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
Apps Used as Alternatives to Prison in U.S. Have Privacy Flaws
Researchers found privacy flaws in apps used in the U.S. to track people waiting for immigration court dates, those in juvenile detention systems, and those on...
From ACM TechNews
Fiber-Optic Cables Could Be Used for Spying
Device can eavesdrop on people up to 1 km away using existing fiber-optic cables.
From ACM TechNews
Seventy-Five Percent of the World's Top Websites Allow Bad Passwords
Princeton University's Arvind Narayanan and colleagues found 75% of 120 top-ranked English-language websites permit weak passwords.
From ACM TechNews
Global Satellite Map Will Help Hunt Down Illegal Fishing Vessels
A new digital map uses satellite radar imagery to identify potential illegal fishing vessels.
From ACM TechNews
AIs Could Be Hacked with Undetectable Backdoors to Make Bad Decisions
Renegade staff theoretically could insert undetectable backdoors in third-party artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, enabling hackers to commandeer the AIs...
From ACM TechNews
People Are Bad at Spotting Fake LinkedIn Profiles Generated by AI
Scientists found fake profiles produced by artificial intelligence on the business social network LinkedIn can easily deceive people.
From ACM TechNews
Fake Faces Created by AI Look More Trustworthy than Real People
Researchers found that people have a hard time distinguishing images of human faces created by artificial intelligence from images of real faces.
From ACM TechNews
Satellite Images Show Biggest Methane Leaks Come From Russia, U.S.
A multinational team determined that methane "ultra-emitter" sites account for about a tenth of the oil and gas industry's global methane emissions.
From ACM TechNews
Birthday Wishes Inadvertently Give Away Private Information Online
Researchers have determined that birthday wishes on Twitter can inadvertently expose private data that could jeopardize recipients' online security.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Performs Keyhole Surgery on Pigs
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University programmed a robot to perform minimally invasive keyhole surgery on pigs.
From ACM TechNews
Australia's AI Cameras Catch Over 270,000 Drivers Using Phones
Artificial intelligence-equipped cameras have spotted more than 270,000 drivers using phones while driving in New South Wales, Australia, since March 2020.
From ACM TechNews
Most Cryptocurrency Trades May Be People Buying from Themselves
As many as seven in 10 cryptocurrency trades on popular exchanges worldwide may involve people purchasing from themselves to inflate prices artificially.
From ACM TechNews
AI-Generated Deepfake Voices Can Fool Humans, Smart Assistants
Freely available voice-mimicking software can deceive people and voice-activated tools like smart assistants, according to University of Chicago scientists.
From ACM TechNews
Simple Make-Up Tips Can Help You Avoid Facial Recognition Software
Researchers at Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev developed artificial intelligence software that can provide makeup advice to foil facial recognition...
From ACM TechNews
Smart Reporting Tool Could Combat Fake News on Encrypted Chat Apps
Researchers at George Washington University say they have built a tool that would allow users to expose fake news without endangering their privacy. The Fuzzy Anonymous...
From ACM TechNews
GPS Cyberattack Falsely Placed U.K. Warship Near Russian Naval Base
A cyberattack may have been involved in a naval confrontation this week between Russia and a British warship in the Black Sea that never really happened.
From ACM News
How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected STEM Pay and Job Prospects?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a bumpy ride for many sectors, but a New Scientist Jobs/SRG survey shows science and tech have weathered the storm better than most...
From ACM TechNews
Robot Foresters Could Plant Thousands of Trees a Day
Two types of autonomous robot foresters developed by Estonia's University of Tartu and robot manufacturer Milrem are planting trees from Milrem's driverless ground...
From ACM TechNews
Voice Assistant Recordings Could Reveal What Someone Nearby Is Typing
A machine learning system can be used with voice assistants to detect typing on touchscreens nearby, using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to determine what...
From ACM TechNews