Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
September 2020
From ACM TechNews
Genetic Analysis Method Could Advance Personal Genomics
The laboratory ofJohns Hopkins University's Alexis Battle developed software that could help identify more causes of genetic disorders, especially when used with expanded genetic sequencing.
From ACM TechNews
Most Cybersecurity Reports Only Focus on the Cool Threats
A study found just 82 of 629 commercial cybersecurity reports published in the last decade discuss threats to civil society, with the rest devoted to cybercrime, nation-state hackers, or economic espionage.
From ACM TechNews
Walmart Launches On-Demand Drone Delivery Pilot
Walmart said it has partnered with end-to-end drone delivery company Flytrex to roll out an on-demand drone delivery pilot program in Fayetteville, NC.
From ACM News
'We Have Emphasized Learning and Compassion'
Computer science instruction adjusts to the coronavirus pandemic.
From ACM TechNews
Insights Into Dreams and What They Say About Us
Computer scientists are using artificial intelligence and digital databases to examine dreams and potentially identify mental issues.
From ACM TechNews
AI Tech to Spot Dangerous Drivers
An automated system for vehicle license plate recognition could help identify dangerous drivers in real time before an incident occurs.
From ACM TechNews
Smartphones Can Predict Brain Function Associated with Anxiety, Depression
A study from Dartmouth College found information from smartphones can predict connectivity between brain regions that govern emotion, and anticipate neural functions linked to anxiety and depression.
From ACM TechNews
Microsoft's Underwater Datacenter Resurfaces After Two Years
Microsoft has retrieved an underwater datacenter that it sunk off the coast of Orkney in Scotland two years ago, and is analyzing its performance data.
From ACM TechNews
Stanford Researchers Devise Way to See Through Clouds, Fog
A new system can see through walls using a laser with a super-sensitive photon detector and an algorithm that can reconstruct hidden scenes based on photons's movements.
From ACM TechNews
Millions of WordPress Sites Are Being Probed, Attacked With Recent Plugin Bug
Defiant Inc. reports millions of WordPress sites have been attacked by hackers exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in the "File Manager" WordPress plugin.
From ACM News
Amazon to Provide Computer Science Education for Over 550,000 K-12 Students Annually
Amazon Future Engineer also launched the Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge, a coding competition that teaches the basics of computer science in the context of a real-life industry challenge.
From ACM TechNews
Malware Gang Uses .NET Library to Generate Excel Docs That Bypass Security Checks
Security researchers at NVISO Labs discovered a malware gang is using a .NET library to create malicious Excel files.
From ACM TechNews
Computational Model Stands to Make NMR an Even More Powerful Tool for Researchers
A computational model developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory could make Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy a more powerful research tool.
From ACM TechNews
Cities Tap AI to Regulate Short-Term Rentals as Travel Picks Up
U.S. cities and towns are using artificial intelligence to monitor and regulate short-term rentals, with some hoping to spot tax-revenue opportunities during the Covid-19 crisis.
From ACM News
Can AI Detect Dyslexia?
Researchers try to fill the void of simple, inexpensive dyslexia detection tools with a game, and with handwriting analysis, both supported by artificial intelligence.
From ACM News
Secretive Pentagon Research Program Looks to Replace Human Hackers with AI
Project IKE tracks every keystroke made by 200 fighters working on computers, and churns out predictions about the possibility of success on individual cyber missions.
From ACM News
Lidar Is Finally Becoming a Real Business
The success of lidar companies was unclear until this summer, when three leading makers offered glimpses of their finances.
From ACM TechNews
$3M Breakthrough Prize Goes to Scientist Designing Molecules to Fight Covid-19
The Breakthrough Prize Foundation named the University of Washington's David Baker to receive $3 million for his use of computers to design complex molecules.
From ACM TechNews
Privacy, Blockchain, and IoT--Can We Keep Control of Our Own Identities?
Research has found privacy issues innate to current blockchain platforms, suggesting the technology requires further refinement for consideration of privacy rights and expectations.
From ACM TechNews
With Election Cybersecurity Experts in Short Supply, Some States Call In the National Guard
Some U.S. states are asking the National Guard to dispatch cybersecurity experts to fortify their voting systems ahead of the general election in November.
From ACM TechNews
Googling for Gut Symptoms Predicts Covid Hot Spots, Study Finds
A study by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that online searches on gastrointestinal symptoms can forecast a spike in coronavirus cases weeks in advance.
From ACM TechNews
Archaeologists with Drones Discover Pre-Columbian Earthworks in Kansas
Dartmouth College researchers discovered pre-Columbian earthworks in Kansas using drones equipped with LiDAR and infrared and thermal imaging.
From ACM TechNews
Smart Device Hacks Up Since the Pandemic Started
Cybersecurity researchers have found that hacks on smart devices have climbed since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
From ACM News
Nvidia Confirms Acquisition of Arm Holdings from SoftBank for $40 billion
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasized that the company has no intentions of doing anything that would cause clients like Apple to walk away
From ACM TechNews
ACM Study Gives Most Detailed Picture to Date of U.S. Bachelor's Programs in Computing
ACM's eighth annual Study of Non-Doctoral Granting Departments in Computing offers a sweeping assessment of undergraduate computing education.
From ACM TechNews
Portland Adopts Landmark Facial Recognition Ordinances
The City Council of Portland, OR, on Wednesday adopted two landmark ordinances barring city and private usage of facial recognition technology.
From ACM TechNews
Kids' Smartwatches a Security Nightmare, Despite Years of Warnings
Researchers at Germany's Münster University of Applied Sciences found smartwatch brands marketed for children are exploitable, based on years of similar findings.
From ACM TechNews
China Launches Initiative to Set Global Data Security Rules
China this week launched the Global Initiative on Data Security, in a bid to establish international data-security standards.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Dogs Join U.S. Air Force Exercise
A recent U.S. Air Force exercise utilizing robot dogs offered a potential preview of things to come on battlefields.
From ACM News
Take a Road Trip Using the 2020 Robotics Roadmap
Every four years a Roadmap for U.S. Robotics is published. 2020 is the year for the latest edition, and RIA Robotics Week just introduced it.