Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
July 2021
From ACM News
100-Qubit Quantum Computing System Unveiled
Startup reveals a unique quantum computing system.
From ACM News
Astronomers Use Artificial Intelligence to Reveal the Actual Shape of the Universe
Using artificial intelligence-driven data analysis to peel back the noise and find the actual shape of the universe.
From ACM News
The Pentagon Is Bolstering Its AI Systems—by Hacking Itself
A new "red team" will try to anticipate and thwart attacks on machine learning programs.
From ACM News
Huge Data Leak Shatters the Lie that the Innocent Need Not Fear Surveillance
The Guardian's investigation shows how repressive regimes can buy and use the kind of spying tools Edward Snowden warned us about.
From ACM TechNews
Computer Science Professor Wins 'Test of Time' Award for Influential Paper
The University of Southern California's Shang-Hua Teng and his collaborator, Yale University's Daniel A. Spielman, were named to receive the Symposium on Theory of Computing Test of Time Award.
From ACM TechNews
How AI Is Fighting Wildfires
The University of California, San Diego's Ilkay Altintas and colleagues have spent eight years helping fire managers and scientists combat wildfires through the WIFIRE Lab.
From ACM TechNews
Algorithm May Help Scientists Demystify Complex Networks
A new algorithm capable of analyzing models of biological systems can lead to greater understanding of their underlying decision-making mechanisms.
From ACM TechNews
Rats Took Over This Pacific Island. Now Drones Are Leading the Fightback
The conservation group Island Conservation plans to use drones to try to eliminate rats on Tetiaroa atoll and two other islands in French Polynesia, beginning in August.
From ACM TechNews
Air-Powered Computer Memory Helps Soft Robot Control Movements
A new air-powered computer memory can be utilized to control soft robots, thanks to engineers at the University of California, Riverside.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Decipher Activity of the Brain in Deep Sleep
A new system can decode the brain's activity during sleep to analyze memory consolidation.
From ACM News
Constant but Camouflaged, Flurry of Cyberattacks Offers Glimpse of New Era
Once imagined as a new kind of warfare, government-linked hacking has instead become a widespread and perhaps permanent feature of the global order.
From ACM News
Scientists Warn of 'Bleak Cyborg Future' From Brain-Computer Interfaces
Researchers warn of the potential social, ethical, and legal consequences of technologies interacting heavily with human brains.
From ACM TechNews
ML Tool Sorts the Nuances of Quantum Data
A machine learning tool can parse quantum matter and identify relationships among microscopic properties in the data.
From ACM TechNews
Study Describes Tool for Improving Serious Illness Conversations
A new computer model can automatically analyze conversations between seriously ill people, their families, and palliative care specialists in epidemiological studies.
From ACM TechNews
The World's First Digital Model of a Cancer Cell
Researchers have developed the world's first computer model of a cancer cell, which could revolutionize cancer research.
From ACM News
Joke-Cracking Chatbots Boost Learning Levels
The role of humor in training, and conversing with, chatbots.
From ACM News
From Macy’s to Albertsons, Facial Recognition is Already Everywhere
Customers are largely unaware that some of their favorite stores are using facial recognition tech.
From ACM News
Your Sweaty Fingertips Could Help Power the Next Generation of Wearable Electronics
The new device is just 1 square centimeter wide and flexible enough to wrap around a fingertip.
From ACM News
'Hubble Is Back!'
Famed space telescope has a new lease on life after computer swap appears to fix glitch.
From ACM News
U.S., Allies Accuse China of Hacking Microsoft and Condoning Other Cyberattacks
This is the first time Washington and other U.S. allies have assigned blame for the Microsoft Exchange hack, which compromised more than 100,000 servers worldwide.
From ACM News
Bourdain Documentary's Use of A.I. to Mimic Voice Draws Questions
The documentary "Roadrunner" by Morgan Neville uses 45 seconds of a voice that sounds like Bourdain, generated with artificial intelligence. Is it ethical?
From ACM News
Photonic Computers: The Future of Computing Is … Analogue
The future is optical. Photonic processors promise blazing fast calculation speeds with much lower power demands, and they could revolutionize machine learning.
From ACM TechNews
As Spain's Beaches Fill Up, Seaside Resort Sends in Drones
Officials in the town of Sitges in northeastern Spain are using drones for real-time crowd monitoring along 18 km of beach as COVID-19 cases rise.
From ACM TechNews
Encrypting Photos on the Cloud to Keep Them Private
Computer scientists at Columbia University have developed a system that allows mobile users to encrypt personal images on cloud photo services in order to maintain their privacy.
From ACM TechNews
Japan Shatters Internet Speed Record
Japanese engineers have broken the world Internet speed record with a 319 TB per second data transmission rate across more than 3,001 kilometers of fiber-optic infrastructure.
From ACM TechNews
NIST Evaluates Face Recognition Software's Accuracy for Flight Boarding
Tests of face recognition software indicate the most accurate algorithms are able to confirm airline passenger identities at boarding while committing few errors.
From ACM TechNews
Seattle Leads Nation in 'Brain Gain,' Adds Tech Jobs Faster Than Any Other Big U.S. Market Over 5 Years
A report by real estate firm CBRE reveals that more than 48,000 technology jobs were added in the Seattle region from 2016 to 2020.
From ACM News
What Ever Happened to IBM's Watson?
IBM's artificial intelligence was supposed to transform industries and generate riches for the company. Neither has panned out. Now, IBM has settled on a humbler vision for Watson.
From ACM News
'The Market Is Insane': Cars Are Sold Even Before They Hit the Lot
A shortage of computer chips is keeping automakers from producing enough cars to meet rising demand. Used cars are scarce, too.
From ACM TechNews
Stumble-Proof Robot Adapts to Challenging Terrain in Real Time
A new robotic locomotion model capable of real-time terrain adaptation has been developed by a multi-institutional research team.