Alt-week 9.22.12: Quantum Scotch tape, moving walls and scientific beer
Alt-week peels back the covers on some of the more curious sci-tech stories from the last seven days.
Sometimes, here at alt.engadget.com, we’re literally on the bleeding edge of technology. We get to explore concepts and ideas that are almost nebular in nature. Not this week though, where there’s a distinct utilitarian aroma in the air. The glittery overcoat of future science is replaced by the rolled-up sleeves of good old-fashioned engineering. A bit of sticky tape, a proof of concept omnidirectional bike and a hardware matrix wall. After all that, you’ll probably want a beer to wash it down with. Fortunately for you, it’s all here. This is alt-week.
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Filed under: Science, Internet, Alt
Alt-week 9.22.12: Quantum Scotch tape, moving walls and scientific beer originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video)
A guy named Ben Wu sent us this video recently and it sort of blew our minds. Wu, an engineer and self-described dreamer, has spent the past year developing a program he calls Quantum Phantom — an Iron Man-inspired system that allows users to control a computer’s cursor using only an ordinary webcam. With his Windows software onboard, Wu can draw, write and move onscreen icons or widgets, simply by waving his camera in front of a set of dual monitors. The prototype is even sophisticated enough to recognize his own webcam-produced handwriting and automatically convert it to rich text. In most cases, the sensor relies upon an ordinary cursor to navigate a screen, but Wu has also developed a pointer-free solution, as demonstrated toward the end of the above, three-part video. Be sure to check it out for yourself and get lost in the magic.
[Thanks, Ben]
Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Quantum effect transistor is the world’s smallest, hopes to make a big impact
[Thanks, Rohit]
Quantum effect transistor is the world’s smallest, hopes to make a big impact originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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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.
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D-Wave sells first commercial quantum computer to Lockheed Martin originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 May 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Leave a commentNorthwestern 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.
Northwestern University researchers route photon qubit, make quantum internet possible originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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