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
Making a Layer Cake With Atomic Precision
University of Manchester researchers have shown that graphene and other one-atom-thick crystals could be used in a wide range of new materials and electronic devices...
From ACM TechNews
'Invisibility' Could Be a Key to Better Electronics
MIT researchers have applied the concept of harnessing cloaking mechanisms developed to conceal objects from view to the movement of electrons, which could lead...
From ACM Careers
Genome Hunters Go After Martian Dna
Two high-profile entrepreneurs say they want to put a DNA sequencing machine on the surface of Mars in a bid to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life.
From ACM News
Report Sees Decline in Voting Glitches ... but Vote-By-Mail Sparks Concern
The good news about voting technologyis that the upgrades put into place since the controversial 2000 presidential election have made ballot tallies twice as accurate...
From ACM Opinion
Craig Venter Imagines a World with Printable Life Forms
Craig Venter imagines a future where you can download software, print a vaccine, inject it, and presto! Contagion averted.
From ACM TechNews
Squeeze Your Phone, and Send a Loved One a Hug
Researchers at the Helsinki Institute of Information Technology and Nokia have developed the ForcePhone, a device that can send vibrations back and forth to users...
From ACM TechNews
Next-Gen Touchpads Respond to Pressure
Researchers presenting at the recent User Interface Software Technology conference demonstrated projects that took advantage of Synaptics' new pressure-sensitive...
From ACM News
What's Baking on Titan?
Radar images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft reveal some new curiosities on the surface of Saturn's mysterious moon Titan, including a nearly circular feature that...
From ACM News
Paging Dr. Watson: Artificial Intelligence As a Prescription For Health Care
Everyone agrees health care in the United States is a colossal mess, and IBM is betting that artificially intelligent supercomputers are just what the doctor ordered...
From ACM News
The Future, as Imagined by Google
In Eric E. Schmidt's future, his life will be a lot easier.
From ACM Opinion
Why Is This Man Running For President of the Internet?
It's an unseasonably cold early October evening in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian is giving his elevator pitch to a flustered but rapt...
From ACM Opinion
Patent Could Shackle 3D Printers with Drm
One of the greatest benefits of 3D printing technology—the ability to make replacements or parts for household objects like toys, utensils and gadgets—may be denied...
From ACM News
Chips That Melt in Your Body, Not in Your Hands
Welcome to the brave new world of transient electonics.
From ACM News
Ever Wondered What a Live Botnet Looks Like?
The idea of a network of malware-infected zombie computers rigged to do the bidding of criminals conjures up a frightening image on its own. A new visualization...
From ACM Opinion
How I Accidentally Helped Compromise the Secret Keys of High-Security Handcuffs
In the age of freely available modeling software, laser cutters and 3D printers, shapes that must stay secret for security's sake don't stay secret for long. Especially...
From ACM News
Pentagon Scientists: We Can't Predict Violent Outbursts. Yet.
In the years to come, a top group of military scientists believe, the Pentagon may be able to use genomics and bio-markers to spot when a soldier is about to snap...
From ACM News
Leon Panetta on Cybersecurity: D.C. Action Needed
While Joe Biden and Paul Ryan were duking it out last Thursday night over U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was warning...
From ACM News
Precision Espionage Miniflame Malware Tied to Flame, Gauss
One of three previously unseen pieces of malware discovered during forensic analysis of the Flame malware command-and-control servers has been identified as a secondary...
From ACM TechNews
Moore's Law: The Rule That Really Matters in Tech
Moore's Law has sustained its momentum despite worries of it hitting its physical limits, thanks to materials scientists' progress in getting more computing power...
From ACM News