Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
August 2021
From ACM TechNews
Data Mining Tools Combat COVID-19 Misinformation, Identify Symptoms
A new algorithm has identified three unique COVID-19 symptoms that are distinct from those of influenza.
From ACM TechNews
At Japanese Robot Cafe, Staff Serve Customers While Working From Home
The Dawn Cafe in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district is staffed by robot waiters serving diners under the remote direction of physically and mentally impaired staff based in Japan and overseas.
From ACM TechNews
Drones, Autonomous Robots Could Be Deployed in Coal Mines to Improve Safety
New technology enables the use of drones to map and inspect subterranean coal mines, to avoid putting people into potentially hazardous situations.
From ACM TechNews
Millions of Web Camera, Baby Monitor Feeds Exposed
Researchers have identified a vulnerability in a software development kit affecting more than 83 million smart devices.
From ACM TechNews
Common Solar Tech Can Power Smart Devices Indoors, NIST Study Finds
Researchers studying small modular photovoltaic devices found that such a device made of silicon supplied more power to a wireless temperature sensor than its operation consumed.
From ACM News
The World's Largest Computer Chip
In the race to accelerate A.I., the Silicon Valley company Cerebras has landed on an unusual strategy: go big.
From ACM News
Augmented Reality Is Coming for Your Ears, Too
New software applications are cleverly mapping audio to transport users to another space.
From ACM News
Some Members of Afghanistan’s All-Girls Robotics Team Flee
The team won hearts worldwide in 2017 when six members were denied visas to travel to the U.S. for a robotics competition, only to be allowed in after public outcry.
From ACM News
Levitation: Classic Magic Trick May Enable Quantum Computing
A new project will use the electric field in an accelerator cavity to try to levitate a tiny metallic particle, allowing it to store quantum information.
From ACM News
DHS Eyes CMMC Model
DHS is working to determine a strategy for implementing "a means of ensuring a contractor has key cybersecurity and cyber hygiene practices in place as a condition for contract award."
From ACM News
Bye-Bye, Miners! How Ethereum's Big Change Will Work
The cryptocurrency is jettisoning the "miners" who track and validate transactions on the world's most-used blockchain network.
From ACM News
Supercomputer Helps Protect Earth From Space Storms
University of Michigan researchers used Frontera supercomputer to improve a space weather forecasting system.
From ACM TechNews
New Method Developed for Modeling COVID Spread
Researchers at Warwick University in the U.K. have developed a method of modeling the spread of COVID-19 that could help with the creation of optimal lockdown policies.
From ACM TechNews
Facial Recognition AI Helps Save Multibillion Dollar Grape Crop
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a method of protecting grape crops through the use of robotics and artificial intelligence.
From ACM TechNews
Chameleon-Like Camouflage Made for Soft Robot
Researchers at Seoul National University in South Korea have developed a soft robot with skin that can change color to match its background.
From ACM TechNews
Google Can Take Two Months to Remove Malware Apps from App Store
It takes an average of 77 days from detection for Google to remove apps that may contain malware from the Google Play Store, accoriding to a recent analysis.
From ACM News
Quantum Computing with Exponentially Fewer Errors
A procedure tested on Google's Sycamore quantum processor demonstrates the next practical level of error correction.
From ACM News
Optical Adversarial Attack Can Change the Meaning of Road Signs
An OPtical ADversarial attack uses structured illumination to alter the appearance of target objects, and requires only a commodity projector, a camera, and a computer.
From ACM News
Pilot in Austin to Offer Early Look at Edge Computing at Scale
A group is deploying dozens of nodes that combine compute, connectivity, and sensors in a uniform fashion.
From ACM News
How an Algorithm Blocked Kidney Transplants to Black Patients
A formula for assessing the gravity of kidney disease is one of many that is adjusted for race. The practice can exacerbate health disparities.
From ACM TechNews
Eye-Tracking VR Technology to Make MRI a New Experience
Magnetic resonance imaging scans could become less stressful for patients, thanks to a novel interactive virtual reality system.
From ACM TechNews
Emojis Make It Harder for Tech Giants to Track Down Online Abuse
A study found that some algorithms used to identify abusive online posts are less effective if the content includes emojis.
From ACM TechNews
Snake-Like Robot Could Explore Saturn's Icy Moon Enceladus
Researchers have developed a snake-like robot that could facilitate exploration of the interior of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Teach AI to See Depth in Photos, Paintings
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada and Adobe Research used a process called monocular depth estimation to teach artificial intelligence to determine depth from a single photograph.
From ACM TechNews
Inexpensive 3D-Printed Microscope Can Spot Coronavirus in Blood
A three-dimensionally-printed microscope could detect COVID-19 in a drop of blood through the use of digital holographic microscopy and deep learning.
From ACM News
Overwhelmed by Coronavirus, Cuba's Vaunted Health System Is Reeling
The Cuban government Tuesday published a new cyberterrorism law that makes it illegal to use telecommunications to post "offensive" material.
From ACM News
He Predicted the Dark Side of the Internet 30 Years Ago. Why Did No One Listen?
Philip Agre, a computer scientist turned humanities professor, was prescient about many of the ways technology would impact the world.
From ACM TechNews
Machine Learning Discovers Sequences to Boost Drug Delivery
Researchers have developed an approach that uses experimental chemistry and artificial intelligence to facilitate delivery of a drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
From ACM TechNews
Blockchain Technology Could Be Set for Major Security Boost
A team of researchers has strengthened blockchain networks against potential quantum computing threats through the development of a post-quantum cryptographic layer.
From ACM News
Programmable Trap Can Kill Viruses
Computational genetic engineering has enabled a method of "trapping" and killing viruses.