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
The Longest Yard in Football
The National Football League is starting to use tracking technology that can distinguish exact distances and measure the value of a single inch, which could dramatically...
From ACM TechNews
Census Overhaul Seeks to Avoid Outing Individual Respondent Data
The U.S. Census Bureau is revamping its systems to prevent the use of published data to target individual respondents through the information they disclose.
From ACM TechNews
'Tis the Season for Surge Robots as Holiday Hiring Finds Automation
Retailers and logistics operators are investing in collaborative robots (cobots) to accelerate warehouse operations in the holiday season.
From ACM TechNews
Volkswagen to Test Quantum Navigation App in Real Traffic
Volkswagen will test a quantum navigation app in Portugal next week, with plans to eventually incorporate its capabilities into automobiles.
From ACM TechNews
The Drones Are Coming! How Amazon, Alphabet, Uber Are Taking to the Skies
Companies including Amazon, Alphabet's Wing, and Uber, are launching more advanced trials of drone delivery.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Find Racial Bias in Hospital Algorithm
A predictive hospital algorithm was more likely to choose white patients to receive additional medical assistance than black patients.
From ACM TechNews
UPS Strikes Agreements to Use Drones to Deliver Medical Supplies
United Parcel Service will use drones to deliver medical samples and supplies.
From ACM TechNews
Walmart, Mattel Lease 'Floors' in a Virtual Toy Store
Toy company Mattel and retailer Walmart are "leasing floors" in a virtual store.
From ACM TechNews
App Helps You Learn About China, While China Learns All About You
Researchers in Germany and Australia found China is using a widely downloaded mobile app and translation service to siphon billions of pieces of information on...
From ACM TechNews
Europe's Old Universities Spin Out New Tech Companies
Across Europe, some of the world's oldest universities are intensifying efforts to get promising technologies out of their labs and into commercial use.
From ACM TechNews
Your Next Vacation Is Written on Your Face
Travel companies are using sophisticated technology to help understand what people like.
From ACM TechNews
Teen Hackers Try to Convince Parents They Are Up to Good
U.S. teenagers are forming hacking clubs and attempting to persuade their parents and teachers that hacking is not necessarily a malign vocation.
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Steps Up Scrutiny of Airplane Cybersecurity
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revived a program to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities in aviation, in conjunction with the Pentagon and the U...
From ACM TechNews
Military Drones Now Common to Nearly 100 Nations, Report Finds
A report by researchers at Bard College's Center for the Study of the Drone estimated that 95 countries currently own unmanned military drones—up from 60 in 2010...
From ACM TechNews
Ready, Set, Algorithms! Teams Learn AI by Racing Cars
Amazon Web Services developed the DeepRacer League, a competition designed to teach a branch of artificial intelligence known as reinforcement learning.
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Government Urged to Boost R&D Spending
The nonprofit Information Technology and Innovation Foundation think tank has called on the U.S. government to invest an additional $40 billion annually in technology...
From ACM TechNews
World Catching Up With China on Surveillance Tech
China is the global leader in surveillance technologies, although other countries are catching up, according to a study by the Carnegie Endowment for International...
From ACM TechNews
How Hackers Could Break Into the Smart City
The more connected a smart city is, the greater its vulnerability to cyberattack.
From ACM TechNews
The Next Hot Job: Pretending to Be a Robot
Many robotic systems are not fully autonomous and require, at the very least, humans monitoring them from afar.
From ACM TechNews