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Microsoft Research and University of Melbourne open center to study social natural interfaces
According to Microsoft this will be "the world's first joint research center dedicated to studying and perfecting the social applications of NUI [natural user interfaces]." That's about as incredibly specific as these sorts of claims get, but still, Redmond's new Australian facility is an intriguing one - particularly in light of the company's all-in Kinect investment in the wake of the Xbox One. Of course, the peripheral's applications have long gone beyond the world of gaming, a matter helped along by a seemingly endless parade of third-party hacks, the development of Kinect for the PC and a move toward gesture-based control in the home. The Microsoft Research Centre for Social Natural User Interfaces has a long list of additional spaces it intends to study, including offices, classrooms, museums and healthcare. The research center is a joint project between MS Research and the University of Melbourne, with some help from the state government and Microsoft Australia.
Researchers create working quantum bit in silicon, pave way for PCs of the future
If you've been paying attention, you know the quantum computing revolution is coming -- and so far the world has a mini quantum network, not to mention the $10,000 D-Wave One, to show for it. Researchers from the University of Melbourne and University College, London, have now developed the "first working quantum bit based on a single atom of silicon." By measuring and manipulating the magnetic orientation, or spin, of an electron bound to a phosphorus atom embedded in a silicon chip, the scientists were able to both read and write information, forming a qubit, the basic unit of data for quantum computing. The team used a silicon transistor, which detects the electron's spin and captures its energy when the spin's direction is "up." Once the electron is in the transistor, scientists can change its spin state any way they choose, effectively "writing" information and giving them control of the quantum bit. The next step will be combing two qubits into a logic step, with the ultimate goal being a full-fledged quantum computer capable of crunching numbers, cracking encryption codes and modeling molecules that would put even supercomputers to shame. But, you know, baby steps.
Researchers develop means to reliably read an electron's spin, take us one step closer to the quantum zone
Another day, another step bringing us closer to the next big revolution in the world of computing: replacing your transistory bits with qubits. Researchers at Australia's Universities of New South Wales and of Melbourne, along with Finland's Aalto University, have achieved the impossibly tiny goal of reliably reading the spin of a single electron. That may not sound like much, but let's just see you do it quickly without affecting said spin. This particular implementation relies on single atoms of phosphorus embedded in silicon. Yes, silicon, meaning this type of qubit is rather more conventional than others we've read about. Of course, proper quantum computers depend on reading and writing the spin of individual electrons, so as of now we effectively have quantum ROM. When will that be quantum RAM? They're still working on that bit.
Wii Balance Board: decent for measuring equilibrium, medical study says
This one's pretty cute (or evidence of a completely uncreative healthcare industry). Researchers at the University of Melbourne and Singapore General Hospital's Department of Physiotherapy have run a battery of tests on the Wii's Balance Board, and found it to be somewhat useful in testing patient's balance and equilibrium, medically speaking. Current medical equipment used to test these skills is very expensive, heavy, and in short supply. The Balance Board, on the other hand, runs about $99. The Wii accessory was tested on 30 patients, and found to be about as good as the expensive force platforms usually used by doctors... which is great news for Nintendo -- this product has seemingly endless real-life applications -- but rather embarrassing for the makers of medical equipment, no? Hit the source link for a fuller look at the story.
Aussie develops technology to take DSL to 250Mbps
While 250Mbps isn't likely to get the drool flowin' quite as quickly as a 40Gbps connection in one's home, it's still nothing to scoff at. And best of all, the technology is quite a ways beyond the drawing board. Reportedly, University of Melbourne's Dr. John Papandriopoulos has patented his SCALE and SCAPE methods for "dramatically reducing the interference which slows down data transmission in typical DSL networks." 'Course, the tidbit you're interested in comes when we find that these techniques can potentially deliver speeds of up to 250-megabits per second through existing telecommunications networks. The only changes that would be necessary to facilitate such sensational speeds are new modems for end users and "operational system changes" for providers. No word on when this technology will actually be put to good use (read: installed in our homes), but the inventor himself is headed to the US soon to take a new position within a startup company founded by "Stanford University Professor John Cioffi, the so-called father of DSL." Bring the goods with you, Doc.[Thanks, Bram]
