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
Can Virtual Reality Help Autistic Children Navigate the Real World?
One company, Floreo, is hoping their tools will lead the way, despite some criticisms from autism self-advocates.
From ACM News
NASA Pauses Psyche, a Mission to a Metal-Rich Asteroid
Delays in setting up the spacecraft's navigation software mean the mission may not reach the asteroid until 2029 or 2030, rather than 2026.
From ACM News
How Safe Are Systems Like Tesla's Autopilot? No One Knows
Automakers and technology companies say they are making driving safer, but verifying these claims is difficult.
From ACM News
F.B.I. Told Israel It Wanted Pegasus Hacking Tool for Investigations
A 2018 letter from the bureau to the Israeli government is the clearest documentary evidence to date that the agency weighed using the spyware for law enforcement...
From ACM News
Football Tech That's More Than a Laser and Light Show
The U.S.F.L. is testing tech that could resolve disputes over where balls are spotted, clearly show if a first down was reached, and track players who stand too...
From ACM News
'No-Code' Brings the Power of AI to the Masses
A growing number of new products allow anyone to apply artificial intelligence without having to write a line of computer code. Proponents believe the "no-code"...
From ACM TechNews
How Native Americans Try to Debug AI's Biases
At the recent American Indian Science and Engineering Society, students in a workshop created metadata to train an algorithm to understand an image's cultural significance...
From ACM TechNews
'No-Code' Brings the Power of AI to the Masses
Products allow anyone to use AI without writing any computer code.
From ACM News
Millions for Crypto Start-Ups, No Real Names Necessary
Investors give money to pseudonymous developers. Venture capitalists back founders without learning their real names. What happens when they need to know?
From ACM News
The Battle for the World's Most Powerful Cyberweapon
A Times investigation reveals how Israel reaped diplomatic gains from NSO's Pegasus spyware, a tool America itself purchased but is now trying to ban.
From ACM News
Microsoft Warns of Destructive Cyberattack on Ukrainian Computer Networks
The malware was revealed as Russian troops remained massed at the Ukrainian border, and after Ukrainian government agencies had their websites defaced.
From ACM News
Clearview AI Does Well in Another Round of Facial Recognition Accuracy Tests
The company also performed well last month in a test of its ability to match two different photos of the same person.
From ACM News
Apple Sues Israeli Spyware Maker, Seeking to Block Its Access to iPhones
Apple accused NSO Group, the Israeli surveillance company, of "flagrant" violations of its software, as well as federal and state laws.
From ACM News
Apple Issues Emergency Security Updates to Close a Spyware Flaw
Researchers at Citizen Lab found that NSO Group, an Israeli spyware company, had infected Apple products without so much as a click.
From ACM News
A.I. Can Now Write Its Own Computer Code. That's Good News for Humans
A new technology called Codex generates programs in 12 coding languages and even translates between them. But it is not a threat to professional programmers.
From ACM News
Tesla Sells 'Full Self-Driving,' but What Is It Really?
As the company deals with government scrutiny of its driver-assistance technology, an add-on kit sold for up to $10,000 is also getting more attention.
From ACM News
Facebook's New Bet on Virtual Reality: Conference Rooms
The pandemic has renewed interest in virtual reality. Facebook is trying to capitalize with a new virtual meeting room service.
From ACM News
Hidden Costs, Flawed Training Plague the V.A.'s Huge Software Upgrade
A $16-billion effort to modernize health records at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ran into major problems in its first installation, two watchdog reports...
From ACM TechNews