Communications of the ACM
An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
From ACM TechNews
Online Advertising Estimated to Use as Much Energy as a Small Country
Researchers have developed a system that can calculate energy consumption related to online advertising.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computers Vulnerable to Eavesdropping Hackers
Allen Mi and colleagues at Yale University warn that even carefully wiping quantum computers of data would not thwart its theft by hackers.
From ACM TechNews
AI-Designed Invisibility Cloak Could Hide Small Communication Devices
Researchers used artificial intelligence to design an invisibility cloak to conceal antennas or small communication devices from infrared light or microwave detectors...
From ACM TechNews
AI Uses Artificial Sleep to Learn New Task without Forgetting the Last
Scientists taught an artificial intelligence a second distinct task without overwriting connections learned from a first task, through the use of simulated sleep...
From ACM TechNews
AI Diversity Scoring System Could Help Root Out Algorithmic Bias
Princeton University's Adji Bousso Dieng and Dan Friedman have developed a diversity score for artificial intelligence to help detect bias.
From ACM TechNews
Unpiloted Military Helicopter Flies 134 km in Simulated Mission
The U.S. Army flew an autonomous Black Hawk Helicopter 134 kilometers (83 miles) to deliver 230 kilograms (507 lbs.) of simulated and real blood.
From ACM TechNews
Robotic Laser Can Target, Kill Cockroaches
Researchers developed a device that can kill cockroaches using a laser, two cameras, and an artificial intelligence (AI) model capable of targeting specific insect...
From ACM TechNews
Humans Beat DeepMind AI in Creating Algorithm to Multiply Numbers
Researchers at Austria's Johannes Kepler University Linz bested an algorithm developed by DeepMind with a program that can perform matrix multiplication more efficiently...
From ACM TechNews
Bitcoin Has Emitted 200 Million Tons of CO2 Since Launch
Researchers at the U.K.'s University of Cambridge estimated bitcoin miners have discharged nearly 200 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
From ACM TechNews
Too Many Electric Cars Charging at Night May Overload Electrical Grid
Computer modeling determined the western U.S. power grid could be strained if electric vehicle owners primarily charging their vehicles at home overnight.
From ACM TechNews
Face Recognition for Pigs Could Improve Welfare on Farms
Wenhao Zhang and colleagues at the U.K.'s University of the West of England have developed a facial recognition system for pigs.
From ACM TechNews
Sensory Trick Makes Objects Seem Heavy or Light in VR
Vibrating pads on people's arms can support a more convincing illusion of weight in virtual reality by fooling the brain into ignoring certain sensory input.
From ACM TechNews
Earthquakes Seem to Come in a More Predictable Pattern Than We Thought
A machine learning model developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis can analyze decades of earthquake data to predict future earthquakes.
From ACM TechNews
Computer Runs Calculations Depending on How You Squish It
Pennsylvania State University researchers built a soft computer from rows of rubber blocks that performs different calculations based on how it is squished.
From ACM TechNews
Your Smartphone Could Recognize You by How You Hold It
Researchers trained an artificial intelligence-powered algorithm to identify individuals based their hand vibrations when holding a smartphone.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computers Might Not Offer Extreme Speed Boost for Chemistry
New research suggests the required computing power could diminish quantum computing's exponential speed advantage.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Unties Knotted Cables but Can't Pick Them Up
University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) researchers have developed a robot that can untie knotted cables using the grippers on its arms.
From ACM TechNews
How the Secrets of Ancient Cuneiform Texts Are Being Revealed by AI
Artificial intelligence is being used to read and translate cuneiform, helping to recreate ancient libraries by piecing together fragmented tablets and predicting...
From ACM TechNews
Flexible Robot Hand with Precise Grip Lifts 1,000 Times Its Own Weight
Researchers have developed artificial muscles using a three-dimensional printer and tiny actuators that convert energy into movement.
From ACM TechNews