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
Deepfake Audio Has a Tell
Researchers at the University of Florida can detect audio deepfakes by measuring acoustic and fluid dynamic distinctions between organic and synthetic voice samples...
From ACM TechNews
'Tough to Forge' Digital Driver's License Actually Easy to Forge
Security researchers have found that the supposedly hard-to-counterfeit digital driver's licenses in use in New South Wales, Australia, actually can be altered...
From ACM TechNews
Some Top 100,000 Websites Collect Everything You Type--Before You Hit Submit
Researchers analyzed the top 100,000 websites and found a significant number record some or all of visitors' typewritten data.
From ACM TechNews
Behold, a Password Phishing Site that Can Trick Even Savvy Users
A proof-of-concept "browser in the browser" exploit could phish passwords using a malicious site that does not contain suspicious domains or substitute letters....
From ACM TechNews
Bug Lurking for 12 Years Gives Attackers Root on Most Major Linux Distros
Polkit, a system-wide privilege manager for Unix-like operating systems, contains a 12-year-old memory-corruption vulnerability.
From ACM TechNews
Scammers Put Fake QR Codes on Parking Meters to Intercept Payments
Parking enforcement officers recently found fake quick response code stickers on pay stations in three Texas cities, used to trick people into paying scammers. ...
From ACM TechNews
Android Sends 20x More Data to Google Than iOS Sends to Apple, Study Says
A researcher says the Android operating system transmits about 20 times more information from smartphone handsets to Google than iOS sends to Apple.
From ACM TechNews
Telegram Feature Exposes Your Precise Address to Hackers
Hackers can exploit the Telegram messenger application employed in Android devices and iPhones to pinpoint users' precise locations.
From ACM TechNews
Undocumented Backdoor That Covertly Takes Snapshots Found in Kids' Smartwatch
Researchers at Norwegian security company Mnemonic found an undocumented backdoor in the X4 smartwatch marketed by children's watch vendor Xplora.
From ACM TechNews
Archaeologists with Drones Discover Pre-Columbian Earthworks in Kansas
Dartmouth College researchers discovered pre-Columbian earthworks in Kansas using drones equipped with LiDAR and infrared and thermal imaging.
From ACM TechNews
Uncovered: 1,000 Phrases That Incorrectly Trigger Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant
Researchers have identified more than 1,000 word sequences that incorrectly trigger voice assistants like Alexa, Google Home, and Siri.
From ACM News
Ethiopian Air Pilots Turned Off 737 MAX Anti-Stall System. Then It Turned On Again
The pilots of Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 apparently followed the proper steps to shut down an errant flight control system as they struggled to regain control...
From ACM News
They Didn't Buy the DLC: Feature that Could've Prevented 737 Crashes Was Sold As an Option
The crashed Lion Air 737 MAX and the Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX aircraft had more in common than aircraft design and the apparently malfunctioning flight system...
From ACM News
ber Escapes Criminal Charges for 2018 Self-Driving Death in Arizona
A prosecutor in Arizona has decided not to press charges against Uber in the March 2018 death of Elaine Herzberg. One of Uber's self-driving cars crashed into Herzberg...
From ACM News
String of Ions May Out-Compute Best Quantum Computers
Usually, I reflexively delete press releases. This one was no different, but as the message vanished, the subject line registered—"IonQ… quantum computing."
From ACM News
Researchers, Scared by Their Own Work, Hold Back 'Deepfakes for Text' AI
OpenAI, a non-profit research company investigating "the path to safe artificial intelligence," has developed a machine learning system called Generative Pre-trained...
From ACM News
Bless the Overclockers: In the Data Center World, Liquid Cooling Is Becoming King
In Iron Man 2, there is a moment when Tony Stark is watching a decades-old film of his deceased father, who tells him "I'm limited by the technology of my time,...
From ACM Careers
How the Government Shutdown Is Flushing Away Federal Cyber-Talent
The US Federal government is in the midst of the longest gap in funding for many of its agencies in history. As the "shutdown" extends into a second month, the...
From ACM News
Imaging Ever Closer to the Event Horizon
While black holes themselves swallow any light beyond their event horizon, the area outside the event horizon tends to emit lots of light.
From ACM News