Communications of the ACM
'We Have Emphasized Learning and Compassion'
Computer science instruction adjusts to the coronavirus pandemic.
From ACM NewsAn 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
Public Webcams Are Telling Us Whether People Are Social Distancing
Since April, computer scientists at Purdue University have been using an online database of public cameras to track compliance with social-distancing guidelines...
From ACM TechNews
Australia Will Use Robot Boats to Find Asylum Seekers at Sea
Australia is deploying unmanned robot boats to patrol its waters and monitor weather and wildlife, as well as identifying boats potentially transporting asylum...
From ACM TechNews
Fake News Gets Shared More When It is Angry, Anxiety-Inducing
Researchers in China have found that fake news may go viral more quickly when it uses words associated with anger.
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.
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...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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...
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....
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...
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. ...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
From ACM TechNews