The university accused 17 students of cheating on remote exams, raising questions about data mining and sowing mistrust on campus.
From ACM TechNews
'Intelligent' Shoe Helps Blind People Avoid Obstacles
Computer scientists have designed a shoe with ultrasonic sensors that can detect obstacles and emit vibrations to warn blind and visually impaired wearers.
From ACM TechNews
Learning on the Fly: Computational Model Demonstrates Similarity in How Humans, Insects Learn
A new computational model shows similarities in the way insects and mammals learn.
From ACM TechNews
60% of School Apps Are Sharing Kids' Data with 3rd Parties
A study analyzing 73 "utility" apps for school districts found that nearly two-thirds of them share some student data with third-party marketing companies.
From ACM TechNews
The Next Frontier for Gesture Control: Teeth
Researchers have developed a prototype wearable system controlled by teeth-tapping gestures.
From ACM TechNews
Where Should Our Digital Data Go After We Die?
A study by computer scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada considered ways for people to control their personal digital data after they die.
From ACM TechNews
Spotify Urged to Rule Out 'Invasive' Voice Recognition Tech
Musicians and human rights groups have called on Spotify to estop use of a recently developed speech recognition tool it developed for suggesting songs.
From ACM News
Hacked Pipeline May Stay Shut for Days, Raising Concerns About Fuel Supply
While the impact has been limited so far, some energy analysts warned of possible shortages and higher prices as the suspension continues.
From ACM News
Ransomware Attack Leads to Shutdown of Major U.S. Pipeline System
The attack on top U.S. operator Colonial Pipeline appears to have been carried out by an Eastern European-based criminal gang.
From ACM TechNews
IBM Unveils Two-Nanometer Chip Technology for Faster Computing
IBM has unveiled what it is calling the world's first 2-nanometer chipmaking technology.
From ACM TechNews
An Uncrackable Combination of Invisible Ink, AI
Researchers printed encoded data using a carbon nanoparticle-based ink that can be read only by an artificial intelligence model when exposed to ultraviolet light.
From ACM TechNews
Fertility Apps Collect, Share Intimate Data Without Users' Knowledge or Permission
Many top-rated fertility apps collect and share personal information without the knowledge or permission of users, according to a new study.
From ACM TechNews
Millions of Older Broadband Routers Have Security Flaws, Warn Researchers
Millions of U.K. households use old broadband routers that hackers could exploit.
From ACM TechNews
An Artificial Neural Network Joins the Fight Against Receding Glaciers
An artificial neural network can autonomously recognize and quantify the edges of glaciers in satellite images with far greater reliability than humans.
From ACM TechNews
NYPD Robot Dog's Run is Cut Short After Fierce Backlash
The New York Police Department has abruptly terminated its deployment of a robot dog developed by Boston Dynamics after several incidents prompted allegations of invasive surveillance and overreach.
From ACM TechNews
How to Keep Automated Electric Vehicles Safe
A study by researchers at the University of Georgia, Kennesaw State University, and Temple University identified cybersecurity weaknesses that could threaten the safety of connected and automated electric vehicles.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Develop Protocols to Validate Integrity of ML Models
Cryptographic algorithms called zero-knowledge proof protocols are a mathematical method that enables the owner of an ML model to generate a succinct proof to demonstrate with overwhelming probability that something is true without…
From ACM TechNews
Clues on How Networks Such as Twitter Are Organized to Respond to Viral News
A thesis defended at Spain's Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) analyses the structural patterns of complex systems such as social networks.
From ACM News
This Massive DDoS Attack Took Large Sections of a Country's Internet Offline
More than 200 organizations across Belgium, including the government and parliament, were affected by a DDoS attack that overwhelmed them with bad traffic.
From ACM News
Twitter Begins to Show Prompts Before People Send 'Mean' Replies
The tech company tested the prompts last year and said they led to fewer offensive replies on its service. So, it's rolling them out widely.
From ACM TechNews
Ancient Australian 'Superhighways' Suggested by Massive Supercomputing Study
A multi-institutional team of researchers used supercomputers to plot the most likely migration routes of ancient humans across Australia.