quantum
Latest
Quantum dots could coat the world in nano-sized solar panels
We've long believed in the mystical power of quantum dots, so it makes perfect sense to us that one day they'll be used to fully harness the Sun God's rays and thereby save the planet. The nano-particles turn light into electricity, and could potentially be manufactured cheaply and abundantly enough to coat surfaces in current-generating paint. The main obstacle to this has so far been efficiency: the clever little dots just don't work very hard. However, scientists at the University of Toronto now claim to have discovered a fix. Instead of using a single layer of particles, which can only harvest one meager wavelength from the full gamut of solar light, they added a second coat on top and configured it to be sensitive to an additional part of the spectrum. By adding third and fourth layers, the researchers hope to achieve a commercially viable efficiency of 10-percent within the next five years. We humbly call on Ra to be pleased with their efforts.
D-Wave sells first commercial quantum computer to Lockheed Martin
Who found ten million dollars to drop on the first commercially available quantum computer? Lockheed Martin, it seems, as the aerospace defense contractor has just begun a "multi-year contract" with the quantum annealing experts at D-Wave to develop... nothing that they're ready or willing to publicly discuss at this time. This "strategic relationship" marks the second major vote of confidence in D-Wave's technology, after Google built image detection algorithms for the company's processors a couple years back. Or, perhaps Lockheed Martin just wants a new shiny black toy for the Skunk Works labs. PR after the break.
D-Wave One claims mantle of first commercial quantum computer
Whether or not D-Wave has actually built a quantum computer is still a matter of debate (though, a study authored by the company and published in Nature claims to prove its success) but, whatever it is these crafty Canadians have created, you can order one now and start crunching qubits with abandon. The D-Wave One is the first commercially available quantum computer and, while its 128-qubit processor can only handle very specific tasks and is easily outperformed by traditional CPUs, it could represent a revolution in the field of supercomputing. As D-Wave scales up to thousands or tens-of-thousands of qubits, complex number theory problems and advanced cryptographic systems could crumble before the mighty power of quantum annealing... or at least give us faster Google searches. Just out of curiosity, we contacted D-Wave to see how much we'd have to cough up for a quantum desktop of our own, but we've yet to hear back. Update: Joseph passed along an e-mail from the company with a little more information, including a price: $10,000,000. Yep, ten large, and we're not sure that includes the liquid helium required to keep it cooled.
Nanosys unveils Quantum Dot Enhancement Film for LCDs, promises all kinds of colors
Another day, another step closer to quantum dot reality. Today, Nanosys unveiled its new Quantum Dot Enhancement Film (QDEF), marking the first time that the nanotechnology is available for LCD manufacturers. According to the company, its optical film can deliver up to 60 percent of all colors visible to the human eye, compared with the 20 to 25 percent that most displays offer. To create QDEF, Nanosys' engineers suspended a blend of quantum dots within optical film and applied it to a blue LED, which helped get the nanocrystals excited. Once they started hopping around, the dots emitted high-quality white light and a rich, wide color gamut, without consuming as much power as white LED-based materials. No word yet on when we can expect to see QDEF in consumer displays, but Nanosys claims that the film is "process-ready" and easy for manufacturers to integrate. For now, you can amuse yourselves by comparing the two frogs pictured above and guessing which one is covered in quantum dots. Full PR after the break.
AT&T affirms: Windows Phone 7 NoDo rollouts start today for Focus and Quantum owners
What's this, a rollout hitting as planned? Believe it or not, the leaked memo we spotted a few days back has now proven true, with Microsoft's long-awaited NoDo update (complete with copy-and-paste) being pushed out today for select LG Quantum and Samsung Focus users. The update itself has been looping around for some time, but this marks the first launch of it on AT&T's airwaves. We've confirmed with the carrier that the folks in Redmond are indeed pushing it out as we speak, but there's no word yet on how long it'll take for everyone to get served. Let us know how the new build's treating you in comments below... should you be lucky enough to get it, that is. [Thanks, Sean] Update: Microsoft also confirms this rollout, and says that the update is currently being tested on the HTC Surround. Thanks, Jeff G.! Update 2: In case the upload speed is restricted on your updated Focus, wpcentral has published an easy how-to on reactivating HSUPA. Thanks, zblack!
First light wave quantum teleportation achieved, opens door to ultra fast data transmission
Mark this day, folks, because the brainiacs have finally made a breakthrough in quantum teleportation: a team of scientists from Australia and Japan have successfully transferred a complex set of quantum data in light form. You see, previously researchers had struggled with slow performance or loss of information, but with full transmission integrity achieved -- as in blocks of qubits being destroyed in one place but instantaneously resurrected in another, without affecting their superpositions -- we're now one huge step closer to secure, high-speed quantum communication. Needless to say, this will also be a big boost for the development of powerful quantum computing, and combine that with a more bedroom friendly version of the above teleporter, we'll eventually have ourselves the best LAN party ever.
Researchers show off scalable architecture for quantum computing, expand our minds
Okay, so we might be chasing the flying unicorn of modern technology here -- and, no, we're not talking about the white iPhone 4 -- but as you've probably noticed, our hunger for a quantum computer is basically insatiable. Lucky for us, some folks who actually know something about producing qubits are similarly persistent -- a team of researchers recently presented a scalable quantum chip at a meeting of the American Physical Society in good old Texas. The 6 x 6-cm processor sports four qubits, the basic units of quantum computing, and its creators say it has the potential to be scaled up to support 10 of the things within the year. So what does that mean for our quest for the ultimate super computer? Well, it means we're closer than we used to be... and the dream lives on.
Northwestern University researchers route photon qubit, make quantum internet possible
Big brains across the globe continue to unlock the secrets of the qubit and harness it for myriad uses -- quantum hard drives, quantum computers, and even quantum refrigerators. The internet may be next in line to get quantum-ized now that researchers from Northwestern University found a way to route a photon qubit through an optical cable without losing any of its physical characteristics. A newly developed optical switch does the deed, which allows fiber-optic cables to share multiple users' quantum info at once -- making superfast all-optical quantum communication networks possible -- and gets us closer to having our tweets and status updates whizzing to and fro at the speed of light. [Thanks, Jonathan C]
Scientists create 10 billion qubits in silicon, get us closer than ever to quantum computing
We are totally ready for a quantum computer. Browse the dusty Engadget archives and you'll find many posts about the things, each charting another step along the way to our supposed quantum future. Here's another step, one that we think is a pretty big one. An international team of scientists has managed to generate 10 billion quantum entangled bits, the basic building block of a quantum computer, and embed them all in silicon which is, of course, the basic building block of a boring computer. It sounds like there's still some work to be done to enable the team to actually modify and read the states of those qubits, and probably a decade's worth of thumb-twiddling before they let any of us try to run Crysis on it, but yet another step has been made. [Image credit: Smite-Meister]
AT&T drops LG Quantum, Samsung Focus to $100 on contract
Now that's more like it: AT&T's got the Samsung Focus for $99.99 on a new two-year deal alongside the LG Quantum if landscape QWERTY is more your cup of tea, two Windows Phone 7 handsets that launched at $199.99 but suddenly become a whole heck of a lot more appealing at half the price -- and you don't have to jump through any BOGO hoops to get the deal. Interestingly, the third piece in AT&T's WP7 puzzle so far -- HTC's Surround -- stays at $199.99 despite the fact that it's really no higher-end, so it's pretty easy to pick out the best values of the bunch now. No word on how long this sale is running, though -- for all we know right now, the price change might be permanent, which would hopefully make room for fresher WP7 hardware on the high end.
Caltech research could lead to quantum hard drives, networks, parallel universes
Quantum anything has typically fallen into our oft-used category of 'awesome things that'll never happen,' but if a crew of researchers at the California Institute of Technology have anything to say about it, they'll soon be changing the fortunes of that segment. The team has recently demonstrated quantum entanglement for a quantum state stored in four spatially distinct atomic memories, and while that probably just blew your mind a little bit, the breakdown is fairly interesting. Essentially, they've uncovered a quantum interface between the atomic memories, which is said to "represent something akin to a computer hard drive for entanglement." If extended, it could pave the way toward quantum networks, and in turn, massive webs of quantum computers. We're obviously decades out from understanding what this all means for the common computer user, but just remember this: "for an entangled quantum system, there exists no objective physical reality for the system's properties." And you thought The Matrix was deep.
LG Quantum, HTC Surround and Samsung Focus: BOGO from AT&T starting Friday
Here's hoping you didn't choose to adopt early. Not even three weeks after Windows Phone 7 went on sale in the US of A comes this: a buy one, get one free sale christened by Microsoft and AT&T. Starting November 26th (that's Black Friday, we'll have you know), sleepy-eyed consumers can drag themselves into their local AT&T store in order to pick up an LG Quantum, HTC Surround or Samsung Focus in BOGO fashion -- best of all, you can mix and match, enabling users to snag a Quantum and a Surround (or a Focus) for just $199. Naturally, you'll still be signing a pair of two-year agreements with Ma Bell, but it's still the cheapest way to indulge in WP7 for the time being. There's no telling when the deal will end, but common sense would say to jump in early if you've got a hankerin'.
LG Quantum brings its QWERTY slider to AT&T
Miss out on Amazon's LG Quantum-for-a-penny deal this past weekend? Well, good news.. sort of. LG has just announced that the QWERTY-enhanced Windows Phone 7 device is now officially available from AT&T for the decidedly ordinary price of $199.99 on a two-year contract. That will buy you a 3.5-inch display, along with the usual 1GHz processor, 16GB of built-in memory, a 5 megapixel camera, and ten free apps that are available in the LG app store within the Windows Phone Marketplace. Full press release is after the break.
HTC Surround and LG Quantum available for $0.01 at Amazon this weekend
Want the cheapest way to try out Windows Phone 7? Outside of getting yourself hooked up with a job at a tech blog, Amazon might have the very finest option for you with its newly discounted $0.01 pricing on two AT&T handsets for the new platform. The HTC Surround and its slide-out speaker are available immediately whereas the LG Quantum, which slides to reveal a more conventional QWERTY keypad, is on back-order. Fear not, though, both will cost you a mere cent when obtained in conjunction with a new AT&T line and a two-year bond with the carrier. We might still prefer their European counterparts, but you can't deny these phones look to be priced just about right for what they are. Shame that this pricing will only last through the weekend.
Poll: Did you get a Windows Phone 7 device today?
You may have heard that Microsoft unleashed its new mobile platform on unsuspecting Americans today (see our reviews here), and we were curious to see how many of you broke out the credit card. Let us know how you played things in the poll below, and we're welcoming everyone into comments for an open (and totally not trolltastic) conversation about what Day One with a WP7 handset feels like. So get to it! %Poll-55476%
LG Optimus Quantum available from Bell today
The wait continues for AT&T customers, but that doesn't mean LG's Windows Phone 7-based QWERTY slider -- the only one at launch -- isn't available anywhere. AT&T's LG Quantum is known as the longer, fancier "Optimus Quantum" north of the border, where interested parties will pay CAD $99.95 (about $100) to enjoy the phone on a three-year contract -- or, if your wallet runs a little deeper, CAD $449.95 ($448) contract-free. As a refresher, the Optimus Quantum features a 5 megapixel cam, 3.5-inch WVGA display, and 16GB on onboard storage -- decent specs, but then again, every WP7 device has decent specs. Decisions! [Thanks, Andrew]
Windows Phone 7 handsets: spec comparison
Having trouble keeping track of all the new Windows Phone 7 handsets today? We don't blame you -- even we had trouble remembering all the minor differences between the similarly specced devices. To end our frustration, we've compiled a big chart that lists out the carriers and specs for all 10 devices (with a couple extra MIA) to make our lives a tad easier -- head on pass the break if you need the peace of mind.
Microsoft announces ten Windows Phone 7 handsets for 30 countries: October 21 in Europe and Asia, 8 November in US (Update: Video!)
It may have "Windows" in the branding, but Windows Phone 7 is not the desktop PC experience shoehorned into a cellphone. Microsoft tried that with Windows Mobile... and we all know how that turned out. Today, eight months after the Windows Phone 7 OS unveiling in Barcelona, we're finally seeing the official launch of the retail hardware: nine new WP7 handsets, some available October 21 in select European and Asian markets and others from early November in the US. The phones will find their way to over 60 cellphone operators in more than 30 countries this year. Microsoft tapped Dell, HTC, LG, and Samsung to deliver the Snapdragon-based handsets with a carrier list that includes AT&T, T-Mobile USA, Vodafone, TELUS, América Móvil, Deutsche Telekom AG, Movistar, O2, Orange, SFR, SingTel, and Telstra. And that's just for the first wave -- Microsoft has even more handsets coming in 2011 including the first for Sprint and Verizon in the US. Here's the lineup of 480 x 800 pixel (WVGA) phones announced today: HTC 7 Surround -- The 3.8-inch T8788 with slideout speaker for AT&T and Telus HTC HD7 -- Schubert comes of age as a 4.3-inch HD2 cousin for T-Mobile and beyond HTC 7 Trophy -- the 3.8-inch Spark headed to international carriers HTC 7 Mozart -- another heavily leaked int'l player with 3.7-inch display Dell Venue Pro -- 4.1-inch portrait QWERTY slider for T-Mobile we broke as Lightning Samsung Focus -- AT&T's 4-inch Super AMOLED slate we broke as Cetus Samsung Omnia 7 -- the i8700 is a 4-inch Super AMOLED jobbie for Europe LG Optimus 7/7Q -- the E900 is the official 3.8-inch global workhorse LG Quantum -- AT&T's 3.5-inch landscape slider first seen as the C900 HTC 7 Pro -- a 3.6-inch QWERTY slider for Sprint (2011) "Glance and Go," is the slogan Microsoft is using to differentiate itself from an already crowded smartphone market. Something we've already seen alluded to in that leaked AT&T ad. As Ballmer notes, "Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience - one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a 'glance and go' format." He's referring to WP7's customizable Live Tiles, of course. Xbox Live integration is another biggie with EA Games just announcing its first Xbox Live-enabled wares coming to Windows Phone 7 in the fall including "Need for Speed Undercover," "Tetris," "Monopoly," and "The Sims 3." The other big differentiators are the slick Metro UI, integrated support for Zune media and Zune Pass subscriptions, Bing search and maps, Windows Live including the free Find My Phone service, and Microsoft Office Mobile. Now quit stalling and jump past the break for the full list of handsets per carrier and country. Update: Added the official WP7 overview videos after the break.
LG Optimus 7, Quantum, and Optimus 7Q welcome Windows Phone 7 to the fold
LG was naturally expected to show up for today's announcement seeing how the company has been a longtime "strategic" partner of Microsoft's -- and indeed, they're bringing two models into the fold. First up is the Quantum (known as the Optimus 7Q in markets outside the US, pictured right) that we broke as the C900 back in August, a landscape slider equipped with quadband EDGE and triband HSPA (850 / 1900 / 2100MHz), 16GB of storage, a 5 megapixel camera with 720p video capture, a 3.5-inch WVGA display, and an all-too-familiar 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon core; as you might have guessed from the 3G bands, this puppy will be coming to AT&T. Next, the Optimus 7 (pictured left) will be seeing a much wider international release on Telus in Canada, America Movil in Mexico, Movistar and Vodafone in Europe, and SingTel in Singapore. What is it, you ask? Well, it's exactly what you'd figured by now from the leaks -- a 3.8-inch WVGA slate at 11.5mm thick with specs that largely mirror the Quantum's otherwise: 1GHz Snapdragon and 5 megapixel cam, notably. Both models will support "Play To," the brand name for the DLNA features LG touted back at IFA, allowing users to fling media to DLNA-compatible TVs, set-top boxes, and the like. Expect both the Optimus 7 and 7Q to start rolling out on October 21, eventually deploying in over 35 countries; on AT&T, the Quantum will run $199.99 when it hits in the next few weeks. Follow the break for LG's full press release.
Samsung Focus, HTC Surround, and LG Quantum all outed a bit early on AT&T's Windows Phone 7 site
These details aren't supposed to be live yet, we presume, but AT&T's just posted full information on its Windows Phone 7 lineup over on its site. We've got the Surround from HTC, the Samsung Focus, and the LG Quantum -- and as expected, they're a slider (sorta), a slate, and a full QWERTY slider, respectively. The Surround is touted as featuring Yamaha speakers in its slide-out surround sound arrangement with 16GB of onboard storage, the Focus is "slender and light" with a 4-inch Super AMOLED display that we imagine is ripped straight out of its Captivate stablemate, and the Quantum's listed with a 5 megapixel camera. All three are listed as "coming soon," so we'll have to hold tight and see whether we get any release dates today. [Thanks, Shane C.]