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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


Pocket-Sized Device Tests Blood Samples for Genetic Conditions
From ACM TechNews

Pocket-Sized Device Tests Blood Samples for Genetic Conditions

A new smartphone-powered DNA detector can identify DNA in blood, urine, and other samples, on the spot.

AI Can Distinguish Between Bots, Humans Based on Twitter Activity
From ACM TechNews

AI Can Distinguish Between Bots, Humans Based on Twitter Activity

Researchers trained an artificial intelligence system to detect Twitter bots based on differences in the patterns of Tweeting activity of real and fake accounts...

Cyborg Grasshoppers Engineered to Sniff Out Explosives
From ACM TechNews

Cyborg Grasshoppers Engineered to Sniff Out Explosives

Washington University researchers converted grasshoppers into bomb-sniffing tools by implanting electrodes in the insects' antenna lobes to tap into the capabilities...

Mind-Controlled Robot Lets You Weld Metal Without ­sing Your Hands
From ACM TechNews

Mind-Controlled Robot Lets You Weld Metal Without ­sing Your Hands

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed a robot that can follow mental instructions from its operator to weld metal.

Quantum Network Joins Four People Together for Encrypted Messaging
From ACM TechNews

Quantum Network Joins Four People Together for Encrypted Messaging

A new network design uses quantum key distribution to secure messages among four users.

Major Companies Are ­sing AI to Decide Who You Speak to on the Phone
From ACM TechNews

Major Companies Are ­sing AI to Decide Who You Speak to on the Phone

Many large companies around the world use artificial intelligence-based software to manage millions of call-center conversations.

­K Police Wants AI to Stop Violent Crime Before It Happens
From ACM News

­K Police Wants AI to Stop Violent Crime Before It Happens

Police in the UK want to predict serious violent crime using artificial intelligence, New Scientist can reveal. The idea is that individuals flagged by the system...

Your Brain Is Like 100 Billion Mini-Computers All Working Together
From ACM News

Your Brain Is Like 100 Billion Mini-Computers All Working Together

Each of our brain cells could work like a mini-computer, according to the first recording of electrical activity in human cells at a super-fine level of detail....

AIs Invent Weird New Limbs to Beat Virtual Obstacle Courses
From ACM News

AIs Invent Weird New Limbs to Beat Virtual Obstacle Courses

What are the best two legs for running an obstacle course? One leg that crawls at the knee joint, and one massive leg dragged behind for stability like a kangaroo's...

Smartphone With a Finger Crawls Across the Table to Stroke Your Wrist
From ACM TechNews

Smartphone With a Finger Crawls Across the Table to Stroke Your Wrist

MobiLimb is a realistic-looking mechanical finger that plugs into the USB port of a mobile device as an additional way to interact with a smartphone or tablet. ...

This Robot Crawls Over Your Body and Scans Your Skin With a Microscope
From ACM TechNews

This Robot Crawls Over Your Body and Scans Your Skin With a Microscope

A palm-sized bipedal robot can carry out a medical inspection of a patient when a doctor is unavailable.

Stupid AI: How Humans Can Stop Machines From Falling for Visual Tricks
From ACM TechNews

Stupid AI: How Humans Can Stop Machines From Falling for Visual Tricks

Research from Johns Hopkins University suggests new ways to prevent artificial intelligence from being visually deceived.

AI Tries Bad Improv Comedy to Trick People Into Thinking It Is Human
From ACM TechNews

AI Tries Bad Improv Comedy to Trick People Into Thinking It Is Human

Improbotics is an artificial intelligence-based comedy theater that includes a human, a puppet, and a cyborg.

Future Robot Swarms Should Copy Lazy Ants Who Let Others Do the Work
From ACM TechNews

Future Robot Swarms Should Copy Lazy Ants Who Let Others Do the Work

Researchers found insights into ant cooperation could be incorporated into the development of large swarms of robots.

Think Your Surfing Is Secret in Private Browsing Mode? Think Again
From ACM TechNews

Think Your Surfing Is Secret in Private Browsing Mode? Think Again

Many computer users incorrectly believe private browsing protects them against computer viruses, targeted ads, geolocation, and tracking by employers and governments...

4 Tweets Can Reveal the Identity of an Anonymous Troll
From ACM TechNews

4 Tweets Can Reveal the Identity of an Anonymous Troll

Four geotagged posts are sufficient to identify an anonymous account from a telephone company's database of customers.

Underwater Robot Finds Second World War Bomber Plane on Seabed
From ACM TechNews

Underwater Robot Finds Second World War Bomber Plane on Seabed

Harvey Mudd College researchers have developed a novel autonomous underwater vehicle that can explore the sea floor looking for signs of wrecked ships.

Anti-Swearing AI Takes the Edge Off Abuse on Reddit and Twitter
From ACM TechNews

Anti-Swearing AI Takes the Edge Off Abuse on Reddit and Twitter

IBM researchers have developed a system that translates offensive comments on social media into more polite language, while keeping the content intact.

AI Cheats at Old Atari Games by Finding ­nknown Bugs in the Code
From ACM TechNews

AI Cheats at Old Atari Games by Finding ­nknown Bugs in the Code

A new algorithm plays Atari games and advances within them either by baiting an enemy to kill itself, or by exploiting bugs that allow the algorithm to cheat.

Facebook Can Make Your Profile Pic Wink and Scowl
From ACM TechNews

Facebook Can Make Your Profile Pic Wink and Scowl

Researchers have been developing a tool that can take a single image of a face and create an animated version that puts on either a happy, sad, or angry expression...
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