Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
April 2019
From ACM TechNews
They Asked AI to Create a New Game. One of Its First Ideas Involved Exploding Frisbees.
Design firm AKQA used artificial intelligence to create a new game that combines elements of rugby, croquet, soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee.
From ACM TechNews
Robotic Tube for Surgery Autonomously Navigates Inside a Beating Heart
Harvard Medical School researchers have developed a robotic catheter that can autonomously navigate inside a beating heart.
From ACM TechNews
How a Low-Code Platform Helped 911 Services in New Orleans
The Orleans Parish Communication District is using a low-code platform to automate certain tasks.
From ACM News
Fitness Monitors, Smartwatches are Not Medical Devices
Manufacturers may blur the distinctions, but they're important.
From ACM TechNews
Video Game Effort Could Help Regulate Future Drone Traffic
A new video game simulation uses a three-dimensional model of Salt Lake City and data about planned drone paths to determine potential problems.
From ACM TechNews
Apple Cracks Down on Apps That Fight iPhone Addiction
Over the past year, Apple has removed or restricted at least 11 of the 17 most downloaded screen-time and parental-control apps.
From ACM TechNews
How Technology Could Revolutionize Refugee Resettlement
A new software program uses a matching algorithm to allocate refugees with no ties to the U.S. to their new homes.
From ACM TechNews
Filling in the Gaps of Connected Car Data Helps Transportation Planners
A researcher has developed a computational model that provides a more accurate representation of traffic in cities for more efficient and cost-effective urban planning.
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Airports Will se AI To Scan 97% Of Passengers' Faces Within 4 Years
U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to expand its Biometric Exit program to cover 97% of outbound air passengers within four years.
From ACM TechNews
Could Technology Protect Synagogues, Soft Targets from Mass Shootings?
Activists and business leaders are focusing on technological solutions that could prevent or limit the devastation of mass shootings, as political solutions have been nonexistent.
From ACM News
Forget about Artificial Intelligence, Extended Intelligence is the Future
We should challenge the cult of Singularity. Artificial Intelligence won't take over the world.
From ACM TechNews
Cryptocurrency Mining Malware ses Leaked NSA Exploits to Spread Across Enterprise Networks
Malware is being used to infiltrate corporate networks and hijack computers into running mining code to produce cryptocurrency.
From ACM TechNews
Coming to Store Shelves: Cameras That Guess Your Age, Sex
Retailers are testing in-store cameras designed to guess shoppers' ages and genders, to inform real-time advertisements on store video screens.
From ACM TechNews
In Australia, Hacked Lime Scooters Spew Racism, Profanity
Vandals hacked the audio files of scooters in Australia, to make them generate profanities and racist speech.
From ACM TechNews
Academics Hide Humans From Surveillance Cameras With 2D Prints
Researchers have developed a technique of using simple two-dimensional images to render wearers invisible to surveillance cameras.
From ACM TechNews
Leaders Recognized for Outstanding Impact on Computing Field
ACM has recognized four scientists with 2018 citing their longstanding contributions to advance computing's societal role.
From ACM TechNews
Coding as a Second Language
The Panasonic Foundation and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation are working together to launch four Code as a Second Language academies around the country.
From ACM TechNews
Need More Energy Storage? Just Hit 'Print'
Researchers at Drexel University and Trinity College in Ireland have developed ink for an inkjet printer from a highly conductive two-dimensional material.
From ACM TechNews
AI That Spots Inequality Could Monitor Living Conditions in Cities
Researchers have trained an artificial intelligence to detect inequalities in four U.K. cities using a combination of government statistics and images from Google Street View.
From ACM TechNews
Robots That Can Sort Recycling
A new robotic system can detect if an object is paper, metal, or plastic.
From ACM News
Letting the Laboratory Drive
A self-driving laboratory is a kind of robot scientist that uses sensors to become aware of its environment and artificial intelligence to autonomously make decisions.
From ACM News
AI Visionary Nils Nilsson Dies
Respected AI pioneer and visionary Nils John Nilsson has passed away at age 86.
From ACM TechNews
Mapping the World in 3D Will Let s Paint Streets With Augmented Reality
The U.K. startup Scape provides a visual positioning service that uses global positioning systems and multiple camera images to localize users.
From ACM TechNews
Plans Launched to Boost Digital Skills for Adults
The U.K. government will offer free courses to thousands of adults to improve their digital skills.
From ACM TechNews
Geomagnetic Jerks Finally Reproduced, Explained
Researchers have created a computer model that explains anomalies in the Earth's magnetic field.
From ACM TechNews
Francine Berman Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Francine Berman of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
From ACM TechNews
In African Villages, These Phones Become ltrasound Scanners
Doctors are using a hand-held ultrasound scanner to provide medical imaging to residents of remote African villages.
From ACM TechNews
Exhibition Explores Human Connection in a Virtual World
The University of Alberta has launched a multimedia art exhibit called "Dyscorpia: Future Intersections of the Body and Technology."
From ACM TechNews
The Robots That Manage the Managers
New artificial intelligence-driven coaching apps and platforms aim to provide basic training in traditional supervisory skills such as delivering feedback and delegating work.
From ACM TechNews
IARPA Is Investing in AI That Constantly Analyzes Worldwide Satellite Images
The U.S. Intelligence Advanced Research Project Activity has released a draft solicitation for an analytics tool that can combine satellite images and detect human activity on the ground.