Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
November 2013
From ACM News
Scientists Seek Other Scientists For Cosmology Problem
How do you measure something that is invisible?
From ACM News
Jury: Newegg Infringes Spangenberg Patent, Must Pay $2.3 Million
Newegg, an online retailer that has made a name for itself fighting the non-practicing patent holders sometimes called "patent trolls," sits on the losing end of a lawsuit tonight.
From ACM News
How Do Game Companies Share Massive Files?
Electronic Arts' multi-player shooter "Battlefield 4" exploded onto the computer games scene earlier this month, giving players a realistic taste of military combat in the 21st Century.
From ACM Opinion
Can You Hack It?
Wherever you're sitting right now, take a moment to note the connected devices around you.
From ACM TechNews
Text Messages Tell Drivers When There's a Jam Ahead
Drivers in Nairobi, Kenya, should have an easier time navigating traffic thanks to a new text message service from IBM Research Africa.
From ACM TechNews
Inexpensive 'nano-Camera' Can Operate at the Speed of Light
Researchers have created a $500 "nano-camera" that operates at the speed of light and could have applications in areas like medical imaging.
From ACM TechNews
Something About STEM Drives Women Out
Women who have worked in STEM fields are more likely to leave their field for other careers than other professional women.
From ACM News
Body Sensors Measure Impact of Blasts on Soldiers
Along with the heavy body armor and weapons they carry in the field, U.S. troops may soon be wearing another piece of equipment: a lightweight canvas pouch with devices to measure the impact on the body of blasts from improvised…
From ACM News
Today, Glasses. Tomorrow, Body Implants?
Wearable gadgets like smart watches and Google Glass can seem like a fad that has all the durability of CB radios or Duran Duran, but they're important early signs of a new era of technology that will drive investment and innovation…
From ACM TechNews
Interview: Peter Denning
Computer scientist and former ACM president Peter Denning explains how fundamental security principles were lost with the advent of the PC era.
From ACM TechNews
Rise of the Robot Artist
Software programs are emerging that are able to generate works that meet some definitions.
From ACM News
'wise Chisels': Art, Craftsmanship, and Power Tools
It's often easy to tell at a glance the difference between a mass-produced object and one that has been handcrafted: The handmade item is likely to have distinctive imperfections and clear signs of an individual's technique and…
From ACM News
Weaponizing Robots
Should we expect to see autonomous killing machines on future battlefields?
From ACM News
Already Anticipating 'terminator' Ethics
What could possibly go wrong?
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Light Harvesting Hints at Entirely New Form of Computing
The classical and quantum processes used by plants and bacteria to efficiently harvest light could have a transformative effect on computing.
From ACM TechNews
Study Looks at Better Prediction For Epileptic Seizures Through Adaptive Learning Approach
Researchers have developed a computational model they say can more accurately predict when an epileptic seizure will occur.
From ACM TechNews
25 Ideas to Improve Government--From Citizens
Ideation Nation, a five-week civic engagement project, is striving to promote greater collaboration among citizens and governments.
From ACM Opinion
My Quantum Algorithm Won't Break the Internet… Yet
Internet security relies on the fact that our computers can't break its cryptosystems. But the quantum algorithm you devised has the potential to do just that.
From ACM News
Newegg Trial: Crypto Legend Takes the Stand, Goes For Knockout Patent Punch
Newegg's courtroom face-off with patent-licensing giant TQP Development is nearing its end.
From ACM Opinion
Three Questions For Computing Pioneer Carver Mead
Computer scientist Carver Mead gave Moore's Law its name in around 1970 and played a crucial role in making sure it's held true in the decades since.
From ACM TechNews
Tim Berners-Lee Says 'surveillance Threatens Web'
The Internet is threatened by a "growing tide of surveillance and censorship," warns Sir Tim Berners-Lee.
From ACM TechNews
The Online Dating Engine That Assesses Your Taste in the Opposite Sex (and Whether They Find You Attractive)
A new dating recommendation engine suggests potential dates based not only on mutual interests, but also on a person's likelihood to reply to initial contact.
From ACM News
Why the .s. May Lose the Race to Exascale
In the global race to build the next generation of supercomputers—exascale—there is no guarantee the U.S. will finish first.
From ACM News
What's Next For Gpu Chips? Maybe the Network.
Over the last few years it's been interesting to see where in the computing landscape graphics processors or GPUs like those turned out by Nvidia have turned up.
From ACM News
Meet The 'assassination Market' Creator Who's Crowdfunding Murder With Bitcoins
As Bitcoin becomes an increasingly popular form of digital cash, the cryptocurrency is being accepted in exchange for everything from socks to sushi to heroin.
From ACM News
Graphene: The Quest For Supercarbon
Mr G gazes out from a recruitment poster hanging in an engineering building in Cambridge, U.K.
From ACM Opinion
Wikimedia Foundation Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Wikipr
On October 21, the Wikimedia Foundation issued a statement from Sue Gardner, our executive director, condemning the black hat practice of paid advocacy editing and sockpuppeting on Wikipedia.
From ACM TechNews
Stuxnet's Earlier Version Much More Powerful and Dangerous, New Analysis Finds
The version of the Stuxnet worm developed in 2005 was much stronger than the version used in a cyberattack against an Iranian nuclear facility in 2010.
From ACM TechNews
Milestone Could Help Magnets End Era of Computer Transistors
Magnetic switches could one day replace conventional transistors at the core of modern electronics.
From ACM TechNews
Chaotic Physics in Ferroelectrics Hints at Brain-Like Computing
Researchers have found unexpected behavior in ferroelectric materials, supporting a new approach to information storage and processing.