Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
February 2019
From ACM News
Huawei Goes on Offense in the Battle for Hearts and Minds
Huawei Technologies Co. has turned to a blend of wit, sarcasm and defiance to publicly fight allegations that the world's largest maker of telecommunications equipment is spying for China. It's a remarkable shift for a giant …
From ACM News
Artificial Intelligence Informs Eating
How deep learning food recognition can take the hassle out of watching what you eat.
From ACM News
Siberia's Ancient Ghost Clan Starts to Surrender Its Secrets
Samantha Brown didn't have high hopes when she opened the ziplock bag containing some 700 shards of bone. It would be a lot of work to analyse them and none was likely to be human, she had been warned.
From ACM TechNews
AIs Could Debate Whether a Smart Assistant Should Snitch on You
Researchers suggest that since ethical behavior is not consistent across societies, artificial intelligence systems should be flexible to reflect local law and owner preferences.
From ACM TechNews
On-Demand Grandkids, Robot Pals to Keep Senior Loneliness at Bay
Companies are offering seniors high-tech solutions and novel services to combat loneliness.
From ACM TechNews
Exposing Flaws in Metrics for ser Login Systems
Researchers have found that metrics commonly used in research to report the performance of user login systems are flawed, and pose a major security and privacy risk.
From ACM TechNews
Circuit Secures the IoT Against Quantum Attack
A new encryption system performs schemes that classical computers can use, but quantum computers cannot crack.
From ACM News
Pew: Phone Polling in Crisis Again
The percentage of Americans willing to participate in telephone polls has hit a new low, according to a new report, raising doubts about the continued viability of the phone surveys that have traditionally dominated politics …
From ACM News
String of Ions May Out-Compute Best Quantum Computers
Usually, I reflexively delete press releases. This one was no different, but as the message vanished, the subject line registered—"IonQ… quantum computing."
From ACM Opinion
Don't Be Fooled by Fake Images and Videos Online
One month before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, an "Access Hollywood" recording of Donald Trump was released in which he was heard lewdly talking about women. The then-candidate and his campaign apologized and dismissed…
From ACM TechNews
Your Bionic Hand Is Now at Risk From Hackers
Kaspersky Lab researchers revealed at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Spain that bionic hand prostheses from Moscow-based Motorica are vulnerable to hacking.
From ACM TechNews
Which Colleges Are Best and Worst for Women in Computer Science?
An analysis of U.S. Department of Education data found only four colleges in the United States with at least 50 bachelor's degree recipients in computer science in 2016-2017 awarded more than half of those degrees to women.
From ACM TechNews
Machines Whisper Our Secrets
Researchers have developed a method for reverse-engineering how laboratory instruments are being used, based on the sounds they produce.
From ACM TechNews
Google Looks to Leave Passwords Behind for a Billion Android Devices
Google and the Fast Identity Online Alliance have announced that Android is now FIDO2-certified.
From ACM TechNews
Smart, Fluffy Storytelling Robot to Be Trialed in .S. Classrooms
A cute, fluffy robot can help boost language skills in young children.
From ACM TechNews
After Paying Out $250,000 in 2018, GitHub Plans to Boost Bug Bounty Bonuses
GitHub is increasing the rewards it pays out to security researchers who find bugs in the platform's code.
From ACM TechNews
Mercedes Enlists Quantum Computing to Build a Better Electric Vehicle Battery
Mercedes-Benz is exploring how quantum computers could be used to discover new materials for advanced batteries in electric cars.
From ACM News
.S. Cyber Command Operation Disrupted Internet Access of Russian Troll Factory on Day of 2018 Midterms
The U.S. military blocked Internet access to an infamous Russian entity seeking to sow discord among Americans during the 2018 midterms, several U.S. officials said, a warning that the Kremlin's operations against the United …
From ACM News
NASA Study Reproduces Origins of Life on Ocean Floor
Scientists have reproduced in the lab how the ingredients for life could have formed deep in the ocean 4 billion years ago. The results of the new study offer clues to how life started on Earth and where else in the cosmos we…
From ACM TechNews
Skills Shortage is Stopping Many Asian Companies from Embracing AI, Study Shows
Only 41% of companies in the Asia-Pacific region are currently using artificial intelligence, according to a survey of business leaders and workers in 15 Asia-Pacific countries.
From ACM TechNews
Seattle Mayor Forms Student Internship Program With Amazon, Expedia, Others
Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan has launched a paid internship program for college students, in partnership with area companies.
From ACM News
Bees With Backpacks: The Next Army of Data Collectors?
Researchers are outfitting insects, natural marvels of engineering that roboticists have been unable to duplicate, with sensors to collect data in the wild.
From ACM News
S-China Battle Over Huawei Comes to Head at Tech Show
A global battle between the U.S. government and Chinese tech company Huawei over allegations that it is a cybersecurity risk overshadowed the opening Monday of the world's biggest mobile industry trade fair.
From ACM TechNews
You Give Apps Sensitive Personal Information. Then They Tell Facebook
Facebook collects sensitive data from at least 11 popular smartphone apps seconds after users enter it.
From ACM TechNews
FDA Issues Brain-Computer Interface Draft Guidance
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a new draft guidance to encourage development of a new generation of implantable brain-computer interface devices.
From ACM TechNews
The Auto Show of the Future is Already Here
Top auto shows are increasingly incorporating technology, along with hands-on experiences like driving simulators and virtual reality demos.
From ACM TechNews
Stanford-Led Engineering Team nveils Prototype for Computer-on-a-Chip
A Stanford University-led engineering team has developed a energy-efficient prototype computer-on-a-chip.
From ACM TechNews
Google Researchers Say Software Alone Can't Mitigate Spectre Chip Flaws
It will be difficult to avoid Spectre-like bugs in the future unless central processing units are dramatically overhauled, according to a team of Google researchers.
From ACM TechNews
Glassdoor Data Shows Gen Z Workers Attracted to High-Paying Tech Jobs, Seattle's Top Companies
The Glassdoor job review website has found that 19% of Generation Z job seekers are pursuing software engineering positions, which pay a median wage of $98,500.
From ACM News
New Horizons Spacecraft Returns Its Sharpest Views of ltima Thule
The mission team called it a "stretch goal—just before closest approach, precisely pointing the cameras on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft to snap the sharpest possible pictures of the Kuiper Belt object nicknamed Ultima Thule…