Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
August 2013
From ACM TechNews
An App to Lead the Blind
People with night blindness, or nyctalopia, stand to benefit from a smartphone app designed to track the location and distance walked from home or a hotel.
From ACM Careers
Fledgling 3D Printing Industry Finds Home in Nyc
It looks like a bakery. A warm glow emanates from the windows of big, oven-like machines, and a dusting of white powder covers everything.
From ACM TechNews
Making a Mini Mona Lisa
Researchers have painted a miniature copy of the Mona Lisa on a substrate surface approximately 30 microns in width, using an atomic force microscope.
From ACM Opinion
Former Nsa Chief on Latest Leaked Dragnet Spy Program: It's Real, and It's Spectacular
Does the NSA really operate a vast database that allows its analysts to sift through millions of records showing nearly everything a user does on the Internet, as was recently reported?
From ACM News
We the Geeks: 'robots'
The White House will host a "We the Geeks" Google+ Hangout on "Robots" this Friday, Aug. 9.
From ACM News
Google's Mini-Films Bring to Life the Early Days of Computing and the Internet
Google is sponsoring a series of mini-films about Britain's role in the early days of computers and the Internet.
From ACM News
The Five Scariest Hacks We Saw Last Week
If something can connect to a network, it can be hacked. Computers and phones are still popular targets, but increasingly so are cars, home security systems, TVs, and even oil refineries.
From ACM News
Users of Hidden Net Advised to Ditch Windows
Legitimate users of the Tor anonymous browsing service are being advised to stop using Windows if they want to keep their identity hidden.
From ACM TechNews
Watch the Intricate Patterns of Global Infrastructure Emerge From Geocoded Tweets
A Northeastern University professor has created a global, navigable map of geo-tagged Twitter data.
From ACM News
Curiosity Brings the Science: The Rover's Top 5 Mars Discoveries
From ACM TechNews
A Phone, or an All-Seeing Sentry at Your Command?
A new form of smartphone interaction could be effected by outfitting the device with peripheral vision though a depth-sensing camera.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Overcome Technical Hurdles in Quest for Inexpensive, Durable Electronics and Solar Cells
Researchers have developed a method for creating inexpensive, durable electronics and solar cells made with non-toxic chemicals.
From ACM Careers
Nsa Revelations Could Hurt Collaboration with 'betrayed' Hackers
The U.S. government's efforts to recruit talented hackers could suffer from the recent revelations about its vast domestic surveillance programs, as many private researchers express disillusionment with the National Security…
From ACM News
Computer-Brain Interfaces Making Big Leaps
Scientists haven't yet found a way to mend a broken heart, but they're edging closer to manipulating memory and downloading instructions from a computer right into a brain.
From ACM News
Will These Guys Kill The Computer Interface As We Know It?
David Holz took the main stage at this year's South by Southwest Interactive, the annual innovation conference in Austin, Texas, looking like a hobbit on casual Friday.
From ACM News
Crypto Experts Issue a Call to Arms to Avert the Cryptopocalypse
At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, a quartet of researchers, Alex Stamos, Tom Ritter, Thomas Ptacek, and Javed Samuel, implored everyone involved in cryptography, from software developers to certificate authorities…
From ACM TechNews
Cells Reprogrammed on the Computer
Scientists have developed computer-based instructions for reprogramming cells.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Aim to Create Virtual Speech Therapist
Researchers working to develop a virtual speech therapist, technology that could help people overcome the language disorder known as aphasia.
From ACM TechNews
Watson and the Future of Cognitive Computing
Many applications being explored on the Watson supercomputer involve processing huge volumes of data rapidly to enable cognitive systems to engage with people in a natural way.
From ACM TechNews
Turning Unused Tv Frequencies Into Wireless Broadband
The Singapore White Spaces Pilot Group supports Singapore's efforts to adopt TV white spaces for consumer and business services and applications.
From ACM TechNews
The Invisible Driver
Researchers have shown that full-size remote control cars can be driven safely on public roads, and predict the technology will reach roads in the next decade.
From ACM TechNews
Sensor Knows When You're Lying Through Your Teeth
The mouth could provide doctors with information on a variety of health issues with the aid of a sensor that sends data on mouth motion to a smartphone.
From ACM TechNews
Stanford Engineers Receive Award to Improve Supercomputing and Solar Efficiency
A Stanford University researcher team will spend five years working on predicting the efficiency of a relatively untested, poorly understood method of harvesting solar energy.
From ACM News
Nasa's Curiosity Nearing First Anniversary on Mars
NASA's Curiosity rover will mark one year on Mars this week and has already achieved its main science goal of revealing ancient Mars could have supported life.
From ACM News
Fbi Taps Hacker Tactics to Spy on Suspects
Law-enforcement officials in the U.S. are expanding the use of tools routinely used by computer hackers to gather information on suspects, bringing the criminal wiretap into the cyber age.
From ACM Opinion
Google's Science Fellows Challenge the Company's Fund-Raising For Senator Inhofe
Ten years ago this week, Senator James M. Inhofe, the Republican from Oklahoma, used a two-hour floor speech to launch his campaign on the credibility of climate science pointing to dangers from the unabated release of greenhouse…
From ACM News
The Future of Graphics and Gaming
See the best new ideas in computer graphics and interaction from last week’s Siggraph conference.
From ACM News
Light Completely Stopped for a Record-breaking Minute
The fastest thing in the universe has come to a complete stop for a record-breaking minute. At full pelt, light would travel about 18 million kilometres in that time, or more than 20 round trips to the moon.
From ACM TechNews
Gaming the System to Beat Rush-Hour Traffic
A computer scientist is applying humans' appreciation of incentives and friendly competition to improving rush-hour congestion.
From ACM TechNews
Throwing a Lifeline to Scientists Drowning in Data
Researchers say they have developed computational techniques that could help scientists manage massive amounts of data.