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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.


An App That Hides Secret Messages in Starcraft-Style Games
From ACM TechNews

An App That Hides Secret Messages in Starcraft-Style Games

Stony Brook University researchers are developing a prototype tool they believe will be able to send encoded messages using real-time strategy computer games. 

Can We Stop Killer Robots? U.N. Meets to Debate Possible Treaty
From ACM TechNews

Can We Stop Killer Robots? U.N. Meets to Debate Possible Treaty

The United Nations' Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons this week heard from experts on the subject of killer robots, or "lethal autonomous weapons systems...

Smart Phones Could Be ­sed to Detect Earthquakes
From ACM TechNews

Smart Phones Could Be ­sed to Detect Earthquakes

Researchers have demonstrated it is possible to use smartphone global-positioning system data to detect tremors in the earth. 

Hackers Could Commandeer New Planes Through Passenger Wi-Fi
From ACM News

Hackers Could Commandeer New Planes Through Passenger Wi-Fi

Seven years after the Federal Aviation Administration first warned Boeing that its new Dreamliner aircraft had a Wi-Fi design that made it vulnerable to hacking...

How the Computer Got Its Revenge on the Soviet Union
From ACM News

How the Computer Got Its Revenge on the Soviet Union

In 1950, with the Cold War in full swing, Soviet journalists were looking desperately for something to help them fill their anti-American propaganda quota.

Snowden's 'sexy Margaret Thatcher' Password Isn't So Secure
From ACM Opinion

Snowden's 'sexy Margaret Thatcher' Password Isn't So Secure

Edward Snowden appears to have a thing for the late British conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher. And his obsession may even be clouding his famously paranoid...

'Let's Encrypt' Will Try to Secure the Internet
From ACM TechNews

'Let's Encrypt' Will Try to Secure the Internet

The Linux Foundation will support the Internet Security Research Group's "Let's Encrypt" project to develop a tool to encrypt website and mobile data traffic. 

Air Force's Secret 'gorgon Stare' Program Leaves Terrorists Nowhere To Hide
From ACM News

Air Force's Secret 'gorgon Stare' Program Leaves Terrorists Nowhere To Hide

In Greek mythology, Gorgons were creatures whose terrible visages could turn men to stone with a single glance.

China Deploys New Weapon For Online Censorship in Form of 'great Cannon'
From ACM TechNews

China Deploys New Weapon For Online Censorship in Form of 'great Cannon'

Two recent distributed denial-of-service attacks represent some of the first uses of a new tool in China's cyber arsenal, dubbed the "Great Cannon." 

U.s. Nuclear Fears Block Intel China Supercomputer Update
From ACM News

U.s. Nuclear Fears Block Intel China Supercomputer Update

The U.S. government has refused to let Intel help China update the world's biggest supercomputer.

Online Test-Takers Feel Anti-Cheating Software's ­neasy Glare
From ACM Careers

Online Test-Takers Feel Anti-Cheating Software's ­neasy Glare

Before Betsy Chao, a senior here at Rutgers University, could take midterm exams in her online courses this semester, her instructors sent emails directing students...

Jay Edelson, the Class-Action Lawyer Who May Be Tech's Least Friended Man
From ACM Careers

Jay Edelson, the Class-Action Lawyer Who May Be Tech's Least Friended Man

When technology executives imagine the boogeyman, they see a baby-face guy in wire-rim glasses. His name is Jay Edelson.

Expert Panel Discusses Issue of New Principles For Internet Governance
From ACM TechNews

Expert Panel Discusses Issue of New Principles For Internet Governance

A panel of Internet experts recently addressed the question of what kind of Internet users want. 

Planes Without Pilots
From ACM TechNews

Planes Without Pilots

Modern airplanes are highly automated, but some researchers say there is room to automate planes even further.

Planes Without Pilots
From ACM News

Planes Without Pilots

Mounting evidence that the co-pilot crashed a Germanwings plane into a French mountain has prompted a global debate about how to better screen crewmembers for mental...

­niversity Receives Grant to Prevent Cyberbullying
From ACM TechNews

­niversity Receives Grant to Prevent Cyberbullying

Rutgers University has received a U.S. National Science Foundation grant to develop a system that automatically detects cyberbullying. 

How Cybersecurity Became Your Problem
From ACM TechNews

How Cybersecurity Became Your Problem

Cyberattacks threaten to rise in frequency and complexity, which makes every person using modern technology a potential target. 

Know Instantly How Much Privacy a Website Visit Costs You
From ACM TechNews

Know Instantly How Much Privacy a Website Visit Costs You

An Italian researcher has developed algorithms that can calculate the privacy costs of websites. 

Can You Vote For the Next President on Your Smartphone? Not Just Yet.
From ACM TechNews

Can You Vote For the Next President on Your Smartphone? Not Just Yet.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has approved a measure to update the security and accessibility guidelines for voting machines. 

How Google Is Making Sure Cows Won't Foil Its Self-Driving Cars
From ACM News

How Google Is Making Sure Cows Won't Foil Its Self-Driving Cars

Most of us haven't had a cow wander on to a road in front of us while we're driving. Still, it's the type of situation Google is wisely anticipating.
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