IBM is to let the public use one of its quantum processors. It’s a move designed to raise awareness as much as to be an immediate benefit. The concept of quantum computing recently got mainstream coverage after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a concise explanation during a news conference: A regular computer bit is […]
A Brazilian judge has ordered WhatsApp to shut down in the country for three days. The move affects 100 million users, making up around half of the country’s population. The court involved in the case has put it under seal and not publicly revealed the reason for the decision. However, the New York Times reports […]
The identity of Bitcoin creator “Satoshi Nakamoto” may have been revealed. Australian businessman Craig Wright claims to be the man behind the mask. While several key figures in the Bitcoin community say they believe Wright’s claim, others have demanded more evidence. The problem is that definitive proof may be difficult or even impossible given the […]
James Dyson, the man behind the bagless vacuum cleaner, has unveiled a $399 hairdryer. The technology is impressive, but the marketing could be a challenge. As you might expect from the engineer, the main difference is to the motor that operates the dryer, which cuts down on weight (the dryer is 370g) and noise. The […]
A new authentication program could warn you if a USB-C cable risks frying your laptop. It could also develop into a security measure. The performance of USB-C cables appears to be somewhat mixed, largely because many sold under that name fall short of the actual specification. That inspired dozens of harsh but detailed reviews from […]
A computer has created a new Rembrandt-style portrait from scratch using an algorithm and a 3D printer. It’s the conclusion of a two year project titled The Next Rembrandt, produced with the help of two art museums in the Netherlands, a technology university, ING and Microsoft. The first step in the project was to scan […]
Facebook has launched a tool that describes photographs to visually impaired users. However, it seems to be keeping expectations low. The tool is the work of Facebook engineer Matt King, who lost his sight through a medical condition. He wanted to deal with the way screen readers currently “speak” the name of the person who […]
It’s April Fools’ Day and once again the tech world has provided many of the spoof stories. Perennial pranksters Google have got a weird one: a bogus addition to a genuine service that itself started out as a prank. Several years ago the company made a joke post on April 1 about Gmail being able […]
Today, we’re offering you the “NASA Tech Briefs” magazine (monthly) for free! Authored by the engineers or scientists who did the work, the briefs span a wide array of fields, including electronics, physical sciences, materials, computer software, mechanics, machinery/automation, manufacturing/fabrication, mathematics/information sciences, and life sciences. NASA Tech Briefs also contains feature articles on successful NASA […]
Yesterday Microsoft released a sweet, innocent chatbot designed to speak like a “millennial.” Today that chatbot is a corrupt foul-mouthed racist that has to be censored. The experiment and the outcome are perhaps a perfect example of how any attempt to give human elements to machines and software are undermined by the fact that some […]