Computing

Physicists have created a new model for quantum computers that could more easily scale them up and make them more powerful than previously imagined. The new theory, outlined in a study published May 21 in the journal PRX Quantum, proposes linking qubits, the fundamental workhorses of quantum computers, over vast distances to work as if they…

Scientists in Finland say they have made inroads toward "fault-tolerant" quantum computing after achieving record-low error rates in a prototype quantum processor — potentially paving the way to more practical and stable quantum computers.In a statement, researchers at IQM Quantum Computers said their technology had broken ground in two key areas: the accuracy of operations…

Running low on hard drive or cloud storage space? Your images might be taking up space they don't need. A free Mac app called ImageOptim, which I found on App Addict, can quickly reduce the file of any image file without any loss in quality. There's also a web version for anyone without a Mac.Using…

A lot of people are unhappy with Spotify's user interface right now. Some of this is just the inevitable complaints that come after a redesign, but a recent New Yorker article by Kyle Chayka outlines the complaints better than I can. In summary, though, every interface change buries the music under more and more unrelated…

Scientists in China have unveiled Taichi-II, an upgraded version of their fully optical artificial intelligence (AI) chip that they say could one day power artificial general intelligence (AGI) systems.The first Taichi chip was unveiled by researchers in April 2024. Instead of relying on electronic components, the tiny, modular device is powered by photons, or particles…

Researchers have taken a crucial step toward making a handheld "quantum compass" that could one day help people navigate without the Global Positioning System (GPS).The scientists successfully miniaturized a laser system that's typically the size of a refrigerator to perform a sensing technique called atom interferometry. The system now fits onto a silicon microchip, the…

The volume mixer is one of the most useful tools built into Windows 11. It allows you to set a custom volume level for each app on your PC. You can use this to your advantage by reducing the volume for apps that send lots of notifications and increasing it for the apps you actually…

When you're using a Windows laptop, setting up and managing your power modes is an essential tool to maintaining battery life. Up until now, you had to dig deep within Control Panel to take care of these tasks, which was a bit of a chore. In a recently released Windows 11 Insider preview on the…

Like most people, I've been using search engines to do math for some time now. It's just ridiculously easy for basic calculations or unit and currency conversions, especially because I'm almost always using a web browser when I'm on my PC. However, I recently opened the Calculator app on Windows 11 and discovered that it…

There's a lot of helpful and time-saving Windows features hidden behind the middle mouse button, which you can click by pushing down on your mouse's scroll wheel or using a special trackpad input. If you only use the mouse wheel for scrolling, you're missing out. Here's how to make the most of middle-click shortcuts on…