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 News
Biden Has Elevated the Job of Science Adviser. Is That What Science Needs?
The Senate is considering Eric S. Lander's nomination after months of delay. Some experts ask if an adviser can actually have an impact.
From ACM News
The Robot Surgeon Will See You Now
Real scalpels, artificial intelligence — what could go wrong?
From ACM TechNews
Technology Could Turn You Into a Tiffany
Companies are developing digital tools for the design of personalized jewelry, which can be fabricated via sophisticated three-dimensional metal printing.
From ACM News
As Auctioneers and Artists Rush Into NFTs, Many Collectors Stay Away
Auction sales show a schism in the market: speculative buyers flock to crypto art while blue-chip collectors hold back, fearing legal gray areas and copyright issues...
From ACM News
How Data Is Changing the Way Offices Are Run
Building owners are using data collection and artificial intelligence to help control systems like heating, lighting, air quality, and even the flow of workers....
From ACM News
Still Getting Your Head Around Digital Currency? So Are Central Bankers.
If you are trying to grasp Bitcoin and understand what China's digital yuan means, America's Federal Reserve is right there with you.
From ACM TechNews
Newer Planes Providing Airlines a Trove of Useful Data
The retirement of older aircraft during the pandemic has resulted in a fleet increasingly equipped with digital technologies.
From ACM News
A Tiny Part's Big Ripple: Global Chip Shortage Hobbles the Auto Industry
Almost every carmaker has had to curtail production, hampering the economic recovery.
From ACM News
A Global Tipping Point for Reining In Tech Has Arrived
Never before have so many countries, including China, moved with such vigor at the same time to limit the power of a single industry.
From ACM TechNews
Disney, Ad-Tech Firms Agree to Privacy Changes for Children's Apps
Disney, Viacom, and 10 advertising technology firms will remove or disable tracking software from popular children's gaming apps.
From ACM News
N.Y.P.D.'s Robot Dog Returns to Work, Touching Off a Backlash
Deployed at a public housing building, the device drew condemnation as a stark example of police power and misplaced priorities.
From ACM TechNews
NFTs Are Shaking Up the Art World. They May Be Warming the Planet, Too.
Digital artworks known as nonfungible tokens are selling for massive sums, but research indicates their creation may carry an enormous environmental cost.
From ACM News
What Are the Roadblocks to a 'Vaccine Passport'?
Creating a digital certificate of vaccination against the coronavirus is one of the hottest debates right now. What's keeping it from happening, and why are some...
From ACM News
'It's a Roller-Coaster Ride': Global Chip Shortage Is Making Industries Sweat
The Internet-connected world is completely dependent on the production of semiconductors. That's become a problem now that supplies are running short.
From ACM News
Coinbase's Public Listing Is a Cryptocurrency Coming-Out Party
With acceptance from traditional investors, a profitable start-up that eases transactions is offering proof of the industry's staying power.
From ACM TechNews
Is 'Femtech' the Next Big Thing in Healthcare?
Numerous apps and technology companies are emerging in the "femtech" industry to address women's biological needs.
From ACM News
Microsoft to Buy Nuance for $16 Billion to Focus on Health Care Tech
By acquiring a provider of artificial intelligence software, the tech giant is hoping to bolster its offerings for the fast-growing field of medical computing. ...
From ACM News
'Master,' 'Slave,' and the Fight Over Offensive Terms in Computing
Nearly a year after the Internet Engineering Task Force took up a plan to replace words that could be considered racist, the debate is still raging.
From ACM TechNews
As Locusts Swarmed East Africa, This Tech Helped Squash Them
A 2020 locust plague in East Africa was mitigated by technology-driven countermeasures.
From ACM News