Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Google's Quantum Computer
Google's announcement last week that it plans to launch a new quantum computing laboratory withNASA may have boosted a highly specialized and slightly obscure field of study into a more mainstream light. The search-engine giant says quantum technology will help the company build better, more accurate search engines, and will help advance the field of artificial intelligence.
But don't expect your life to change dramatically.
Google unveiled its plans this week to collaborate with NASA and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) to create the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab. The facility, located at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., will house a quantum computer made by D-Wave, British Columbia-based company that sells the world's only commercial quantum computers.

"We believe quantum computing may help solve some of the most challenging computer-science problems, particularly in machine learning. Machine learning is all about building better models of the world to make more accurate predictions. If we want to cure diseases, we need better models of how they develop. If we want to create effective environmental policies, we need better models of what's happening to our climate. And if we want to build a more useful search engine, we need to better understand spoken questions and what's on the Web so you get the best answer," says Hartmut Neven, Google's director of engineering.
 
 But using quantum computers to build climate models may not be practical quite yet.
Quantum computers hold the promise of being able to make complex calculations to specific types of problems much faster than regular computers can now.
Whereas conventional computers can perform tasks extremely quickly already, their circuits abide by the laws of classical physics, meaning they can only be in a single state at any given time. Regular desktop and laptop computers use codes, or bits, expressed as either a 0 or a 1.
Quantum computers, however, are not governed by the same limitations. A quantum bit, or qubit, can exist as a 0, 1, or both a 0 and 1 simultaneously, which is a strange state known as superposition.
"But quantum computing is not just a faster type of conventional computing. It's for specific problems — it's not just taking the computers we have today and making them a billion times faster," said Scott Aaronson, an associate professor in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT.  
Still, some scientists question whether D-Wave's machines are fast enough, and whether they function as true quantum computers. 
One task quantum computing is particularly suited for is solving optimization problems — which is best explained using the example of the traveling salesman who has to visit all of his customers in a certain period of time. Quantum computing could be used to figure out the best route, taking into account a number of different variables, such as traffic.
In some instances, quantum computing could also lead to advancements in the development of superintelligent machines, or artificial intelligence.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

HP announces two new Android & Windows 8 Tablets
HP has announced the Android-powered SlateBook x2 and the Windows-powered Split x2. The SlateBook x2 is equipped with a 10.1-inch 1920 x 1200-pixel display and a new 1.8GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor. The tablet also features 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of internal storage, a rear-camera capable of 1080p video recording, an SD card slot, HDMI-out, a USB port and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

The Split x2 is equipped with a 13.3-inch 1366 x 768-pixel display and has the option of an Intel i3 or i5 processor. The device is powered by Windows 8 and also features an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2GB of RAM, a micro SD reader, one USB 2.0 port and one USB 3.0 port, an SD card slot, HDMI-out and up to 128GB of internal solid state storage as well as a 500GB hard disk drive.

Both devices SlateBook x2 and Split x2 include a keyboard dock with an extra battery that is similar to the ASUS Transformer series. The devices will be available in August.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Nokia Launches Metal Lumia 925 Windows Phone


Nokia has launched a lighter, metal model in its Lumia smartphone range. The Lumia 925 is the latest in Nokia's range using Microsoft's Windows Phone software and will be sold for $610 before taxes and subsidies through carriers such as Vodafone and China Mobile.

The phone weighs 139 grams, compared with 185 grams for the earlier 920 model, which some critics had said was too heavy. It also utilizes a new smart camera mode, a photo editing function which Nokia intends to introduce to all Lumia devices. Nokia's Lumia 925 Windows Phone is made of metal and has an 8.7-megapixel camera.

The company has also unveiled the slightly heavier Lumia 928 for the U.S. market recently. It was priced at $99 after a rebate and a two-year deal with Verizon Wireless.

Both the Lumia 925 and 928 are targeted at the high-end, flagship segment, which accounts for 35 to 40 percent of the total global market, said Jo Harlow, Nokia's executive vice president for smart devices.

Nokia's announcement of the Lumia 925 came just days after it unveiled the Asha 501, a $99 handset with a touch-screen.

The Asha 501 is aimed at a growing, middle-class population in emerging markets who like smartphones but can't afford high-end models.

Nokia has also recently started selling a lower-spec Lumia 521, sold as the 520 in other markets, for under $150 at Walmart in the United States.
Apple Offering $10k Prize to 50 Billionth App Downloader


Apple Offering $10k Prize to User that Downloads 50 Billionth App.

Apple's is celebrating its approach of the 50 billion App Store download milestone with a big bucks contest.

The lucky user to download the 50 billionth app will get an App Store gift card worth $10,000. The very next 50 app down-loaders after number 50 billion will each get a $500 App Store gift card.

The contest will only register 25 entrants per account per day. To be eligible, users must also be at least 13 years old.

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