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
Restrictions Are Slowing Coronavirus Infections, Data Suggest
Data suggests that mass business closures and social-distancing edicts imposed to fight the coronavirus pandemic are helping reduce the numbers of fevers recorded...
From ACM TechNews
Facebook, Google, Twitter Struggle to Handle November's Election
Major technology companies have spent billions in the past three years to prevent election meddling, but new challenges are adding to their struggle in the run-up...
From ACM News
A.I. Versus the Coronavirus
A new consortium of top scientists will be able to use some of the world's most advanced supercomputers to look for solutions.
From ACM News
Bring in the Robot Cleaners: Travel Industry Innovations for the Pandemic
"Private" hotels, online tour-company teasers for future travelers, and other ways that travel companies are keeping their businesses alive.
From ACM News
There Is a Racial Divide in Speech Recognition Systems, Researchers Say
Technology from Amazon, Apple, Google, IBM, and Microsoft misidentified 35% of words from people who were black. White people fared much better.
From ACM TechNews
Abel Prize in Mathematics Shared by Two Trailblazers of Probability, Dynamics
Hillel Furstenberg of Israel's Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Yale University's Gregory Margulis share this year's Abel Prize in mathematics for trailblazing...
From ACM News
Cloud Computing Is Not the Energy Hog That Had Been Feared
The digital services churned out by the world's computer centers are multiplying, but their energy use is not, thanks to cloud computing, a new study says.
From ACM TechNews
A Growing Presence on the Farm: Robots
Agronomists are using new autonomous robots to help them breed better crops.
From ACM TechNews
Activate 'Bracelet of Silence' and Alexa Can't Eavesdrop
A prototype wearable device blocks microphones in the vicinity from eavesdropping on conversations.
From ACM TechNews
Ransomware Attacks Grow, Crippling Cities, Businesses
In recent years, ransomware attacks have crippled computer networks and extorted money to restore access to users.
From ACM TechNews
Britain to Create Regulator for Internet Content
The U.K. has introduced a plan to give the country's media regulator Ofcom new responsibilities for monitoring Internet content.
From ACM TechNews
Data Driving New Approaches to Transportation
Shifts in transportation highlight cities' need for data management to cope with traffic, digital platforms, and other trends.
From ACM TechNews
An Algorithm That Grants Freedom, or Takes It Away
Local authorities in the U.S. and Europe use predictive governance algorithms to assess people's risk of criminality, and base probation, jail time, and other decisions...
From ACM TechNews
Wearable Tech Tells Drowsy Truckers It's Time to Pull Over
Trucking companies are equipping drivers with wearable monitors that check for signs of fatigue, and notify them when it’s time to pull over and rest.
From ACM TechNews
Jigsaw Tool to Help Journalists Spot Doctored Images
Jigsaw has released a free tool, designed to help journalists identify doctored photos, including those generated through the use of artificial intelligence.
From ACM TechNews
Mapping Potholes by Phone
A new app for mapping potholes and road quality takes advantage of the accelerometers in smartphones.
From ACM News
Avoiding Carsickness When the Cars Drive Themselves
If the future lets people focus on work instead of driving during the daily commute, many of us will have to conquer motion sickness to read memos (or tweets)....
From ACM News
Killer Robots Aren’t Regulated. Yet.
"Killing in the Age of Algorithms" is a New York Times documentary examining the future of artificial intelligence and warfare.
From ACM TechNews
A Few Cities Have Cornered Innovation Jobs. Can That Be Changed?
A report found that 13 innovation industries were mainly sited in a handful of urban areas in the U.S.
From ACM TechNews