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
'Stalkerware' Apps Are Proliferating. Protect Yourself
These spyware apps record your conversations, location and everything you type, all while camouflaged as a calculator or calendar.
From ACM TechNews
Apple Issues Emergency Security Updates to Close Spyware Flaw
Apple released emergency security patches after researchers in Canada found a flaw that allows spyware from Israel's NSO Group to infect any Apple product.
From ACM News
Smart Glasses Made Google Look Dumb. Now Facebook Is Giving Them a Try
The company has teamed up with Ray-Ban to create glasses that can take photos, record video, answer phone calls and play podcasts.
From ACM News
U.S. Will Investigate Tesla's Autopilot System Over Crashes With Emergency Vehicles
It will be the broadest look yet at Tesla's assisted-driving technology. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has the authority to force a recall...
From ACM News
Are Robotic Surgeries Really Better?
Robot-assisted surgeries have only modest advantages over other approaches, a large analysis found.
From ACM News
QR Codes Are Here to Stay. So Is the Tracking They Allow.
Fueled by a desire for touchless transactions, QR codes popped up everywhere in the pandemic. Businesses don't want to give them up.
From ACM News
What Should Happen to Our Data When We Die?
Anthony Bourdain's A.I.-generated voice is just the latest example of a celebrity being digitally reincarnated. These days, though, it could happen to any of us...
From ACM TechNews
No Soil. No Growing Seasons. Just Add Water, Technology.
Hydroponic farms are growing crops with innovative technologies, including machine learning algorithms, data analytics, and proprietary software, in the absence...
From ACM TechNews
How AI Is Fighting Wildfires
The University of California, San Diego's Ilkay Altintas and colleagues have spent eight years helping fire managers and scientists combat wildfires through the...
From ACM TechNews
Musical Chairs? Swapping Seats Could Reduce Orchestra Aerosols
Researchers used a computer model to determine whether rearranging musicians could significantly reduce aerosol buildup on the stage of a concert hall.
From ACM News
Google Seeks to Break Vicious Cycle of Online Slander
The search giant is changing its algorithm, part of a major shift in how Google polices harmful content.
From ACM News
Archaeologists vs. Computers: A Study Tests Who's Best at Sifting the Past
When it came to the tedious task of categorizing pottery fragments, a deep-learning model was found to be just as accurate as four human experts, and far more efficient...
From ACM News
Something Bothering You? Tell It to Woebot.
When your therapist is a bot, you can reach it at 2 a.m. But will it really understand your problems?
From ACM News
Why Apple and Google's Virus Alert Apps Had Limited Success
The virus-tracing effort raises questions about the power of Big Tech to set global standards for public health tools.
From ACM News
Russia Pressures Tech Firms to Obey Online Crackdown
Its campaign is part of a global wave of actions by governments that are testing how far they can go to control online speech.
From ACM News
Fed Takes Closer Look at Creating Digital Money
The U.S. wants to make sure it has a prominent seat at the table as the rules of future cross-border payments are drawn.
From ACM TechNews
The Future of Virus Tracking Can Be Found on This College Campus
Researchers have transformed the Colorado Mesa University campus into an epidemiological laboratory researching new avenues of pandemic management.
From ACM News
Online Cheating Charges Upend Dartmouth Medical School
The university accused 17 students of cheating on remote exams, raising questions about data mining and sowing mistrust on campus.
From ACM News
How Data Is Changing the Way Offices Are Run
Building owners are using data collection and artificial intelligence to help control systems like heating, lighting, air quality, and even the flow of workers....
From ACM TechNews