Category: IT

By Jacob Aron Useful quantum computers are one step closer, thanks to the latest demonstration of a technique designed to stop them making mistakes. Quantum computers store information as quantum bits, or qubits. Unlike binary bits, which store a 0 or a 1, qubits can hold a mixture of both states at the same time, boosting their computing potential for certain types of problems. But qubits are fragile – their quantum nature means they can’t hold data for long before errors creep in. So researchers wanting to build large-scale computers invented quantum…

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Haptics are a happening area in virtual reality these days. The term refers to devices and technologies that produce tactile sensations to go along with all those immersive visuals and sounds. The makers of the Oculus Rift, along with parent company Facebook, are working on a potential haptic add-on to their virtual reality headset. It’s called HapticWave, and it’s kind of like a omnidirectional virtual reality glove, without the glove. I swear — write about this stuff long enough and everything starts to sound like a Zen koan. According to an interesting report…

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Iron Man’s suit. Captain America’s shield. The Batmobile. These all could look a lot more realistic thanks to a new algorithm developed by a team of U.S. computer graphics experts. The researchers, led by Professor Ravi Ramamoorthi at the University of California San Diego, have created a method to improve how computer graphics software reproduces the way light interacts with extremely small details, called glints, on the surface of a wide range of materials, including metallic car paints, metal finishes for electronics and injection-molded plastic finishes. The method developed by…

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Virtual reality is no longer just about video gaming; it holds promise as nothing short of revolutionary for just about every other industry, as well. Since 2012, there has been an incredible explosion of interest and hype around mass market virtual reality (VR) thanks to head mounted display (HMD) products in development like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Gear VR and Google Cardboard. The technology has advanced to the point where very high-quality VR experiences are possible at reasonable price points, and should be widely available to consumers within a year. There are a few industries that have been making use of VR…

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By Hal Hodson AT THE heart of the internet are monsters with voracious appetites. In bunkers and warehouses around the world, vast arrays of computers run the show, serving up the web – and gorging on our data. These server farms are the engine rooms of the internet. Operated by some of the world’s most powerful companies, they process photos of our children, emails to our bosses and lovers, and our late-night searches. Such digital shards reveal far more of ourselves than we might like, and they are worth a lot…

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Makers of virtual-reality headsets think 2016 will be the year of VR. The experience “is radically different than any computing experience you’ve had before,” says Marc Metis, a vice president atHTC Corp., maker of the Vive headset. Content creators, however, tell a different story. VR isn’t ready for prime time. This gap between expectations and reality means the VR hype train is about to crash into a wall. In my experience, VR demos can be very impressive. The problem is that most are just that—demos.As new, highly touted headsets arrive this year, how much…

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Quantum computing may still sound like the stuff of science fiction, but in another five or 10 years, it could be part of our reality. “It’s still mostly sci-fi for now,” said Charles King, an analyst with Pund-IT. “Systems are still pretty rudimentary. Though they perform some specific kinds of calculations faster than traditional computers, they are defined by their limitations. When true, fully operable quantum systems come online, they will force the IT industry, public and private sector organizations and individuals to fundamentally rethink certain kinds of problems and…

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A new crowdfunding campaign is looking to change how we interact with our PCs and other smart devices, providing users with an all-in-one solution that combines keyboard and mouse. The peripheral, known as the Nydeum Sense, lets users trace out letters on a contoured touch surface, while providing a more conventional touch experience on its second side. Central to the new product is what the company calls “digital alphabet.” One side of the small peripheral is dedicated to typing, with segmented touch section that users trace different shapes over to…

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The decline of desktop computing and the proliferation of other devices that require text input mean that alternatives to the traditional keyboard are now needed. The Tap Strap wearable keyboard is one such alternative that works with Bluetooth devices and lets users tap on any surface to type. Worn on the hand, the device is similar in concept to the AirMouse wearable mouse and the Gest gesture control glove. It is designed to produce more outputs than the former, though, and is more tailored for purpose than the latter. The startup manufacturer behind…

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