IBM’s quantum computer conducts record breaking chemistry simulation

IBM’s quantum computer conducts record breaking chemistry simulation
IBM yesterday announced its researchers had taken the next step toward providing a viable quantum computing solution to understanding the universe. The company’s scientists used a seven-qubit processor to conduct a successful simulation of a beryllium-hydride molecule, the largest ever performed on a quantum computer.
Quantum computing, at its most basic, takes the idea of binary computing (ones and zeros) and turns it 3D then tangles it up with itself and – through magical computational anarchy – defies physics in order to provide a more accurate representation of the natural world.
If that doesn’t make any sense, don’t worry, the boring math and science behind it isn’t much more illuminating: the regular old bit is replaced by the fancy new quantum bit, or qubit, and the processing power becomes millions of factors greater than traditional computers are.
Currently IBM is conducting the pioneering forays into quantum computing. The space isn’t empty — Google is there, and other companies are elbowing in, but IBM has a bit of a lead.
The Thomas J Watson Research Center, where the IBM Q quantum computer prototypes are located, is a ludicrously expensive laboratory full of advanced technology that your average startup can only daydream about using.

Aside from the cost to research and develop new hardware, quantum computing suffers from an extreme case of fragility. The slightest fluctuation in temperature can destroy the quantum state of the qubits and all data with it. This means that the IBM Q’s processors and other important parts are kept frozen within thousandths of a degree of absolute zero, which is no small feat.
While there are plenty of roadblocks to the full implementation of a quantum computer as the replacement for today’s supercomputers, the outlook is bright. Scientists, researchers, and tech-enthusiasts can use them now via IBM’s computing cloud to get a feel for what the future of computing is going to be like.
The ability to simulate BeH2 doesn’t represent something never-before-done; we’re able to simulate much more complex molecules with current supercomputers. It represents the next performance milestone for quantum computing hardware.
At some point IBM made a computer that could play chess. This didn’t represent something that’d never been done before either, people were already pretty good at chess.
But when Deep Blue beat Garry Kasparov it was hailed as a miraculous moment for computers.
The quantum computer is learning how to do things that regular computers can do on its way to realizing its full potential, and that’s going to take awhile. Right now it’s years away from replacing the old binary machines.
But one day — sooner than you may think — the quantum computer will relegate every other processor before it to the dustbins of technology and history, next to the laser-disc and pagers.

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This AI program can make 3D face models from a selfie


This AI program can make 3D face models from a selfie
A group of AI experts from The University of Nottingham and Kingston University managed to create a new method by which two-dimensional images of faces can be converted into 3D using machine learning.
The researchers trained a convolutional neural-network to perform the task by feeding it tons of data on people’s faces. From there it figured out how to guess what a new face looks like from an previously unseen pic, including parts that it can’t see in the photograph.
The 3D computer vision project really has to be seen to be believed, and you can try it out in a nifty demo here. The website doesn’t really do the full technology justice, but it’s bloody cool.

Members of the team, which consists of Aaron S. Jackson, Adrian Bulat, Vasileios Argyriou, and Georgios Tzimiropoulos, will be presenting their work next month at the International Conference on Computer Vision in Venice.
Aaron Jackson told TNW via email:
The website demonstrating it was a quick mashup over the course of a few evenings. I basically made it because I thought seeing yourself in 3D is fun. A lot of research in computer vision is hard to present in a fun way because it’s things like new methods for detecting points on a face.
An AI that can turn pictures into faces is the tip of the iceberg here. The implications go far beyond amusing technology journalists for hours at a time with a website. In reality computer vision is one of the most useful purposes for deep learning and we can’t wait to see what Jackson and his fellow developers do next.
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Rejoice: Chrome won’t embarrass you by autoplaying videos with sound from January

Rejoice: Chrome won’t embarrass you by autoplaying videos with sound from January
Credit: Google
Don’t you just hate it when you click on a link and it contains a loud ad or video that begins playing on its own? Nobody asked for that, and Google is putting an end to this abhorrence in Chrome soon.
Version 64 of the cross-platform browser, which is slated to arrive in January 2018, will only allow autoplay for videos and ads if there’s no sound, or if you indicate that you want to watch that content. This will apply to both desktop and mobile versions of Chrome.
Ahead of that, you’ll also get an option in Chrome v63 to completely disable audio for specific sites. So if you’re beginning to hate on your preferred national news site or blog because it embarrasses you when you’re browsing in public, you’ll be able to stop that nonsense once and for all this October.
It seems like these features might be part of a larger plan to tackle crappy ads in Chrome; Google noted in June that it intended to block ads that don’t meet its standards for a decent browsing experience. Offenders include pop-ups, autoplaying videos with sound, prestitials with a countdown and large sticky banners that won’t disappear until you interact with them.
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Dell’s sleek VR headset is now up for pre-order

Dell’s sleek VR headset is now up for pre-order
Dell’s Visor – the company’s first VR headset – is now available to pre-order. That makes it one of the first consumer headsets you can secure in time for Microsoft launching its Windows 10 Mixed Reality support on October 17.
I was able to briefly check out the VR headset a while back, and I think it’s one of the classier looking models offered by Microsoft’s partners. It mounts similar to the Hololens and PlayStation VR, which is to say you don’t have to deal with a bunch of clumsy straps. There’s only one band you need to tighten, so putting it on and taking it off happens in just a couple of seconds.
My favorite feature, however, might just be the fact that you can flip up the visor to interact with the people around you without having to remove the whole thing. It’s a clever touch that might just make it a little less awkward to use VR around friends and family. You’ll still end up looking like a minimalist E.T though.
Specs are solid, too:
  • 1440×1440 resolution per eye
  • RGB subpixel array
  • 110-degree field of view
  • 90 Hz refresh rate
It comes in at $350 for the headset alone, or $450 with a pair of Microsoft’s VR controllers. As with all Windows Mixed Reality headsets, you don’t need any external cameras to be able to move around within your virtual environment, and the spec requirements are refreshingly low.
The headset will be available along with the Windows 10 Fall Creators update on October 17. For more on what Microsoft’s upcoming Mixed Reality experience is like, check out our hands-on here.
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Amazon is setting up its experimental Lab126 R&D outfit in India

aws certification, amazon
Credit: The Next Web
FactorDaily reports that Amazon is preparing to set up an outpost of Lab126, its R&D company that conceptualized gadgets like the Kindle ebook reader, Echo smart speaker, Dash buttons, and Fire tablets and streaming devices.
When it launches in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai, it’ll be the first Lab126 center outside of the US – it’s already present in six cities there with more than 3,000 employees. The outlet’s sources didn’t specify a timeline, but they did mention that Amazon is already hiring people for this facility.
It’ll be interesting to see what it comes up with; there’s a chance that the Mumbai outfit will simply house developers who will engineer ideas that are concocted in the US, but it could also see new innovations targeted to consumers in India.
Amazon is already doing brisk business in the Indian online retail space, which is slated to grow to $100 billion by 2020. The company had earmarked $5 billion to invest in its local operations there back in 2014, and it’s since launched its Prime expedited delivery offering, along with its Prime Video streaming service and Fire TV Stick streaming dongle.
It’s also believed to be bringing the Echo to India next month. That could be huge, because it’ll be the first major tech company to offer an AI-powered speaker in the country. In contrast, Google hasn’t yet announced plans to bring the Assistant-powered Home speaker to India, and Apple’s HomePod won’t become available anywhere until December. Amazon’s Echo might also be complemented by the launch of its streaming music service in India next year.
It may not be enough to simply begin shipping Echo speakers in India: there’s also the matter of supporting multiple accents and a wide range of languages, if Amazon wants to get users in the country to order things by issuing voice commands. Lab126 could play a role in improving Alexa’s voice recognition capabilities for fewer errors and misheard commands.
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Apple ‘Face ID’ prompts concerns about privacy from US officials

Apple ‘Face ID’ prompts concerns about privacy from US officials

Apple officially unveiled its new Face ID phone security system on Tuesday, which will allow you to unlock your phone and authenticate your identity with a print of your face. Now others are concerned the technology could be used for intrusive purposes — including members of the US government.
Several people on social media have expressed concern that your Face ID could be used against you by police without permission if you’re ever detained — all they’d have to do is point your phone at your face and let Apple’s sophisticated camera do the rest. So the question remains — could your own face be used to violate your right against self-incrimination?
US Senator Al Franken of Minnesota sent a letter to Tim Cook yesterday requesting more information on Face ID and any potential privacy issues that might arise from it. Among other concerns, Franken asked:
What safeguards has Apple implemented to prevent the unlocking of the iPhone X when an individual other than the owner of the device holds it up to the owner’s face? … How will Apple respond to law enforcement requests to access Apple’s faceprint data or the Face ID system itself?
Currently, there is apparently a failsafe in place (on iOS 11, to be released soon) which will, in theory, keep others from being able to access your data via your face. The “cop button,” as my colleague Abhimanyu Ghoshal put it, allows you to disable Touch ID with five rapid taps to the sleep button. This would, in theory, lock your phone so that it couldn’t be opened without your passcode — but if you don’t use it in time, anyone could have access to your phone as long as your eyes are open and they can hold it in front of your face.
We’ve reached out to Apple to ask whether it had addressed some of these concerns internally, and will update if we receive any response.
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13 ways to create a prototype on a limited budget

13 ways to create a prototype on a limited budget
A well-designed app or website can dramatically increase interest in a company or product, but both require an investment of time and capital. As these resources are often in short supply for many startups, releasing a poorly thought-out product can leave a company struggling to regain ground.
To avoid losses, businesses need a good prototype process. To find out how to do that on a limited budget, 13 entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council give their best advice on how they’d handle the issue.

1. Follow Lean Startup Methodology

The best way to create a prototype on a limited budget is to follow The Lean Startup methodology — do less, test, iterate and drop things that the market doesn’t need. The prototype can be as small as a couple of wireframes created in a free version of InVision. It can be user-tested for free among your friends and family. You’ll receive market feedback without writing a single line of code.  –Andrey KudievskiyDistillery

2. Do It Yourself

If cash is tight, the best option is to do it yourself. You can extend your runway significantly if you are going into a field where you have a high level of expertise. I built the first version of ZipBooks myself, and am still very involved in its day-to-day development.  –Tim ChavesZipBooks Online Bookkeeping Services

3. Self-Fund

By self-funding the prototype, you ensure you arrive at the most efficient process possible for proving the vision. If you can’t build it with equity, sweat equity and a small financial investment from the original team (or maybe close friends if it’s a large project), you likely haven’t put in enough thinking to ensure success.  –Brennan WhiteCortex

4. Sketch It Out on Paper First

Before you start designing your new website, software or mobile app, sketch it out on paper first. Mocking up screens, what they do, where the buttons are and how each screen flows from one to the next is both faster and cheaper on paper rather than in Photoshop. There are even stencils and paper sketch pads for this very purpose, or you can just use plain old 8.5″ x 11″ printer paper and a marker.  –David CiccarelliVoices.com

5. Create Mockups on InVision or Marvel

Use mockup tools such as InVision or Marvel to create prototype designs. These tools are now advanced enough that you can give users what seem to be functional app or website experiences. Users can click certain parts of a page or screen and navigate around, almost as if it were a real experience. These are very simple and low budget to create as they require no back-end engineering.  –Adelyn ZhouTOPBOTS

6. Use Balsamiq

Balsamiq is an incredible app for you to create prototypes. It’s very inexpensive to get started — there’s even a free trial — and, importantly, even non-technical folks can use the tool. You’re able to mock something up and get feedback quickly. Always start with an app like this before you invest any time in true development!  –Aaron SchwartzModify Watches

7. 3-D Print It

Companies today are using 3-D printers for rapid and cost-effective prototyping. Building a prototype with your hands or with a traditional manufacturer is time-consuming. With 3D printing, you can quickly create preliminary designs, identify product flaws and iterate accordingly.  –Firas KittanehAmerisleep

 8. When Wireframing, Use UX-App

This depends on the type of prototyping you’re planning to create. If you’re wireframing an app, try UX-App. It’s low-cost and relatively easy to use.  –Erik BullenMageMail

9. Use an Existing Tool

Use a tool such as Google Drive or Typeform. You can build a surprising amount of prototypes through these products. Simplify what you’re building (if it’s software) and take a look at what you can build as a basic version. Typeform even has Stripe integrated, so you can take payments  –Ben LangSpoke

10. Test an Idea Manually First

When you are first testing out an app or website idea, you are figuring out if there’s a market. If you’re not an engineer, you don’t want to spend a lot of resources creating a fancy product with no customers. For example, Groupon first started with a one-page WordPress blog. One way to save money is to have the app or website be manual first and automate to keep up with demand.  –Syed BalkhiOptinMonster

11. Visit the Hardware Store

You can find most of the supplies you need to prototype your product at a local hardware store or hobby shop. Use cheap materials and adopt a do-it-yourself attitude and put forth the effort. Not only will you garner cost savings, but having a more intimate understanding of your product will go a long way to making useful improvements and revisions.  –Blair ThomaseMerchantBroker

 12. Look for Help on Upwork

Save on costs by having someone else with experience develop it. Even if it isn’t perfect, you’ll at least have a basic prototype that you can share with others.  –Karl KangurMRR Media

13. Hire an Independent Artist

If your city has an art district, chances are you will be able to find an unlimited amount of talented artists who can create exactly what you want, whether it’s electronically or through means of sculpting. At the very least, they will probably know someone who does. This is why the arts are such an important talent to invest in. You never know how it will improve your business!  –Patrick BarnhillSpecialist ID, Inc.
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