Posts with «information technology» label

Build your own quantum computer with Google's latest 'simulator'

World Quantum Day was apparently yesterday, and Google feted the occasion with the launch of The Qubit Game, as spotted by 9to5Google. Created in partnership with Doublespeak games, it's a “playful journey to building a quantum computer, one qubit at a time," Google said. It also hopes the game, and World Quantum Day, will help generate some interest in the field.

The game resolves around Qubits, the basic building block of a quantum computer. It's pretty straightforward (you won't need to learn any quantum entanglement math or physics) with the goal of increasing the number of Qubits while keeping them cool. The more Qubits you have, the more difficult it gets. Eventually, you'll "discover new upgrades, complete big research projects and hopefully become a little more curious about how we're building quantum computers," wrote Google Quantum head of education Abe Asfaw.

The goal is to draw attention to quantum computing, because it seems there's a dearth of people working in the field. To that end, Google is bringing the game to the classroom, hoping to encourage educators to talk about the subject and expand access to quantum computing research. 

"We need more students pursuing careers building or using quantum computers, and understanding what it would be like to be a quantum scientist or engineer," wrote Asfaw. "For me, that’s what World Quantum Day is all about: showing everyone what quantum computing really is and how they can get involved."

Apple's AirPods Pro are on sale for $175 again

Apple's best sounding earbuds have been discounted on and off throughout the past few months, and now they're back down to one of the best prices we've seen all year. The AirPods Pro are 30 percent off again at Amazon, bringing them down to $175. That's just about the lowest price we've seen since the holiday shopping season (they were $1 cheaper earlier this month) and it puts the Pros back in line with the rest of Apple's audio lineup, which has been on sale for the past few days.

Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon - $175

If over-ear headphones aren't your thing, the AirPods Pro are your next best bet if you want an Apple device that has above-average audio quality. Not only do the AirPods Pro sound better than the company's standard earbuds, but they also have strong ANC that blocks out most surrounding noises. And you still get Transparency mode, while lets you hop in and out of conversations easily, and support for spatial audio. They're also arguably the best AirPods to get if you care about fit, since you can get a more accurate fit for your ear thanks to their interchangeable tips.

The AirPods Pro also have the H1 chip inside, which enables things like hands-free Siri access and quick pairing and switching between Apple devices. It's one of the biggest draws of AirPods — if you're steeped in the Apple ecosystem already, these earbuds will work seamlessly with all of your gadgets. The Pros should last for five hours before they need more juice, and you'll get 24 hours of total listening time when you employ the power kept in its MagSafe charging case.

With the Pros are back on sale, you'll find that you can get most Apple headphones and earbuds at a discount right now. The new, third-generation AirPods are down to $150 and the second-generation earbuds are on sale for only $100. Even the AirPods Max are cheaper than usual: at the time of writing this, the space gray, blue and silver models are down to $450 thanks to a sale price and an additional coupon that knocks another $29 off their final price.

Buy AirPods (3rd gen) at Amazon - $150Buy AirPods (2nd gen) at Amazon - $100Buy AirPods Max at Amazon - $450

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Google's 'Switch to Android' app helps iOS users do just that

Google has finally countered Apple's "Move to iOS" app by releasing "Switch to Android" for iOS on the App Store, confirming earlier rumors. As the name indicates, it's designed to help iPhone and iPad users import contacts, photos, calendars and video to an Android device. It also shows users how to turn off iMessage in favor of Android messaging and transfer photos/videos by connecting to iCloud. 

Google dropped the new app without a lot of fanfare, as TechCrunch notes. On its Switch to Android website, the app is still not mentioned and can only be found on the App Store with a direct link — search results still turn up nothing.

Google

The app is a big improvement over the current system, which requires you to back up photos, video, calendar and contacts using the Google Drive iOS app. It was first spotted last summer by 9to5Google in code tucked into Google's Data Transfer Tool, and seen in a more recent release with the ability to import iCloud video and photos into Google Photos. 

Apple's equivalent app arrived way back in September 2015, so Google certainly took its time responding. "Move to iOS" works in much the same way, helping users import photos, video, messages, contacts and more over to an iOS device. One Android device maker, Samsung, has its own device migration app as well called Smart Switch, helping you switch from an iPhone or other Android device to a Galaxy smartphone. However, it's only available on Google Play or its own Galaxy store and doesn't run on iOS. 

SteelSeries' latest lightweight Aerox mice are designed for MMOs and MOBAs

If you’re in the market for a lightweight gaming mouse, you have plenty of options if first-person shooters are what you play most often. Between products like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight and Razer Viper Ultimate, there’s no shortage of mice designed to give you an edge when trying to line up the perfect headshot in Valorant or Overwatch. But if you’re more of a World of Warcraft or Dota 2 player, your options are more limited. Enter SteelSeries with its new Aerox 5 and Aerox 9 mice.

SteelSeries

Announced today, they borrow the design of the company’s existing Aerox 3 line. That means they feature a perforated honeycomb-like pattern of square holes to reduce weight. With its new wired Aerox 5 mouse, SteelSeries says it has produced the lightest “multi-genre” mouse on the market. Coming in at a claimed 66-grams, it features nine programmable buttons and the company’s TrueMove Air sensor. It also comes with PTFE skates and its PrismSync RGB lighting system. As with the company's existing Aerox mice, it’s also IP54-certified against water and dust. So it’s splash-resistant despite being riddled with holes.

SteelSeries will also offer a wireless variant of the Aerox 5 that weighs approximately 74-grams. It features a battery capable of powering the mouse for 180 hours on a single charge and fast charging that allows you to get about 40 hours of use after 15 minutes connected to your computer. It includes both Bluetooth connectivity and the company’s Quantum 2.0 wireless protocol.

And if nine programmable buttons isn’t enough for you, then there’s the Aerox 9. It comes with 12 such buttons. It has a claimed weight of 89-grams. All three mice feature Golden Micro IP54 switches, which SteelSeries says are rated for 80 million clicks. The Aerox 5, Aerox 5 Wireless and Aerox 9 Wireless are available to buy today for $80, $140 and $150, respectively.

DuckDuckGo opens its privacy-centric Mac browser to beta testers

DuckDuckGo has revealed something it says its users have been requesting for years: a desktop browser. It will be available on Mac first, and a Windows version is coming in the near future. Until now, the only browser DuckDuckGo offered was on mobile.

As you might expect from a DuckDuckGo product, privacy is at the forefront. The browser uses DuckDuckGo's search engine by default, and the Smarter Encryption feature will make sure you use the encrypted HTTPS version of websites more often. There's a tracker blocker, email protection and the company's famed Fire Button, which closes all tabs and wipes your browser data with a single click.

In-app data such as your history, bookmarks and passwords are by default only stored on your system. You can import your bookmarks and passwords from some other browsers and password managers.

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo says the browser will do away with many of those annoying cookie consent popups as well. It can clear them for you on certain sites by automatically rejecting as much cookie tracking as possible. This feature will be available for around half of all websites at the outset. DuckDuckGo says that figure will grow during the beta period.

In the privacy feed, you'll be able to see which sites tried to track you. There's the option to clear stored data from certain websites and to return to recently viewed pages, albeit with some extra privacy protection. DuckDuckGo claims its Mac browser is fast, too. It uses the same built-in rendering engine as Safari and blocks trackers before they load.

The Mac browser is in an invite-only beta. To sign up for the waitlist, either download the DuckDuckGo mobile app or update it to the latest version. From the "More from DuckDuckGo" menu in settings, select DuckDuckGo for Desktop and tap "Join the Private Waitlist." You'll eventually receive a notification with an invite code and link to snag the browser on your Mac. The process is a little unusual, but, appropriately enough, you won't have to provide any personal details.

Apple Watch Series 8 could include a body temperature sensor

If Apple sticks to its usual calendar, we should get our first look at Apple Watch Series 8 in September. We'll likely see watchOS 9 for the first time at WWDC in June as well. Both events are months away, but the Watch update rumors are ramping up.

Apple is expected to reveal up to three watch models this year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Along with the Series 8 and a revamped Watch SE, there may be a version with a rugged design. That one would be geared toward extreme athletes.

With watchOS 9, Apple may introduce an upgraded low-power mode. Beyond only letting users see the time in low-power mode, their watch could run some apps and other features.

Health has been a big focus for Apple Watch from the jump, and Series 8 could add a body temperature sensor to the mix. At the outset, it seems the plan is to help users with fertility planning. It may later be used to tell wearers if their body temperature is running high, though you may not see a numerical measurement.

In addition, Apple is expected to build on atrial fibrillation (AFib) monitoring with a new "burden" feature for watchOS0 that detects how often a person is in a state of AFib over a period of time. On top of that, more workout types and running metrics could be available in the Workout app.

As for health features users shouldn't expect to see in Apple Watch Series 8, the long-mooted blood pressure monitor isn't likely to arrive this year. Gurman says Apple has run into some issues with the tech, which is expected to look for signs of hypertension, and it likely won't be ready for another couple years. Another long-rumored feature that probably won't be in Series 8 devices is noninvasive blood sugar monitoring. That's not expected for several more years, according to Gurman.

The report also touches on some iPhone features that may arrive in the medium term. The Health app could have improved sleep detection along with a feature that allows users to scan medication bottles and reminds them when to take pills. The latest smartphone lineup could have satellite connectivity too, which could enable users to text emergency personnel and report incidents via satellite networks. Apple's said to be working on similar features for future generations of Apple Watch.

Apple's Mac Mini M1 falls back to an all-time low of $570

Apple's Mac Mini M1 has gone on sale multiple times since it launched in 2020, but it's available now at the best price we've seen so far. The 256GB version has returned to an all-time low of $570, thanks to a $99 discount voucher that's applied at checkout. 

Buy Mac Mini M1 at Amazon - $570

The Mac Mini M1 is the most budget-friendly way to get into Apple's ARM-based M1 processor family of PCs. It comes with an eight-core CPU, eight-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of very fast SSD storage. You can expect speedy performance, even for content creation and iOS apps, along with nearly instant wake times and high energy efficiency. 

It's largely unchanged on the exterior from past Mac Minis, so the small but sleek silver box can fit into cramped desktop spaces and look nice doing so. You won't be wanting for ports, either, as it offers a pair of Thunderbolt connectors, two USB-A ports, an HDMI connector, an Ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It keeps cool and quiet thanks Apple's "advanced thermal design," but has an active cooling solution with a fan that can kick in for demanding rendering and other chores.

The main negatives with the Mac Mini M1 are the lack of upgradeability (both the RAM and SSD are soldered in place), and poor access to the rear headphone port. However, the latter isn't a huge deal, and the M1 chip works just fine with 8GB of RAM. With Amazon's $570 price, it's one of the better desktop deals out there — just remember to apply the $99 voucher at checkout.

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YouTube says picture-in-picture will hit all iOS 15 devices in the coming days

If you don't yet have YouTube picture-in-picture on your Apple device, you will soon. YouTube has told users PiP should be available "in a matter of days" across all devices running iOS 15 or later. As with other apps that support PiP on iOS, this will let you keep a floating video window pinned to your screen while you shift your focus to other activities.

The feature has been a long time in coming. YouTube said it was first rolling out PiP to Premium subscribers in June of last year, with plans to eventually bring the perk to all viewers. Some users found workarounds (such as using the mobile website) shortly after Apple enabled PiP with iOS 14, but that functionality quickly disappeared.

YouTube is relatively late when Disney+, Netflix, Twitch and others enabled PiP within months. Nonetheless, it remains a large upgrade. You won't have to confine yourself to YouTube's app just to catch up on your video queue, and it should be that much easier to use the service as a jukebox without subscribing to YouTube Music.

Are you using an iOS smartphone? If so, the Picture-in-Picture feature is still rolling out & will be available in a matter of days across all iOS 15+ devices. Tweet back @ us if needed.

— TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) April 10, 2022

Apple's latest AirPods are back on sale for $150

We saw both the AirPods Pro and the second-generation AirPods drop to near record-low prices last week, and now the third-generation AirPods have followed suit. Apple's latest version of its popular wireless earbuds are down to $150 right now, or $30 off their normal rate and only $10 more than their all-time-low price. We last saw them at this price at the end of March, so now's a good time to grab them if you missed the previous sale.

Buy AirPods (3rd gen) at Amazon - $150

Apple made a lot of improvements to these AirPods — most notably, giving them a total redesign that makes them fit better than the second-generation wireless buds. They still don't quite match the AirPods Pro when it comes to fitting into different ear shapes, but they're much better than the classic AirPods. Apple also dramatically improved the audio quality on these buds by pairing a custom driver with a high-dynamic-range amplifier. You'll get crisp highs and a rich, consistent bass out of these buds, and if you're upgrading from a pair of second-gen buds, you'll immediately notice the difference in sound quality from the moment you put the new AirPods in your ears.

On top of that, the latest AirPods support Adaptive EQ, spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, plus they have a longer battery life, too. You'll get up to six hours of listening time before they need a recharge, and when use with their MagSafe case, you'll get up to 30 hours of total use. And as with other Apple earbuds, this model has the H1 chip inside, which enables convenient features like hands-free Siri access and quick pairing and switching between Apple devices. Overall, these are a solid pair of wireless earbuds that will be a good first pair for iPhone users who have yet to pick one up, or a great upgrade for those running their existing buds into the ground.

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Apple Watch Series 7 falls to a new all-time low of $314 at Amazon

Apple Watch Series 7 models are still on sale at Amazon starting at $330, but one model in particular just fell even further. The 41mm GPS model with a green aluminum case and green "Clover Sport" band has now dropped to $314 or $85 off, marking a new low price for Watch Series 7 models. 

Buy Watch Series 7 GPS (green only) at Amazon - $314

If you're fond of green, you'll get Apple's latest Watch Series 7 model with improvements over the Series 6 like a larger screen, faster charging and IP6X dust resistance. The bigger display makes it easier to see time at a glance, and the faster charging is handy if you like to wear your Watch continuously — even while you sleep. As with past models, it also comes with features like an always-on display, a rich app ecosystem and tight integration with Fitness+ and other Apple apps. On the downside, it doesn't have the best sleep-tracking app around and isn't the best option for Android users. 

If you're looking for a more neutral or other color, worry not. Other 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 GPS models are still on sale in Red, Abyss Blue, Midnight (black) and Starlight (white) at the $330 price tag we saw last week. And there are a variety of 41mm GPS+Cellular models on sale for $429 ($70 off), 45mm GPS models for $359 ($70 off) and 45mm GPS + Cellular models for $459 (also $70 off). These are essentially the same deals we saw last week, but a dollar cheaper for some reason. 

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