Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
June 2021
From ACM News
NASA Struggles to Restore Aging Payload Computer on Hubble Space Telescope
NASA may have to resort to the backup system.
From ACM News
Tech Company Initiatives Encourage Greater Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
CEOs increasingly consider DEI a strategic business priority.
From ACM TechNews
Meteorite-Hunting Drones Could Help Find Freshly Fallen Space Rocks
A team of scientists used drones and machine learning to try to find just-landed meteorites.
From ACM TechNews
A More Robust Memory Device for AI Systems
Artificial intelligence systems could be strengthened by a new magnetic memory device.
From ACM TechNews
Oil Giant Petrobras Launches Latin America's Largest Supercomputer
Brazilian oil giant Petrobras has unveiled the largest supercomputer in Latin America, with 200 terabytes of RAM and a 100Gbps network.
From ACM News
Google Delays Cookie Removal to Late 2023
Plan to remove web-tracking technology from Chrome has faced pressure from competition regulators, privacy zealots, and the digital media industry.
From ACM News
Economists Know How to Break Your Phone Addiction
The study concludes about a third of social media use are linked to self-control problems and habit formation engendered by our digital technology.
From ACM News
Developers are Fans of Blockchain, but Most Have Not Used it Much at Work
A survey finds that most people are interested in Ethereum, but only 24% of surveyed developers have built anything with blockchain.
From ACM TechNews
Algorithm That Predicts Deadly Infections Is Often Flawed
An algorithm designed to forecast sepsis infections is significantly lacking in accuracy.
From ACM TechNews
Digitizing Rural Land Records, 1 Drone at a Time
The Indian government's Svamitva project involves the use of drone technology to survey the inhabited areas of rural villages.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Data Link Established Between 2 Distant Chinese Cities
Researchers created a secure quantum link extending 511 kilometers (almost 320 miles) between two Chinese cities.
From ACM TechNews
Israeli Researchers Develop Electronic Nose to Detect Diseases, Poisons
An artificial nose can distinguish between different types of bacteria, viruses, and poisonous gases .
From ACM TechNews
Data Breaches: Most Victims Unaware When Shown Evidence of Multiple Compromised Accounts
Most data breach victims do not realize their personal data has been exposed, according to a new study.
From ACM News
A New Use for Excess Datacenter Heat
An innovative use for excess heat, which takes the data center's remote location into account.
From ACM News
NHS Gets £36-million Boost for AI Technologies
The AI in Health and Care Award will distribute £140 million over 3 years, with the next round of applications set to open late this month.
From ACM News
AI Creates False Documents That Fake Out Hackers
The algorithm hides sensitive information in a sea of decoys.
From ACM News
To Stop the Ransomware Pandemic, Start with the Basics
That will help stop other sorts of cyber-mischief, too.
From ACM TechNews
Can AI Predict How Sick You'll Get From COVID? San Diego Scientists Think So
Researchers used artificial intelligence to determine why COVID-19 symptoms can vary among patients.
From ACM TechNews
Newly Discovered Vigilante Malware Outs Software Pirates, Blocks Them
SophosLabs researcher Andrew Brandt has discovered malware that identifies and blocks software pirates.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Identify Best Strategy to Reduce Human-Bear Conflict
Researchers have developed a computer model to determine the most effective ways to reduce conflict between people and bears.
From ACM News
Turning Back the Techno Clock
Vintage technology emulator sites feed nostalgia.
From ACM News
We Investigated Whether Digital Contact Tracing Actually Worked in the U.S.
A year ago, engineers built apps to track potential virus exposure. Our research shows the impact has been mixed—but there's still potential.
From ACM News
Algorithm that Predicts Deadly Infections is Often Flawed
A study found that a system used to identify cases of sepsis missed most instances and frequently issued false alarms.
From ACM News
New 50-pound British Banknote Honors Computer Pioneer Alan Turing
The choice of Turing for the new 50-pound note is an important symbol of diversity.
From ACM TechNews
Clearing the Way Toward Robust Quantum Computing
A technique developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology removes common errors in the operation of a two-quantum bit (qubit).
From ACM TechNews
Science Denial, Partisanship on Social Media Indicate Where COVID-19 Strikes Next
A machine learning-assisted social media analysis could help predict where COVID-19 will emerge based on anti-science views and political ideology.
From ACM TechNews
Smart Tires Hit the Road
Tire manufacturers Goodyear Tire & Rubber and Bridgestone are launching new smart tire features for last-mile delivery vehicles.
From ACM TechNews
Amazon Brings Cashierless Tech to Full-Size Grocery Store
Amazon deployed its Just Walk Out cashierless retail system in its newest Seattle-based Amazon Fresh physical grocery outlet, its first use in a full-size store.
From ACM TechNews
Underwater Robot Offers Insight into Mid-Ocean 'Twilight Zone'
Scientists used the underwater robot Mesobot to capture high-resolution images of slow-moving organisms in the mid-ocean "twilight zone" region.
From ACM TechNews
Autonomous Walking Excavator Can Build Walls, Dig Trenches
A walking construction vehicle can operate autonomously on rough terrain, thanks to a team of Swiss-German engineers.