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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.


Senior Citizens May Accept Robot Helpers, but Fear Robot Masters
From ACM TechNews

Senior Citizens May Accept Robot Helpers, but Fear Robot Masters

Research on senior citizens indicates they would likely accept robots as helpers and entertainment providers, but worry about giving up too much control to them...

'on-Ramping' Paves the Way For Women Scientists, Engineers to Return to Academia
From ACM TechNews

'on-Ramping' Paves the Way For Women Scientists, Engineers to Return to Academia

Researchers interviewed 10 women who successfully transitioned into university faculty after working as corporate scientists or industry or government researchers...

'social Ai' Lets Mario and Luigi Learn How to Save the Princess on Their Own
From ACM TechNews

'social Ai' Lets Mario and Luigi Learn How to Save the Princess on Their Own

A new development in artificial intelligence harnesses the power of social interactions to learn more about the world. 

Smart Thermostat Puts Energy Money Saving at Household Fingertips
From ACM TechNews

Smart Thermostat Puts Energy Money Saving at Household Fingertips

University of Southampton researchers have developed a prototype "smart" thermostat that lets users control their heating on a cost basis, rather than by temperature...

Why We Won't Trust Robot Cars Until They Drive Just Like US
From ACM TechNews

Why We Won't Trust Robot Cars Until They Drive Just Like US

Eight separate research projects into autonomous vehicles will receive financial support from the U.K. government. 

Showdown in Europe Over Privacy Has ­.s. Firms Ducking For Cover
From ACM News

Showdown in Europe Over Privacy Has ­.s. Firms Ducking For Cover

The free flow of data across the Atlantic, the lifeblood of modern business dealings, faces an uncertain future, despite a belated, high-level deal between European...

How to Get Online in Cuba
From ACM News

How to Get Online in Cuba

Every afternoon, crowds of Cubans gather outside Havana's top hotels—mob boss Meyer Lansky's favorite Nacional de Cuba, Ernest Hemingway's old haunt Ambos Mundos...

Virtual City Walkthroughs Help to Find Pedestrian Death Traps
From ACM TechNews

Virtual City Walkthroughs Help to Find Pedestrian Death Traps

Columbia University researchers are using home-built software to examine Google Street View images to identify locations in New York City where pedestrians are...

Software Adapts Speech to Ambient Noise Level
From ACM TechNews

Software Adapts Speech to Ambient Noise Level

Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology researchers have developed software that significantly improves the intelligibility of speech. 

Robotic Fingers With a Gentle Touch
From ACM TechNews

Robotic Fingers With a Gentle Touch

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne have developed a soft robotic gripper that can bend and pick up delicate objects using electroadhesion...

Europe's Top Court Mulls Legality of Hyperlinks to Copyrighted Content
From ACM News

Europe's Top Court Mulls Legality of Hyperlinks to Copyrighted Content

Europe's highest court is considering whether every hyperlink in a Web page should be checked for potentially linking to material that infringes copyright, before...

Your Next New Best Friend Might Be a Robot
From ACM News

Your Next New Best Friend Might Be a Robot

Meet Xiaoice. She’s empathic, caring, and always available—just not human.

Meet the Soft, Cuddly Robots of the Future
From ACM News

Meet the Soft, Cuddly Robots of the Future

In 2007, Cecilia Laschi asked her father to catch a live octopus for her seaside lab in Livorno, Italy.

Will AI-Powered Hedge Funds Outsmart the Market?
From ACM News

Will AI-Powered Hedge Funds Outsmart the Market?

Every day computers make many millions of electronic trades by performing delicate calculations aimed at eking out a tiny edge in terms of speed or efficiency.

The Massive New Privacy Deal Between U.s. and Europe, Explained
From ACM News

The Massive New Privacy Deal Between U.s. and Europe, Explained

U.S. and European regulators have agreed to a tentative deal, officials say, that would allow thousands of U.S. companies to continue moving the personal information...

This Robot Changes How It Looks at You to Match Your Personality
From ACM TechNews

This Robot Changes How It Looks at You to Match Your Personality

Sean Andrist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed algorithms to help robots look at people at the right times and in the right ways. 

Machine Learning, Social Media Data Help Spot Flooded Areas
From ACM TechNews

Machine Learning, Social Media Data Help Spot Flooded Areas

Researchers analyzed 2013 flooding in Colorado and found 150,000 tweets from people affected by the disaster. 

Planning For a Disease Outbreak? There's a Game For That.
From ACM TechNews

Planning For a Disease Outbreak? There's a Game For That.

Researchers are developing new software that can predict, simulate, and analyze a major disease outbreak in the form of an intuitive, multiplayer game.

A Virtual 'guide Dog' For Navigation
From ACM TechNews

A Virtual 'guide Dog' For Navigation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have modified an algorithm for processing three-dimensional camera data, with power conservation in mind. 

Apps in Your Browser
From ACM News

Apps in Your Browser

Google has started hosting mobile apps and incorporating them into search results.
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