Advances in Computers thread

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DARPA, IBM Neurosynaptic Chip and Programming Language Mimic the Brain | Singularity Hub

 

[ScienceRocks]

Teleported by electronic circuit

Published: Wednesday, August 14, 2013 - 13:34 in Physics & Chemistry

ETH-researchers cannot "beam" objects or humans of flesh and blood through space yet, a feat sometimes alluded to in science fiction movies. They managed, however, to teleport information from A to B -- for the first time in an electronic circuit, similar to a computer chip. Physicists at ETH Zurich have for the first time successfully teleported information in a so-called solid state system. The researchers did it by using a device similar to a conventional computer chip. The essential difference to a usual computer chip is that the information is not stored and processed based on the laws of classical physics, but on those of quantum physics. In a study, which is published in the current issue of the scientific journal Nature, the researchers were able to teleport information across a distance of about six millimeters, from one corner of a chip to the opposite one. This was shown to be possible without transporting the physical object carrying the information itself from the sender's to the receiver's corner.

"Usually, in telecommunication information is transmitted by electromagnetic pulses. In mobile communications, for example, microwave pulses are used, while in fiber connections it is optical pulses," explains Andreas Wallraff, Professor at the Department of Physics and head of the study. In contrast, quantum teleportation does not transport the information carrier itself, but only the information. This is possible due to the quantum mechanical properties of the system, in particular the entanglement established between the sender and the receiver. For non-physicists, entanglement constitutes a "magic" link between the two parties which exploits the laws of quantum physics.

"Like beaming"

Teleported by electronic circuit | e! Science News

 

[ScienceRocks]

Advancing resistive memory to improve portable electronics

A team at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering has developed a novel way to build what many see as the next generation memory storage devices for portable electronic devices including smart phones, tablets, laptops and digital cameras. The device is based on the principles of resistive memory, which can be used to create memory cells that are smaller, operate at a higher speed and offer more storage capacity than flash memory cells, the current industry standard. Terabytes, not gigbytes, will be the norm with resistive memory.

The key advancement in the UC Riverside research is the creation of a zinc oxide nano-island on silicon. It eliminates the need for a second element called a selector device, which is often a diode.

Advancing resistive memory to improve portable electronics | e! Science News

 

[ScienceRocks]

Haptix turns any surface into a multi-touch interface for $70

Haptix Touch has just announced a new input device that turns any surface into a 3D multi-touch interface. The device, called the Haptix, closely resembles the Leap Motion gesture controller in terms of appearance and underlying technology. Whereas Leap is placed on a surface and points up, though, Haptix points downwards at whatever surface your hands are currently resting on. This means that you can comfortably use Haptix for extended periods — and it should also mean that input is a lot less finicky than the Leap, which has been broadly panned since its public release last month.

The Haptix controller is being developed as a Kickstarter project by Darren Lim and Lai Xue, the former being a Thiel fellow and the latter being the “youngest engineer at Intel” back in 2011. Early birds can get a Haptix for $60, while the retail price will be $70 — $10 less than the Leap. The funding goal is $100,000, which as long as people aren’t too disaffected by the lackluster launch of Leap shouldn’t be too hard to reach.

Haptix turns any surface into a multi-touch interface for $70 | ExtremeTech

 

[ScienceRocks]

Laptop clip-on is on a mission to outdo mouse

(Phys.org) —Haptix is a newly announced gesture-based controller that launched this week on Kickstarter. Haptix looks like a sleek ice cream bar with its anodized bead-blasted aluminum casing. The Haptix is designed to transform tabletops and keyboards into tools that you use to interact with your computer. Basically, it wants to be the reason that workers can finally say, without fear, goodbye mouse. The creators consider their device "Multitouch Reinvented." They say that it is as intuitive and natural as a multitouch screen, just without the actual screen. They have a point. This product is no Leap Motion me-too hiccup, but rather an attempt to create a practical alternative for people who work with spreadsheets, reports, and design projects where traditionally the mouse and keyboard have been thought to be the most practical tools to get the work done.

Read more at: Laptop clip-on is on a mission to outdo mouse

 

[ScienceRocks]

Pen-shaped gStick mouse promises extra precision

Pen-shaped gStick mouse promises extra precision

A normal computer mouse is an innovation many of us take for granted, especially those of us who use one all day, every day. This also means we may ignore the limitations of this device which has been with us for more than 40 years. That is until the dreaded carpal tunnel strikes or we come up against a task that requires an extra degree of precision difficult to attain using a conventional mouse. Mimicking a pen in shape and size, gStick is looking to join the ranks of alternative mouse designs that aim to address these problems.

 

[ScienceRocks]

Memory tech breakthrough eliminates the magnet


Thu, 08/15/2013 - 1:09pm

Memory devices like disk drives, flash drives and RAM play an important role in our lives. They are an essential component of our computers, phones, electronic appliances and cars. Yet current memory devices have significant drawbacks: dynamic RAM memory has to be refreshed periodically, static RAM data is lost when the power is off, flash memory lacks speed, and all existing memory technologies are challenged when it comes to miniaturization.

Increasingly, memory devices are a bottleneck limiting performance. In order to achieve a substantial improvement in computation speed, scientists are racing to develop smaller and denser memory devices that operate with high speed and low power consumption.

Prof. Yossi Paltiel and research student Oren Ben-Dor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Harvey M. Krueger Family Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, together with researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science, have developed a simple magnetization progress that, by eliminating the need for permanent magnets in memory devices, opens the door to many technological applications.

Memory tech breakthrough eliminates the magnet

 

[ScienceRocks]

Intel developer event to discuss 1.6 Tbit/s MXC interconnect breakthrough

(Phys.org) —The word is out that Intel will present an entirely new optical interconnect technology for servers at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco next month. The MXC interconnect is capable of a peak transfer rate of 1.6 terabits per second. In advancing notes of what's on the agenda at the upcoming developer forum, Intel posted a brief description of its MXC presentation scheduled for September 12. Once the posting went up, it did not take long for tech sites to see it and catch the significance. This is something big.

Read more at: Intel developer event to discuss 1.6 Tbit/s MXC interconnect breakthrough

 

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Microsoft India team develop secure Peer-to-Peer acoustic NFC system

(Phys.org) —A team of researchers at Microsoft India has developed an alternative to standard NFC communications between hand-held devices—a software only system that makes use of the speaker and microphone already in use by phones and other devices. Called (Dhwani-"sound" in English) the new system can transmit small amounts of data without the need for any additional hardware.

Read more at: Microsoft India team develop secure Peer-to-Peer acoustic NFC system

 

[ScienceRocks]

Image-processing 1,000 times faster is goal of new $5M contract

3 hours ago

Loosely inspired by a biological brain's approach to making sense of visual information, a University of Michigan researcher is leading a project to build alternative computer hardware that could process images and video 1,000 times faster with 10,000 times less power than today's systems—all without sacrificing accuracy.

Read more at: Image-processing 1,000 times faster is goal of new $5M contract

 

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Ubi brings touchscreen functionality to any projection surface

If you’re someone who does a lot of presentations in front of images projected onto a wall, do you ever wish that you could manipulate those images with your fingers? If so, well, now you can. Ubi is a new piece of software that works with a video projector, a Kinect for Windows depth sensor and a PC running Windows 8, to turn any projection surface into a touchscreen.

Ubi (not to be confused with the computer of the same name) runs on a PC that’s supplying the projected video, and monitors the projected image via the linked Kinect. Apparently any projector and any surface (such as a table top) will do, as long as the image is sufficiently bright.

Ubi brings touchscreen functionality to any projection surface

 

[ScienceRocks]

NIST study advances use of iris images as a long-term form of identification

A new report* by biometric researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) uses data from thousands of frequent travelers enrolled in an iris recognition program to determine that no consistent change occurs in the distinguishing texture of their irises for at least a decade. These findings inform identity program administrators on how often iris images need to be recaptured to maintain accuracy.

Read more at: NIST study advances use of iris images as a long-term form of identification

 

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Researchers discover quantum algorithm that could improve stealth fighter design

just added

(Phys.org) —Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) have devised a quantum algorithm for solving big linear systems of equations. Furthermore, they say the algorithm could be used to calculate complex measurements such as radar cross sections, an ability integral to the development of radar stealth technology, among many other applications. Their research is reported in the June 18 issue of Physical Review Letters.

Read more at: Researchers discover quantum algorithm that could improve stealth fighter design

 

[ScienceRocks]

Telepathy raises $5 million to develop Google Glass rival

The Silicon Valley startup uses the funding to hire new engineers for its wearable, programmable computing device.



http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57599592-76/telepathy-raises-$5-million-to-develop-google-glass-rival/

Telepathy, a Silicon Valley startup, has raised $5 million in a first round of funding to develop wearable computing technology that rivals Google Glass.

"Wearable technology will enable the next wave in social networking," Telepathy CEO Takahito Iguchi said in a statement. "The $5 million funding will enable us to enrich the user experience of Telepathy One, which we expect to bring to market in 2014."

 

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Project Loon looking for Internet-by-balloon testers in central California

Project Loon is looking for folks in California’s Central Valley who are willing to have a Loon Internet antenna installed on their house or small business building to help test the strength of the Loon Internet balloon connection, Google has announced on Google+.

“When balloons fly overhead, the Loon Internet antennas will generate traffic that will load-test our service,” Google says.

Google is inviting residents of Madera, Chowchilla, Mariposa, Merced or Turlock who own a single-family home or business building with an Internet connection to participate.

Project Loon looking for Internet-by-balloon testers in central California | KurzweilAI

 

[ScienceRocks]

Apple granted patent for 3D gesture control for iPad

The entire world seems to be focused on Apple's upcoming September event where the rumor is that new iPhones will be revealed, as well as the never-ending hints that the company is developing a smartwatch. But while most of us are looking toward the obvious, Apple has just been granted a patent that may help it to push interface innovation even further ahead of its competition.

Applied for way back in 2010 and just approved this week, the patent details a dynamic that would allow a user of a tablet, presumably an iPad, to generate 3D objects from 2D objects using finger gestures. Although the patent doesn't mention holograms, one aspect of the patent's description indicates a kind of half step toward the era of holographic interfaces by getting users accustomed to manipulating 3D objects virtually.

http://www.dvice.com/2013-8-21/apple-granted-patent-3d-gesture-control-ipad

 

[JQPublic1]

China is building a 100-petaflop supercomputer




The supercomputer will be completed in 2015

Article | November 1, 2012 - 6:01pm
Comment0

China is building a 100-petaflop supercomputer | ZeitNews


Errka P. Flickr.

As the U.S. launched what's expected to be the world's fastest supercomputer at 20 petaflops, China is building a machine that is intended to be five times faster when it is deployed in 2015.

China's Tianhe-2 supercomputer will run at 100 petaflops (quadrillion floating-point calculations per second), according to the Guangzhou Supercomputing Center, where the machine will be housed.

Tianhe-2 could help keep China competitive with the future supercomputers of other countries, as industry experts estimate machines will start reaching 1,000-petaflop performance by 2018.

The Tianhe-2 is not China's first attempt at building a world-beating supercomputer. It briefly took the top spot on the world's list of most powerful supercomputers in 2010 with the Tianhe-1A. That computer is now ranked fifth in the world with a theoretical peak speed of 4.7 petaflops, and uses processors from Intel and Nvidia.

Like the Tianhe-1A, the Tianhe-2 will also be designed by China's National University of Defense Technology.

The Chinese government is pushing the development of the country's supercomputing technology, according to Zhang Yunquan, a professor at the Institute of Software Chinese Academy of Sciences, who also keeps track of China's top supercomputers.

The government is aiming for China's supercomputers to reach 100 petaflops in 2015, and then 1 exaflop (1,000 petaflops), in 2018, he said. This comes from China's "863 program", which was founded in 1986 and is meant to help accelerate the country's development in key technologies.

"Taking the top spot in the world's fastest supercomputers gave us a lot of drive, and gave us more confidence to develop better machines," he said. But while China has largely relied on U.S. chips and software to develop its supercomputers, Zhang said this could gradually change as the country invests more in developing its own homegrown technology.

A clear example of this was when last year China's Sunway Bluelight supercomputer grabbed headlines for using a domestically developed processor, the Shenwei 1600.

Another Asian Man...

 

[ScienceRocks]

Samsung moves into mass production of 3D flash memory
Samsung moves into mass production of 3D flash memory

Samsung has announced production of the first solid state drives (SSD) based on its new 3D V-NAND flash memory. V-NAND flash memories read and write twice as fast as conventional NAND memories, and last 10 times longer while consuming 50 percent less power. At present, the 3D chips offer about the same physical bit density as do more conventional NAND flash memory chips, but while 2D geometries are reaching the end state of their scaling potential, the 3D chips offer as much as two orders of magnitude of additional elbow room for denser devices.

 

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iPhone 5S’ A7 SoC rumored to bring 64-bit support, 31% speed boost, but no quad-core

It’s been nearly a year since the introduction of Apple’s A6 SoC, so the recent rumors surrounding the launch of the iPhone 5S and its A7 chip next month is making the whole internet begin to froth at the mouth. Not only are we supposedly going to see a substantial CPU speed boost over the A6 processor, but sources indicate that Apple is finally making the switch to a 64-bit CPU in its mobile devices. While it likely won’t make much of a difference right off the bat, this does set the stage for faster apps and more memory down the road.

iPhone 5S? A7 SoC rumored to bring 64-bit support, 31% speed boost, but no quad-core | ExtremeTech

 

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Skype confirms 3D video calls are under development

Skype has confirmed it has developed 3D video calls.

The news was revealed by a senior executive in an exclusive interview with the BBC to mark Skype's 10th anniversary.

There had been speculation about the possibility after the firm posted an advert in April saying it wanted to find a way to create "body-doubles" for workers unable to travel to meetings.

However, the executive warned it could be many years before the tech launched.

"We've done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D-screens and 3D-capture," said Microsoft's corporate vice-president for Skype, Mark Gillett.

"We've seen a lot of progress in screens and a lot of people now buy TVs and computer monitors that are capable of delivering a 3D image.

"But the capture devices are not yet there. As we work with that kind of technology you have to add multiple cameras to your computer, precisely calibrate them and point them at the right angle.

"We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work and we're looking at the ecosystem of devices and their capability to support it in order to make a decision when we might think about bringing something like that to market."

3D indifference

A decision by Skype to support 3D could provide a boost to device-makers at a time the format has shown signs of flagging.

BBC News - Skype confirms 3D video calls are under development