Quantum computer solves a problem 3 million times faster than classical computer
D-Wave Systems of Canada, in partnership with Google scientists, demonstrated that their quantum computer could
Computer
Microsoft’s quantum computer cloud service now open to the public
On Monday, the Microsoft Azure Quantum service opened to the public, introducing radically different computing technologies to the second-largest cloud computing service in the world. The quantum computers built by Honeywell and IonQ are included in Azure Quantum. These devices use a design called an ion trap that uses electrically charged atoms as qubits, the fundamental element of information storage and processing used by quantum computers. In the future, Microsoft is preparing to incorporate another Quantum Circuits concept whose qubits are supercooled electrical circuits. Eventually, Microsoft would introduce to the service its own homegrown quantum computers. Its solution, known as topological qubits, promises qubits that are more robust than those used in competing designs and are designed to allow longer running of quantum computations. Microsoft hasn’t yet seen its technology, however, unlike rival quantum computer manufacturers. The introduction of Azure Quantum marks the latest step in quantum computing
Zuckerberg takes on Cook, says Apple ‘biggest competitor’
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has opened another front against Apple, saying that iPhone manufacturers and governments have the potential to access messages from most users and that their future performance may be damaged by privacy improvements in Apple’s iOS 14. Stressing that Apple has every reason to use its dominant position on the market to interfere with how our apps and other apps run, Zuckerberg said the company “sees Apple increasingly as one of our biggest rivals.” iMessage is a huge pillar of their ecosystem. On every iPhone, it is pre-installed and favoured with private APIs and permissions, which is why iMessage is the most used messaging service in the United States. “And now, we are also seeing Apple’s business increasingly relying on us and other developers to gain share in apps and services,” stressed the Facebook CEO. Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Facebook, also said the company would find ways to amplify stories about small businesses concerned about improvements to Apple’s iOS. In the next iOS 14 beta, Apple’s latest privacy feature requiring developers to request permission to monitor iOS users for ad targeting is expected to go live. Zuckerberg said Apple recently published so-called nutrition labels, which focused mainly on metadata gathered by apps rather than the privacy and protection of the actual messages of individuals. iMessage stores your messages with non-end-to-end encrypted backups by default, unless iCloud is disabled.
Master of Computer Application to be 2-year course from this academic year: Andhra government
As directed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grant Commission (UGC), the state government has issued orders reducing the Master of Computer Application (MCA) course length to two years from this academic year. So far, the course has been three years long. At the last UGC meeting in December 2019, the decision to shorten the course length by one year was made. However, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, only recently have the instructions for implementing the same for the coming academic year been communicated to all nations. “After many submissions from students, the UGC took the decision. The students claimed that there were already many of the topics taught in the first year of the three-year programme in the graduation programme. The UGC has shortened the length of the three-year MCA programme to two years, which is supposed to be implemented by all States, so as not to waste student time,” explained Hemachandra Reddy, chairwoman of the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE). The government order specified that BSc/BA/B Com with background students in mathematics must pass the prerequisite courses designed for entering the MCA course by the universities concerned. The vice-chancellors of all state universities are requested to develop the two-year MCA curriculum, prerequisite courses for general BSc/BA/BCom students with history students in mathematics and the mode of conducting
Microsoft Edge will now hog much less of your computer’s processing power
Microsoft Edge’s new beta build will now enable users to put unused tabs to sleep to save memory and Processor. The feature was first rolled out in September on the Dev channel. Microsoft has now moved the feature into the Beta channel, after several months of testing. Using the feature, according to Microsoft, will help reduce memory use by 32 percent on average and in most cases, will reduce the CPU use of the browser by about 37 percent. Microsoft says that freeing up resources helps optimise the efficiency of the browser, colourfully comparing the functionality to having a good night’s sleep[that] enables you to stay focused and productive the next day.” Source: techradar.com
Japan-Based Fugaku Supercomputer Named World’s Fastest Computer
The Top 500 list was followed by supercomputers from the US and China. Fugaku, a