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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.


Farewell to Gummy Bear Jars: Tech Offices Get a Virus Safety Makeover
From ACM News

Farewell to Gummy Bear Jars: Tech Offices Get a Virus Safety Makeover

Companies like Salesforce created workplaces with all the comforts of home, but now they may feel more like hospitals.

For a Day, Scientists Pause Science to Confront Racism
From ACM News

For a Day, Scientists Pause Science to Confront Racism

Scholars said they would not hold classes or lectures on Wednesday, and leading journals and scientific associations said they would not announce most breakthroughs...

Amazon Pauses Police Use of Its Facial Recognition Software
From ACM News

Amazon Pauses Police Use of Its Facial Recognition Software

The company said it hoped the moratorium "might give Congress enough time to put in place appropriate rules" for the technology.

With an Internet of Animals, Scientists Aim to Track, Save Wildlife
From ACM TechNews

With an Internet of Animals, Scientists Aim to Track, Save Wildlife

Sensors and other equipment aboard the International Space Station will be used to monitor wildlife, revolutionizing animal tracking.

A U.S. Secret Weapon in A.I.: Chinese Talent
From ACM News

A U.S. Secret Weapon in A.I.: Chinese Talent

New research shows scientists educated in China help American firms and schools dominate the cutting-edge field. Now industry leaders worry that worsening political...

Don’t Kid Yourself: Online Lectures Are Here to Stay
From ACM News

Don’t Kid Yourself: Online Lectures Are Here to Stay

The economic forces are too powerful for virtual instruction to go away after the pandemic. The important question is who will benefit financially, a Cornell economist...

Publishers Sue Internet Archive Over Free E-Books
From ACM News

Publishers Sue Internet Archive Over Free E-Books

Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette,  and Wiley accused the nonprofit of piracy for making over 1 million books free online.

To Disinfect Police Car in a Pandemic, Software Cranks Up the Heat
From ACM TechNews

To Disinfect Police Car in a Pandemic, Software Cranks Up the Heat

Police departments in several U.S. cities are using updated software from Ford Motor that the automaker claims can kill the coronavirus.

How Automated Background Checks Freeze Out Renters
From ACM News

How Automated Background Checks Freeze Out Renters

Algorithms that scan everything from terror watch lists to eviction records spit out flawed tenant screening reports. And almost nobody is watching.

China’s Virus Apps May Outlast the Outbreak, Stirring Privacy Fears
From ACM News

China’s Virus Apps May Outlast the Outbreak, Stirring Privacy Fears

With the disease there mostly under control, officials are looking for new uses for the government software that's now on many phones.

A City Locks Down to Fight Coronavirus, but Robots Come and Go
From ACM News

A City Locks Down to Fight Coronavirus, but Robots Come and Go

Like many other places, a community 50 miles outside London went into quarantine. A fleet of delivery robots has been helping with the groceries.

App Shows Promise in Tracking New Coronavirus Cases, Study Finds
From ACM News

App Shows Promise in Tracking New Coronavirus Cases, Study Finds

The app, which allows people to record their symptoms, was remarkably effective in predicting infections. The most reliable indicators, researchers found, were...

This Was Supposed to Be the Year Driverless Cars Went Mainstream
From ACM TechNews

This Was Supposed to Be the Year Driverless Cars Went Mainstream

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted technology companies' plans to bring autonomous vehicles into the mainstream this year.

A Pandemic Benefit: The Expansion of Telemedicine
From ACM News

A Pandemic Benefit: The Expansion of Telemedicine

Medical practice over the Internet can result in faster diagnoses and treatments, increase the efficiency of care, and reduce patient stress.

Keeping Online Testing Honest? Or an Orwellian Overreach?
From ACM News

Keeping Online Testing Honest? Or an Orwellian Overreach?

The rise of proctoring software to deter cheating alarms privacy advocates. Some students and professors find it invasive, too.

How My Boss Monitors Me While I Work From Home
From ACM News

How My Boss Monitors Me While I Work From Home

As we shelter in place in the pandemic, more employers are using software to track our work — and us.

A Private Equity Firm Is Blocked From Buying .Org
From ACM News

A Private Equity Firm Is Blocked From Buying .Org

The deal for the Internet domain for nonprofit organizations had set off fierce opposition.

Quibi, JetBlue and Others Gave Away Email Addresses, Report Says
From ACM News

Quibi, JetBlue and Others Gave Away Email Addresses, Report Says

Personal data from millions of customers ended up with Google, Facebook, and other trackers, making it easier for them to be tracked online and targeted with ads...

How A.I. Steered Doctors Toward a Possible Coronavirus Treatment
From ACM News

How A.I. Steered Doctors Toward a Possible Coronavirus Treatment

Specialists at the London start-up BenevolentAI helped identify the arthritis drug baricitinib, which is now part of a clinical trial.

An ESPN Commercial Hints at Advertising's Deepfake Future
From ACM News

An ESPN Commercial Hints at Advertising's Deepfake Future

With the pandemic having shut down production, companies are asking ad agencies to create commercials made up of digitally altered footage.
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