First-ever blueprint for quantum computers unveiled

LONDON: Scientists have unveiled the first ever practical blueprint to construct a large scale quantum computer, the most powerful computer on Earth that could revolutionize industry, science, medicine and commerce.

The work by scientists, including those from University of Sussex in the UK and Google, features the actual industrial blueprint to construct such a large-scale machine, more powerful in solving certain problems than any computer ever constructed before.

Once built, the computer's capabilities mean it would have the potential to answer many questions in science; create new, lifesaving medicines and solve the most mind-boggling scientific problems, researchers said.

It could also unravel the yet unknown mysteries of the furthest reaches of deepest space and solve some problems that an ordinary computer would take billions of years to compute.

The work features a new invention permitting actual quantum bits to be transmitted between individual quantum computing modules in order to obtain a fully modular large-scale machine capable of reaching nearly arbitrary large computational processing powers.

Previously, scientists had proposed using fibre optic connections to connect individual computer modules.

The invention introduces connections created by electric fields that allow charged atoms (ions) to be transported from one module to another.

The approach allows 100,000 times faster connection speeds between individual quantum computing modules compared to current state-of-the-art fibre link technology.

"For many years, people said that it was completely impossible to construct an actual quantum computer. With our work we have not only shown that it can be done but now we are delivering a nuts and bolts construction plan to build an actual large-scale machine," said Professor Winfried Hensinger from University of Sussex, who is leading the research.

"It was most important to us to highlight the substantial technical challenges as well as to provide practical engineering solutions," said Bjoern Lekitsch, also from the University of Sussex.

As a next step, the team will construct a prototype quantum computer, based on this design.

"The availability of a universal quantum computer may have a fundamental impact on society as a whole," Hensinger said.

The computer's possibilities for solving, explaining or developing could be endless. However, its size will be anything but small.

The machine is expected to fill a large building, consisting of sophisticated vacuum apparatus featuring integrated quantum computing silicon microchips that hold individual charged atoms (ions) using electric fields.

The blueprint to develop such computers has been made public to ensure scientists throughout the world can collaborate and further develop this brilliant, ground-breaking technology as well as to encourage industrial exploitation.

Screens that fold and roll will arrive as early as next year

Displays that can be folded and rolled up have been shown in prototype smartphones, wearables and other devices -- but when will such products be available?

Advances in technology suggest they aren't too far off in the future. Such devices could start showing up as early as next year or 2018, said Jerry Kang, senior principal analyst for emerging display technologies and OLED at analyst firm IHS.

Manufacturers are trying to launch them in devices like tablets that can fold into a smartphone-size device. It's possible to use these displays in wearable devices, but reliability, weight and battery life need to be considered, Kang said.

Small folding screens will likely come before larger ones, mainly due to the economics of making such displays, Kang said.

The displays will be based on OLED (organic light-emitting diode), considered a successor to current LED technology. OLEDs don't have lighting back-panels, making them thinner and more power efficient.

At CES this year, LG showed a stunningly thin paper-like display that could roll up. The company projects it will deliver foldable OLEDs by next year.

There are advantages to screens that can be folded or rolled up. They could lead to innovative product designs and increase the mobility of devices, Kang said.

For example, it could be easier to fit screens around the contours of a battery and other components. It will also provide a level of flexibility in how a user can change the  shape of a device.

But challenges remain in making such screens practical, Kang said.

A display has multiple functional layers such as cover lenses, touch panels and polarizers, all made of different materials. A large number of layers could limit the ability to bend and fold. But removing layers also presents problems. For example, removing the touch panel could make such a screen useless for smartphones and tablets.

The size of batteries and circuits are of lesser concern in designing bendable screens, Kang said. The screens can be folded around components.

Displays that can fold and roll are an extension of flexible displays, which are already in wearables, smartphones and TVs. For example, some TVs have flexible screens that are designed so that they can be slightly curved.

Samsung and LG started using flexible AMOLED displays in smartphones in 2013 and are adapting those screens for wearables. Those companies are also leading the charge to bring displays that can bend and fold to devices.

The sorts of flexible displays that are used in curved products are still in their infancy, but IHS projects such screens to continue siphoning market share from non-flexible displays. In 2022, 433.3 million flexible displays will ship, compared to 3.6 billion units of non-flexible displays.

4 Best Alternatives For Windows 10 Users

You will be no longer to get Windows 10 for free after this month, according to Microsoft. Users have to pay to either get a copy of Windows 10 or to upgrade from an older version. This isn't a good news for anyone who hasn't yet upgraded their PC or planning to build a system of their own in near future.

Here are 4 alternatives to Windows that you should consider in case you missed out on the free upgrade window or if you are bothered by the privacy issues concerned with the operating system and looking for a change.
1. Ubuntu

Ubuntu is world's most popular free Operating System. It is Linux based and used very widely across the globe. Noticeably, many important government agencies across Europe and Asia use Ubuntu in their offices.

The fact that Ubuntu gets a free upgrade every year and it comes with familiar apps like Firefox and Thunderbird along with free MS Office alternative called Libre Office makes it a very valuable alternative.

Additionally, Ubuntu requires very fewer system resources enabling it to run quite well on older systems and are mostly free of viruses and malware.

2. Chrome OS

Chrome OS, the web-based Operating System developed by Google, has been gaining popularity across North America in recent years. Its rising popularity is so evident that in many online stores such Amazon the best selling computers are Chromebooks pushing Windows PCs to second place.

Although, it may seem that you must need a Chromebook to run the Chrome OS, a little workaround developed by New York based start- up Neverware makes it easy to install it on any computer.

It is light on resources and is automatically updated regularly. You can find our guide on how to turn your computer to a Chromebook here.

3. Hackintosh

If you don't want Windows on your system, then why not install MacOS on it? No, it certainly isn't a joke. Making Hackintosh computers, or computers build with MacOS is a very popular choice among many PC building enthusiasts.

Running a MacOS on anything other than a MacBook can be considered illegal, but so far there hasn't been any legal problem with regard to individuals making Hackintosh PCs. However, the main problem is that not all hardware work with the Hackintosh, and finding drivers for the hardware component can be a nightmare.

If you are willing to sacrifice a lot of time and energy in building a PC then it can be an option and you can find many guides explaining how to do it on the internet.

4. Linux Mint

Linux Mint is almost same as Ubuntu internally as they both are Linux based operating systems and apps and software for both are always the same.

However, where Linux Mint, despite being a lesser-known Operating System than Ubuntu, gained its popularity is through easy to use user interfaces called Cinnamon and Mate.

They look very similar to Windows in many ways, unlike Ubuntu's Unity which bears more resemblance to the MacOS. The familiar visual elements such as taskbar and Start Menu like application launcher found in Linux Mint eliminate the learning curve of moving to a new Operating System.

Florida Man Sues Apple for $10 Billion, Says He Invented the iPhone in 1992

Florida man Thomas Ross believes that he divined the future of human communication 15 years before Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone. Ross scribbled together a patent application for a device back in 1992 and now claims that Applestole his design. Now, the Florida man is suing Apple for over $10 billion.

Okay so this thing doesn't even look like an iPhone besides the fact that it's rectangular and has a screen. The Frankenstein of a device is also just a kitchen sink of every possible thing you could think to put in a handheld gadget in 1992, like a cell antenna, MS-DOS, solar cells (!), and a 3.5-inch diskette drive (!!!). It even has a physical keyboard. One of the iPhone's biggest innovations, mind you, is the fact that it doesn't have a keyboard. Ross didn't even bother to use a straight edge when drawing his design, so it's a complete mess of tech that no one in their right mind would build in 1992 or ever.

A proto-Kindle? Maybe. The Apple Newton? You're getting warmer. But not aniPhone. Not even close.

There's the tiny problem of these patents not actually being patents anymore, since the plaintiff failed pay the appropriate registration fees. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office declared the application "abandoned" in 1995. Regardless, Ross is asking for $10 BILLION in damages plus 1.5 percent royalty on Apple's sales, which comes out to about $3 or $4 billion a year.

Good luck with that, Florida man.