Saturday, December 12, 2009

Google Demonstrates Quantum Algorithm Promising Superfast Search [Quantum Computing]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/MPRQ5SsE4gw/google-demonstrates-quantum-algorithm-promising-superfast-search

Quantum computing has long dangled the possibility of superfast, super-efficient processing, and now search giant Google has jumped on board that future.

New Scientist reports that Google has spent the past three years developing a quantum algorithm that can automatically recognize and sort objects from still images or video.

The promise of quantum computing rests with the bizarre physics that occurs at the subatomic level. Different research teams have worked on creating quantum processors that store information as qubits (quantum bits), which can represent both the 1 and 0 of binary computer language at the same time. That dual possibility state allows for much more efficient processing and information storage.

To take an example cited by Google, a classical computer might need 500,000 peeks on average to find a ball hidden somewhere within a million drawers. But a quantum computer could find the ball by just looking into 1,000 drawers — a nice little stunt known as Grover's algorithm.

Google has been using a quantum computing device created by D-Wave, a Canadian firm. But a lack of information about how D-Wave's chip works has led to outside skepticism regarding whether it does indeed count as a quantum computer.

"Unfortunately, it is not easy to demonstrate t! hat a mu lti-qubit system such as the D-Wave chip indeed exhibits the desired quantum behavior and experimental physicists from various institutions are still in the process of characterizing the chip," wrote Hartmut Neven, head of Google's image recognition team, on the Google research blog.

Whatever D-Wave built has apparently worked for Google. Neven described a new algorithm based on the work of MIT that can sort images of cars from among 20,000 photos faster than anything running in a Google data center today — although the team first trained the algorithm by hand-labeling cars in a test photo batch.

Google's image recognition team has previously made its algorithms work for better online image searches and automatic photo organization. Perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised that the Google folk have also delved into quantum computing, or at least something much faster than existing classical computing.

[via New Scientist]

Popular Science is your wormhole to the future. Reporting on what's new and what's next in science and technology, we deliver the future now.




You're Saving the Economy! (Average Gadget Spending Up From $160 to $190) [Data Visualization]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/9r_RubN-Bbk/youre-saving-the-economy-average-gadget-spending-up-from-160-to-190


Believe it or not, that's what the latest data shows: The economy is bouncing back, or at least, retail spending is. The trend is clear especially in electronics, where spending has skyrocketed from a little above $160 to almost $190.

That figure is the average spending per user, post-Black friday. The main winners were Best Buy—with a 18.3% year-over-year growth—and Fry's—with a 12.2%. No only that but, spending in the high end retail has also increased, reverting a negative trend.

Great. Now all those people without a single penny in the bank will be able to be rejoice. [Mint]




ASUS Eee Box EB1501 primed for $479 Amazon pre-order

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/11/asus-eee-box-eb1501-primed-for-479-amazon-pre-order/

We'd been wondering when ASUS' NVIDIA Ion and optical drive packing Eee Box EB1501 would touch down on US soil, and lo and behold today it's showing face for all those eager enough to pre-order. The device is available at Amazon for not a dollar less than $479 (though it does have free shipping), and if you'll recall, the box is boasting a 1.6GHz Intel Atom dual core N330, NVIDIA Ion graphics, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive. All that and you get Windows 7 Home Premium rather than the ever-graying Windows XP. Of course, if you're looking for all that in a mobile form factor you can always wait on the $499 ASUS Eee PC 1201N, but for set-top duty, feel free to unleash the credit card right now.

ASUS Eee Box EB1501 primed for $479 Amazon pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tetra the micromouse needs no cheese, completes maze in new record time (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/12/tetra-the-micromouse-needs-no-cheese-completes-maze-in-new-reco/

Lab rats beware -- there's a new turbo-charged robotic cousin of yours on the block. This little autonomous fellow, Tetra, has just wowed micromouse hobbyists with a 4.766-second finish time in a maze (which had to be mapped by the micromouse first) in a recent demonstration, beating the previous All Japan Micromouse contest record by a big margin of 1.6 seconds. Sadly, Tetra wasn't the winner of this year's contest as it failed to complete the final Expert Class event -- probably something to do with the lighting conditions which affected its tracking. We can still admire Tetra's awesomeness in the video after the break though, followed by some thoughts from a few micromouse experts.

Continue reading Tetra the micromouse needs no cheese, completes maze in new record time (video)

Tetra the micromouse needs no cheese, completes maze in new record time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Jolicloud Netbook OS Is a Bit Like Chrome OS with Awesome Desktop Applications [Screenshot Tour]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/YvmSBpTs95I/jolicloud-netbook-os-is-a-bit-like-chrome-os-with-awesome-desktop-applications

Chrome OS is a promising cloud-based operating system, but the big complaint most people have about it is that Chrome OS is entirely browser-based. New netbook OS Jolicloud is a lot like Chrome OS, but with the addition of killer desktop apps.

Before you even consider Jolicloud, you may want to look at their big list of compatible devices. It's pretty huge, and I'd also suspect not complete. I'm actually testing it in a virtual machine and it's working just fine, and it would probably work on a fair amount of other hardware.

Think you'd like to try it out? You can install it easily from Windows using a simple installer. Rather than wipe out your Windows installation, it simply carves out some partitioned space on your hard drive so you don't have to worry about ditching Windows altogether just to try it out. Ready to give it a try? The installation is pretty straightforward, but if you want a little hand-holding, check out the gallery below.

Once your Jolicloud installation is complete, you'll end up at the login screen.

Enter the username and password you created during installation, and when you log in, you'll end up staring down the Jolicloud netbook launcher screen.

You'll also be prompted to set up your Jolicloud account at this point, but unfortunately the specialized Jolicloud accounts—which is part of ! what mak es Jolicloud so cool—requires an invitation code, so you'll probably want to sign up for one ASAP. If and when you do sign up with a Jolicloud homebase, you'll get access to the Jolicloud App Directory pictured below.

It's from this directory you can install your favorite programs—from Skype and Dropbox to Boxee and Spotify in a single click. When you're logged in to Jolicloud, you've also got access to your social stream:

...and a convenient update manager:

In short, Jolicloud is a very impressive looking netbook operating system. Sure it's just a specialized interface running on top of Ubuntu and powered by a lot of Mozilla Prism packages. The App Directory makes the operating system—as TechCrunch accurately put it—feel like an iPhonesque OS for netbooks. And unlike the current state of Chrome OS, the current alpha release of Jolicloud is actually pretty well supported.

It's probably a little unfair to compare Jolicloud to Chrome OS, since they are ultimately very different in their approach, but they are both aiming for the same market—your netbooks. If you've given Jolicloud a try in the past or just want to weigh in on its l! ooks fro m the screenshots, let's hear your thoughts in the comments.




Dell rechristens the USFF with OptiPlex 780 mini PC

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/dell-christens-the-usff-with-optiplex-780-mini-pc/

What's smaller than a small form factor PC? Frankly, a lot. Cells, shrimp, quarters -- you name it. That said, there aren't many bona fide PCs out there that can shrink down beyond the admittedly vague SSF dimensions, but Dell's making another push for its Ultra Small Form Factor (USFF) as the "world's smallest fully functional commercial desktop PC with an integrated power supply and Intel vPro technology." Of course, there's quite a bit of qualification going on there (and rightfully so, given just how tiny the fit-PC2i is), but those interested in taking the plunge can order one with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, Windows 7 and a host of other run-of-the-mill amenities starting at $629.

Dell rechristens the USFF with OptiPlex 780 mini PC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP Envy 15 review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/hp-envy-15-review/

There are laptops and then there are laptops. The Envy 15 has fallen into that second category ever since we got our hands-on: it's the first PC we've seen that really equals the MacBook Pro's unibody design and it packs a scorching-fast Intel Core i7 processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 graphics and Beats speakers. On paper, this is easily the hottest laptop we've seen in some time, but has HP really managed to deliver on that promise? We spent a few days with this $1,800 monster, so read on to see if it lives up to the hype.

Continue reading HP Envy 15 review

HP Envy 15 review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 20! 09 17:45 :00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microvision's PicoP laser projector meets rifle-shaped motion controller, mayhem ensues

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/11/microvisions-picop-laser-projector-meets-rifle-shaped-motion-co/

How do you spice up the traditionally unexciting projector market? You take your finest laser projector, with its "infinite focus" skills, pair it with a weapon-styled motion controller, and you offer FPS gamers the opportunity to get out of their seats and perform their murdering sprees as nature intended. So Microvision thinks, and we've no doubt that the prototype being demonstrated over at the Intel Extreme Masters will be fulfilling a few fanboy dreams, but we're more interested in how it all works. If you remember the GameGun (and who could forget that mullet?), this'll be familiar territory: the projector reacts to movements of the controller so that the game view tracks your real world view, lending the experience a bona fide 3D feel. Microvision won't spill the full details just yet, but a video demo awaits past the break.

[Thanks, Tony]

Continue reading Microvision's PicoP laser projector meets rifle-shaped motion controller, mayhem ensues

Microvision's PicoP laser projector meets rifle-shaped motion controller, mayhem ensues originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entelligence: Lessons from the CrunchPad

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/entelligence-lessons-from-the-crunchpad/

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

Last weekend, Nilay Patel did a great overview of the murky legal issues surrounding the mysterious CrunchPad -- now coming to market direct from developer Fusion Garage as the $499 Joojoo. While I won't get into the swirling controversy, I think there's a few important lessons to be learned from this great gadget debacle.

First, smart vendors under-promise and over-deliver. The hype and buzz around the CrunchPad were off the charts from day one. Everything from the delivery schedule to the initial price points were unrealistic, made moreso by continued promises to publicly show the prototype and targeted price points that kept rising with each announcement. Keep it low-key and simple -- then surprise and delight your customers with early ship dates and lower than expected prices. Too much promise with no delivery is the classic recipe for having a product get tagged vaporware. Always good to remember, "Whom gods destroy, they first make humble."

Continue reading Entelligence: Lessons from the CrunchPad

Entelligence: Lessons from the CrunchPad originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RAmos W7 in the wild and looking good

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/ramos-w7-in-the-wild-and-looking-good/

We've seen some video of the RAmos W7 running Android (with some pep), but these new photos of the device out and about are pretty promising. An Android slate with a 4.8-inch screen in a thinner-than-an-iPhone form factor? Look out, Archos 5. Hit up the source link for the rest.

[Thanks, Steve]

RAmos W7 in the wild and looking good originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VeriFone Payware Mobile iPhone peripheral looking ready to square off with, er, Square

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/10/verifone-payware-mobile-iphone-peripheral-looking-ready-to-squar/

Sure, it's not quite as elegant as a little cube jutting out of one corner of the iPhone à la Square, but it looks like the Payware Mobile could certainly double as a pretty sturdy case should it drop. More importantly, the backing of VeriFone means this mobile payment peripheral has some pretty important backing and should be able to hit the ground running. That magical date should be January 15th of next year, free on a 2-year Payware Connect contract, and pre-orders are now live on the website for those who want to join in on the phone. Just one word of advice: when you hand the iPhone over for someone to sign as proof of purchase, make sure you're able to outrun the chap. Just in case.

[Thanks, Jason]

VeriFone Payware Mobile iPhone peripheral looking ready to square off with, er, Square originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT gestural computing makes multitouch look old hat

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/11/mit-gestural-computing-makes-multitouch-look-old-hat/

Ah, the MIT Media Lab, home to Big Bird's illegitimate progeny, augmented reality projects aplenty, and now three-dimensional gestural computing. The new bi-directional display being demoed by the Cambridge-based boffins performs both multitouch functions that we're familiar with and hand movement recognition in the space in front of the screen -- which we're also familiar with, but mostly from the movies. The gestural motion tracking is done via embedded optical sensors behind the display, which are allowed to see what you're doing by the LCD alternating rapidly (invisible to the human eye, but probably not to human pedantry) between what it's displaying to the viewer and a pattern for the camera array. This differs from projects like Natal, which have the camera offset from the display and therefore cannot work at short distances, but if you want even more detail, you'll find it in the informative video after the break.

[Thanks, Rohit]

Continue reading MIT gestural computing makes multitouch look old hat

MIT gestural computing makes multitouch look old hat originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia 5235 Comes With Music and a low price in Q1 2010

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/11/nokia-5235-comes-with-music-and-a-low-price-in-q1-2010/

The 5230 has only recently made its way out to stores, but that hasn't stopped Nokia from fashioning a KIRFy sort of successor for it. Meet the Nokia 5235, a spec for spec copy of its elder brother, including the same 3.2-inch touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera, and Symbian S60 5th edition. We thought we could spot a tiny difference in the materials being used, but otherwise you really are looking at the exact same handset. Your wallet would tell the difference, though, as the 5235 has a pre-tax and pre-subsidy price of €145 ($214), which is more than €100 cheaper than the previously noted 5230 CWM variant -- in other words, Nokia is renaming its CWM model and chopping the price nicely. Why, we don't know, but when is the first quarter of 2010.

Update: Poring over the spec sheets, we've finally noticed the big change in the 5235: it lacks GPS.

Nokia 5235 Comes With Music and a low price in Q1 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Asus Building Eee Pad to Counter Apple Tablet? [Rumor]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/aS9ctCMtJ-0/asus-building-eee-pad-to-counter-apple-tablet

According to DigiTimes, Asus is building a "4- to 7-inch panel...which will offer a combination of tablet PC and MID functions." And given Asus' experience in cheap portables (inventing netbooks, remember?), the plan could be a perfect fit. [DigiTimes]