Quantum

Verizon continues to define speed when it comes to home Internet service.

The carrier already has the further reach when it comes to super-fast 4G LTE service on the wireless end, and is pressing its advantage on the fixed-line side with Fios and a new top-tier 300-megabit-per-second service. In addition, it is boosting nearly all of its other speed tiers.

While much of the telecommunication industry's focus has shifted to the wireless end, Verizon continues to press its landline servce, particularly after the massive investment in Fios, the all-fiber network that covers a large part of its territory. The … Read more

If you're in the United States and under 21 years of age, you really need to stop reading right now. In fact, I'm not sure I want anyone under 25 to know about this thing. Seriously, go look at some phone or video game reviews for a few minutes instead.

You're all still here aren't you?

Fine, then -- I tried. No, the headline doesn't lie. A French-American scientist named David Edwards has teamed up with French designer Philippe Starck -- who may or may not be behind some epic Apple product -- to create an aerosol spray that purports to make you "feel drunk" for a few seconds. … Read more

Physicists have long sought to use the bizarre workings of quantum mechanics to make mind-boggling leaps in computing power. And they appear to actually be making progress.

Researchers from Harvard University and the Weizmann Institude of Science in Israel today published a paper describing a technique for two quantum bits, or qubits, to operate in a predictable and coordinated way, a small step toward a working quantum computer.

In a separate effort, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics today claimed to have made a breakthrough by making a prototype of a quantum communications network. Both groups say … Read more

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Scientists at IBM say they have made a quantum computing breakthrough that demonstrates that a full-scale quantum computer is not only possible but is within reasonable reach.

In an announcement being made today at the American Physical Society in Boston, Matthias Steffen, manager of IBM's experimental quantum computing group, will unveil the research that has led his team to conclude they are the brink of developing scalable technology that could far outstrip what even the strongest supercomputers can do today.

A traditional bit has only two states--zero and one. But for its quantum computing efforts, IBM has decided to … Read more

Bringing Schrodinger's cat thought experiment to real life would get you put on PETA's naughty list. Avoid that complication with the Schrodinger's Cat Executive Decision Maker.

No actual cats were harmed in the creation of ThinkGeek's $30 decision maker. What you do get is a plastic device with a sliding door. Ask a yes-or-no question, open the door, and watch as the cat goes into flux. A dead cat means "no." A live cat means "yes." … Read more

Researchers are getting down to the atomic level in the pursuit of smaller and more powerful computers.

The University of New South Wales in Australia today announced it has made a single-atom transistor using a repeatable method, a development that could lead to computing devices that use these tiny building blocks.

About two years ago, a team of researchers from the Helsinki University of Technology, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Melbourne in Australia announced the creation of a single-atom transistor designed around a single phosphorus atom in silicon.

Now a new paper published in the … Read more

Move over Siri. Windows Phone now has its own voice assistant, dubbed Ask Ziggy, and it seems to be a hit.

Except for some negative comments here and there, many reviewers on the MarketPlace page for the free app christened it with 4- and 5-star ratings, resulting in an average of 3.5 stars.

"Off to a great start," said one commenter. "As a proof of concept it's funny to see how Apple's 'amazing' interface can be rivaled by a single developer. Looking forward to future updates."

I ran a quick, informal competition between … Read more

Quantum superconductors are an amazing thing.

With the right materials cooled down to below -301 degrees Fahrenheit, you can create a superconductive magnetic field known as the Meissner effect that is capable of floating stably in midair.

Over the past year, we've seen the effect demonstrated with a floating crystal wafer and a skateboard, and discussed as a real-world solution for high-speed rail.

With all that said, it seems completely plausible that some bored science students might construct a small-scale quantum superconductive racetrack styled after the '90s PlayStation game Wipe'out. I mean, why not?

Well, as badly as I want to believe in the above piece of awesomeness, it is likely a hoax.… Read more