Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
March 2020
From ACM TechNews
Mapping the Social Network of Coronavirus
Analysts in Northeastern University's Network Science Institute are predictively modeling the coronavirus pandemic by incorporating social networks.
From ACM TechNews
Army Scientists Create Innovative Quantum Sensor
U.S. Army researchers have developed a quantum sensor that could give soldiers a way to detect communication signals over the entire radio frequency spectrum.
From ACM TechNews
Waymo Gamifies Self-Driving Car Data and Wants Everyone Involved
Waymo has expanded its Open Dataset and invited researchers to tackle one of five challenges related to the data.
From ACM News
A Vector for Skulduggery
Dark patterns have been migrating to smartphone apps.
From ACM Careers
Internet Pioneer Vint Cerf Tests Positive For COVID-19
Tech pioneer Vinton G. Cerf, one of the co-creators of the modern Internet, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a tweet Cerf sent out Monday morning.
From ACM News
Your Laptop Can Help Fight COVID-19 With Folding@Home Project
Think of it as a telecommuter supercomputer.
From ACM TechNews
Combined Social Distancing Measures Prove Effective in Reducing Spread of COVID-19
Researchers have confirmed through computer modeling that social distancing measures can reduce the number of cases of COVID-19.
From ACM TechNews
3D Printing Foods with Complex Designs Can Trick Diners Into Eating Less While Still Feeling Full
Researchers have developed a method for three-dimensionally printing food that makes diners feel more satiated while eating less.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Develop Faster Way to Replace Bad Data With Accurate Information
A new model could be used to quickly displace false information on social networks and the Internet of Things (IoT) and replace it with accurate information.
From ACM TechNews
Tech's Next Disruption Target: The Coronavirus
Silicon Valley technology experts are pursuing various projects to combat the coronavirus, with thousands of volunteers contributing to hundreds of hastily organized initiatives in their spare time.
From ACM TechNews
China, Huawei Propose Reinvention of the Internet
Huawei, China Unicom, China Telecom, and China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have proposed a new standard for core network technology.
From ACM TechNews
Facebook, Google, Twitter Struggle to Handle November's Election
Major technology companies have spent billions in the past three years to prevent election meddling, but new challenges are adding to their struggle in the run-up to the November U.S. Presidential election.
From ACM News
MIT Aims to Turn Wi-Fi Signals Into Usable Power With Energy-Harvesting Design
Device for harnessing terahertz radiation might enable self-powering implants, cellphones, other portable electronics.
From ACM News
A.I. Versus the Coronavirus
A new consortium of top scientists will be able to use some of the world's most advanced supercomputers to look for solutions.
From ACM News
Bring in the Robot Cleaners: Travel Industry Innovations for the Pandemic
"Private" hotels, online tour-company teasers for future travelers, and other ways that travel companies are keeping their businesses alive.
From ACM News
A Debate Between AI Experts Shows a Battle Over the Technology’s Future
The field is in disagreement about where it should go and why.
From ACM TechNews
3D View of Methane Tracks Sources, Movement Around the Globe
A new three-dimensional view of methane concentrations worldwide combines datasets from emissions inventories and simulations of wetland sources into a high-resolution model.
From ACM TechNews
Video Game Experience or Gender May Improve VR Learning
Students using immersive virtual reality did not learn significantly better than those who used computer-simulated or hands-on learning methods, according to a new study.
From ACM TechNews
How AI Can Reduce Traffic Congestion, Fuel Consumption
Researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to design a computer-vision system to keep traffic moving efficiently through intersections while minimizing fuel consumption.
From ACM TechNews
State, Local Governments Ask Technologists to Aid Coronavirus Response
With digital services swamped by the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. state and local governments are asking technologists to volunteer to assist with response strategies.
From ACM TechNews
Attack on Home Routers Sends Users to Spoofed Sites That Push Malware
Researchers are warning that a hack of Linksys and D-Link routers is redirecting users to malicious sites posing as COVID-19 informational resources.
From ACM TechNews
Big Data Helps Taiwan Fight Coronavirus
Taiwan has largely controlled the propagation of the coronavirus, which an international team of researchers credit mainly to the emergency deployment of big data analytics and other technologies.
From ACM TechNews
Synergy Emergence in Deep Reinforcement Motor Learning
Researchers have observed something similar to motor synergy in robotic agents using deep reinforcement learning algorithms.
From ACM TechNews
Why People Delay Software Updates, Despite the Risks
Researchers found that the time-cost of software updates and users' risk preferences significantly impact whether they apply any specific update, and how long it takes them to do so.
From ACM TechNews
Machine Learning Technique Sharpens Prediction of Material's Mechanical Properties
Scientists utilized machine learning to improve the accuracy of material testing.
From ACM News
If It Quacks Like a Duck...
The looming threat of artificial intelligence-based deepfake voice conversion.
From ACM News
YouTube to Limit Video Quality Around the World for a Month
YouTube has reduced the quality of video streaming to standard definition around the world in an effort to ease Internet traffic during the coronavirus outbreak.
From ACM TechNews
System Trains Driverless Cars in Simulation Before They Hit the Road
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have created a simulation system to train driverless cars prior to their deployment on actual streets.
From ACM TechNews
Cybercriminals Take Advantage of Coronavirus
Hackers are targeting critical healthcare systems already strained by the coronavirus pandemic, compromising computer networks and disrupting patient care.\
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Use 3D Printing, Sensors to Create Models for Hydropower Testing
Researchers are using three-dimensional printers and sensors to create fake fish to help test the environmental impact of hydroelectric dams on fish populations.