Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
March 2020
From ACM TechNews
3D View of Methane Tracks Sources, Movement Around the Globe
A new three-dimensional view of methane concentrations worldwide combines datasets from emissions inventories and simulations of wetland sources into a high-resolution model.
From ACM TechNews
Video Game Experience or Gender May Improve VR Learning
Students using immersive virtual reality did not learn significantly better than those who used computer-simulated or hands-on learning methods, according to a new study.
From ACM TechNews
How AI Can Reduce Traffic Congestion, Fuel Consumption
Researchers used artificial intelligence and machine learning to design a computer-vision system to keep traffic moving efficiently through intersections while minimizing fuel consumption.
From ACM TechNews
State, Local Governments Ask Technologists to Aid Coronavirus Response
With digital services swamped by the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. state and local governments are asking technologists to volunteer to assist with response strategies.
From ACM TechNews
Attack on Home Routers Sends Users to Spoofed Sites That Push Malware
Researchers are warning that a hack of Linksys and D-Link routers is redirecting users to malicious sites posing as COVID-19 informational resources.
From ACM TechNews
Big Data Helps Taiwan Fight Coronavirus
Taiwan has largely controlled the propagation of the coronavirus, which an international team of researchers credit mainly to the emergency deployment of big data analytics and other technologies.
From ACM TechNews
Synergy Emergence in Deep Reinforcement Motor Learning
Researchers have observed something similar to motor synergy in robotic agents using deep reinforcement learning algorithms.
From ACM TechNews
Why People Delay Software Updates, Despite the Risks
Researchers found that the time-cost of software updates and users' risk preferences significantly impact whether they apply any specific update, and how long it takes them to do so.
From ACM TechNews
Machine Learning Technique Sharpens Prediction of Material's Mechanical Properties
Scientists utilized machine learning to improve the accuracy of material testing.
From ACM News
If It Quacks Like a Duck...
The looming threat of artificial intelligence-based deepfake voice conversion.
From ACM News
YouTube to Limit Video Quality Around the World for a Month
YouTube has reduced the quality of video streaming to standard definition around the world in an effort to ease Internet traffic during the coronavirus outbreak.
From ACM TechNews
System Trains Driverless Cars in Simulation Before They Hit the Road
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have created a simulation system to train driverless cars prior to their deployment on actual streets.
From ACM TechNews
Cybercriminals Take Advantage of Coronavirus
Hackers are targeting critical healthcare systems already strained by the coronavirus pandemic, compromising computer networks and disrupting patient care.\
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Use 3D Printing, Sensors to Create Models for Hydropower Testing
Researchers are using three-dimensional printers and sensors to create fake fish to help test the environmental impact of hydroelectric dams on fish populations.
From ACM TechNews
AI-Powered Shoes Unlock Secrets of Your Sole
A new smart insole powered by artificial intelligence analyzes a person's gait in real time when worn in their shoe. \
From ACM TechNews
Windows Code-Execution Zero-day Is Under Active Exploit, Microsoft Warns
Microsoft has issued a warning that a Windows zero-day vulnerability is being exploited in "limited targeted attacks" to execute malicious code on fully updated systems.
From ACM TechNews
Facebook Sent Home Thousands of Human Moderators Due to the Coronavirus. Now the Algorithms Are in Charge
Facebook has placed its army of human moderators on paid leave, forcing the company to police disinformation without them.
From ACM TechNews
IT Spending Forecasts Take a Hit as Coronavirus Slams Global Markets
International Data Corp. analysts predict companies will scale back information technology investments as the coronavirus pandemic roils global markets.
From ACM TechNews
How AI Could Help Translate the Written Language of Ancient Civilizations
A collaboration by the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute and its Department of Computer Science could enable automated transcription of ancient tablets of Persia's Achaemenid Empire.
From ACM TechNews
Software Release Cycles Accelerate, but Automation Is Not Keeping Up
A Cloud Native Computing Foundation survey of 1,337 managers and practitioners found that most software developer outfits are delivering weekly or faster releases.
From ACM News
Keeping Government Out of Your Business
The Enforcer software can keep government surveillance from straying into illegality.
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 News
The Search for E.T. Goes on Hold, for Now
A popular screen saver takes a break while its inventors try to digest data that may yet be hiding news of extraterrestrials.
From ACM News
Big Tech Could Emerge From Coronavirus Crisis Stronger Than Ever
Amazon is hiring aggressively to meet customer demand. Traffic has soared on Facebook and YouTube. And cloud computing has become essential to home workers.
From ACM News
Kenyan Government Finally Approves Loon’s Internet-delivery Balloons
The balloons are being fast-tracked to improve communication during the coronavirus pandemic.
From ACM TechNews
How CDC is Trying to Forecast Coronavirus's Spread
A group of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is one of several dozen teams enlisted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to adapt their annual flu forecasting techniques to predict the spread of coronavirus…
From ACM TechNews
Computer Scientists Develop AI System that Predicts Air Pollution Levels
A new artificial intelligence system can predict air pollution levels as much as two days in advance.
From ACM TechNews
This Drone Can Play Dodgeball
Researchers equipped a quadcopter with event cameras and algorithms to reduce its reaction time and enable it to avoid a ball thrown at it from a short distance.
From ACM TechNews
China to Launch National Blockchain Network in 100 Cities
An alliance of Chinese government groups, banks, and technology firms plans to launch one of the first blockchain networks constructed and maintained by a central government.
From ACM TechNews
DDoS Attacks Could Affect Next-Generation 911 Call Systems
Researchers have found that next-generation 911 systems that accommodate text, images, and video continue to be vulnerable to many of the same cyberattacks as previous systems.