Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
August 2014
From ACM TechNews
Penn Researchers Develop Technology to Improve Computer Networks
University of Pennsylvania researchers have developed technology that helps make computer networks run more efficiently.
From ACM News
'internet of Things,' Not Privacy, to Dominate at Black Hat
As many as 13 previously unknown vulnerabilities in home Wi-Fi routers and networked storage systems are set to be disclosed at the Black Hat computer security conference that kicks off in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
From ACM Careers
Arrogance Is Good: In Defense of Silicon Valley
Sam Altman sits behind his desk with his knees pulled up to his chest, eating dried apricots.
From ACM News
Who's Teaching the Computer Science Teachers?
Introducing computer science to students early in their educational careers will require teachers who are trained to teach it.
From ACM News
Rosetta Arrives at Comet Destination
After a decade-long journey chasing its target, ESA's Rosetta has today become the first spacecraft to rendezvous with a comet, opening a new chapter in Solar System exploration.
From ACM News
Watch This Wireless Hack Pop a Car's Locks in Minutes
Shims and coat hangers are the clumsy tools of last century's car burglars.
From ACM News
Hacker Says to Show Passenger Jets at Risk of Cyber Attack
Cyber security researcher Ruben Santamarta says he has figured out how to hack the satellite communications equipment on passenger jets through their WiFi and inflight entertainment systems—a claim that, if confirmed, could prompt…
From ACM TechNews
Beyond GPS: Five Next-Generation Technologies
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is currently running five programs to improve civilian and military GPS navigation technology.
From ACM TechNews
Smartphones as a Health Tool For Older Adults
Researchers are working on a smartphone application to help older adults understand their health so they can cultivate healthier habits.
From ACM TechNews
Expanding the Breadth and Impact of Cybersecurity and Privacy Research
The U.S. National Science Foundation has announced two awards that will support projects addressing grand challenges in cybersecurity and computer science.
From ACM TechNews
Simulation Models Optimize Water Power
Researchers are developing information technology to boost the efficiency of water power generation systems.
From ACM TechNews
10 Technologies That Will Transform Pcs in 2015 and Beyond
There is much to get excited about computers when you consider all the things that go into PCs to make them faster, lighter, more powerful, and more convenient to use.
From ACM TechNews
Wirelessly Charged Microchip Opens Doors Into 'electroceutical' Devices
A Stanford University project uncovered a technique for wirelessly charging tiny devices implanted in the human body to treat illness and alleviate pain.
From ACM News
Experimental Software Allows 3D Object Manipulation in 2d Photos
The scene in Blade Runner is famous: taking a grainy photo, Rick Deckard zooms, enhances and moves around corners just as you would a 3D space.
From ACM TechNews
Extracting Audio From Visual Information
A new algorithm can reconstruct an audio signal by analyzing tiny vibrations of objects depicted in video.
From ACM News
Fiendish Million-Dollar Proof Eludes Mathematicians
Is a solution to one of the most important, beautiful and potentially lucrative problems in mathematics right around the corner?
From ACM News
Rosetta Spacecraft Set For nprecedented Close Study of a Comet
After 10 years and four billion miles, the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft will arrive at its destination on Wednesday for the first extended, close examination of a comet.
From ACM News
Can Google Build a Typeface to Support Every Written Language?
Google has taken on its fair share of ambitious projects—digitizing millions and millions of books, mapping the whole world, pioneering self-driving cars.
From ACM TechNews
C'mon Girls, Let's Program a Better Tech Industry
According to one professor, females' perception of information and communication technology is a key reason many women and girls do not enter the field.
From ACM TechNews
Nyc Schools to Use Video Games to Teach Computer Coding
Scalable Game Design, a program that teaches kids to code using video games, is being introduced into New York City public schools.
From ACM News
How Google Scans Your Gmail For Child Porn
John Henry Skillern was arrested last Thursday for the possession of child pornography.
From ACM News
Twitter Bots Grow p and Take On the World
On 18 July, someone in the Russian government edited Wikipedia.
From ACM News
Where Tech Is Taking s: A Conversation With Intel’s Genevieve Bell
Anthropologist Genevieve Bell is vice president of Intel Labs, where she oversees a team dedicated to figuring out how technology is changing society, and vice versa.
From ACM News
Nasa Mars Rover Curiosity Nears Mountain-Base Outcrop
As it approaches the second anniversary of its landing on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover is also approaching its first close look at bedrock that is part of Mount Sharp, the layered mountain in the middle of Mars' Gale Crater.
From ACM Opinion
Security Secrets, Dated but Real
Was the National Cryptologic Museum designed using a code of some kind?
From ACM TechNews
New Protection Scheme Makes Weak Passwords Virtually Uncrackable
PolyPasswordHasher is a new open source password protection scheme that could help organizations better protect passwords.
From ACM TechNews
Study: Software Developers Starting to Write For Internet of Things
A new study found about 40 percent of 1,400 software developers worldwide are writing applications for Internet of Things-connected devices or intend to do so soon.
From ACM TechNews
Robot 'learns to Keep Going With Broken Leg'
Scientists used a methodology modeled on the behaviors of injured animals to help a six-legged robot relearn how to walk once one or more of its legs were damaged.
From ACM TechNews
Why the Security of sb Is Fundamentally Broken
At this week’s Black Hat security conference, security researchers will present a new proof-of-concept malware that exploits a fundamental flaw in the USB format.
From ACM News
Big Data Firm Says It Can Link Snowden Data to Changed Terrorist Behavior
For nearly a year, U.S. government officials have said revelations from former NSA contract worker Edward Snowden harmed national security and allowed terrorists to develop their own countermeasures.