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
A Multibillion-Dollar Opportunity: Virus-Proofing the New Office
Tech, catering and design companies are rushing to sell employers on fever scanners, box lunches, and office floor-planning apps for social distancing. But it's...
From ACM News
Big Tech Zeros In on the Virus-Testing Market
As businesses grapple with how to safely reopen the workplace, some companies are rushing out new work force health-vetting and tracking tools.
From ACM News
China is Collecting DNA From Tens of Millions of Boys and Men, Using U.S. Equipment
Even children are pressed into giving blood samples to build a sweeping genetic database that will add to Beijing's growing surveillance capabilities.
From ACM News
Riding Out Quarantine With a Chatbot Friend: ‘I Feel Very Connected’
The digital companions may sound like science fiction. But when social isolation became the norm, they helped deal with the loneliness, some users say.
From ACM News
Signal Downloads Are Way Up Since the Protests Began
Organizers and demonstrators say they feel safer communicating with end-to-end encryption.
From ACM News
Amazon Pauses Police Use of Its Facial Recognition Software
The company said it hoped the moratorium "might give Congress enough time to put in place appropriate rules" for the technology.
From ACM TechNews
With an Internet of Animals, Scientists Aim to Track, Save Wildlife
Sensors and other equipment aboard the International Space Station will be used to monitor wildlife, revolutionizing animal tracking.
From ACM News
A U.S. Secret Weapon in A.I.: Chinese Talent
New research shows scientists educated in China help American firms and schools dominate the cutting-edge field. Now industry leaders worry that worsening political...
From ACM News
Don’t Kid Yourself: Online Lectures Are Here to Stay
The economic forces are too powerful for virtual instruction to go away after the pandemic. The important question is who will benefit financially, a Cornell economist...
From ACM News
Publishers Sue Internet Archive Over Free E-Books
Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Wiley accused the nonprofit of piracy for making over 1 million books free online.
From ACM TechNews
To Disinfect Police Car in a Pandemic, Software Cranks Up the Heat
Police departments in several U.S. cities are using updated software from Ford Motor that the automaker claims can kill the coronavirus.
From ACM News
China’s Virus Apps May Outlast the Outbreak, Stirring Privacy Fears
With the disease there mostly under control, officials are looking for new uses for the government software that's now on many phones.
From ACM News
App Shows Promise in Tracking New Coronavirus Cases, Study Finds
The app, which allows people to record their symptoms, was remarkably effective in predicting infections. The most reliable indicators, researchers found, were...
From ACM TechNews
This Was Supposed to Be the Year Driverless Cars Went Mainstream
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted technology companies' plans to bring autonomous vehicles into the mainstream this year.
From ACM News
A Pandemic Benefit: The Expansion of Telemedicine
Medical practice over the Internet can result in faster diagnoses and treatments, increase the efficiency of care, and reduce patient stress.
From ACM News
Keeping Online Testing Honest? Or an Orwellian Overreach?
The rise of proctoring software to deter cheating alarms privacy advocates. Some students and professors find it invasive, too.
From ACM News
How My Boss Monitors Me While I Work From Home
As we shelter in place in the pandemic, more employers are using software to track our work — and us.
From ACM News
A Private Equity Firm Is Blocked From Buying .Org
The deal for the Internet domain for nonprofit organizations had set off fierce opposition.
From ACM News
Quibi, JetBlue and Others Gave Away Email Addresses, Report Says
Personal data from millions of customers ended up with Google, Facebook, and other trackers, making it easier for them to be tracked online and targeted with ads...
From ACM News