CeramicSpeed Bicycle Drivetrain

dezeen reports: [edited]

Danish company CeramicSpeed has developed what could be the world's most efficient bicycle drivetrain.

The Driven drivetrain has no chain or derailleurs, making it more than 99 per cent efficient. The prior drivetrain to beat was a Shimano Dura-Ace at 97.8 per cent efficiency — or 98.37 per cent when upgraded with CeramicSpeed parts.

The Shimano Dura-Ace, like the drivetrains on most bikes, is driven by a chain. While there are many advantages to chains, they eventually stretch and wear.

In contrast, CeramicSpeed's system is connected by a carbon-fibre shaft, which turns 90 degrees from the rear wheel and pedals. On either end of the shaft are 21 low-friction ceramic bearings, which transfer torque from the rider's pedalling through the drive shaft and onto the rear cog.
------------

London - Somerset - London, 14-07-18 & 15-07-18

London to Somerset
Daybreak (GoPro HERO3 Edit) - OVERWERK
Chillout Tent - The Hold Steady
Mambo italiano - Alma Cogan
Rebel Girl - Bikini Kill
I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night - Kiss
Love Hurts - Nazareth
I Can Only Give You Everything - Them
Robert De Niro's Waiting - Bananarama
Did You Ever? - Nancy Sinatra
The Girl Can't Help It - Little Richard
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
Rapper's Delight (single) - Sugarhill Gang
The Reeling (Calvin Harris Remix) - Passion Pit
Here Is A Song - Go Kart Mozart
Norman Greenbaum - Spirit in the Sky
Bulletproof - La Roux
Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry
Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat) - Paul Evans
My Doorbell - The White Stripes
Confusion Girl (single) - Frankmusik
Feels Like I'm In Love - Kelli Marie
Chewing Gum (mylo remix) - Annie
In A Broken Dream - Python Lee Jackson
Black Betty - Spiderbait
Something In The Air - Thunderclap Newman
Jealous (I Ain't With It) - Chromeo
Planet Earth - Duran Duran
Let It Go - Idina Menzel
Dreamer - Supertramp
Got To Be Real - Cheryl Lynn
Magic - Pilot
Feel Good Inc (Single Edit) - Gorillaz
You Spin Me Round (like a record) - Dead Or Alive
Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind & Fire With The Emotions
Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear - Alan Price
Living On Video - Trans-X
C'est la vie (radio edit) - B*Witched
We Bros - WU LYF
Might Be Stars - The Wannadies
Missing (Todd Terry Club Remix) - Everything But The Girl
Shine A Little Love - Electric Light Orchestra
Pump Up the Volume - M&A&R&R&S (Marrs)
Gangnam Style (강남스타일) - PSY

Somerset to London
Just A Girl - No Doubt
Bodys - Car Seat Headrest
Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse
Moonlighting - Leo Sayer
Finest Dreams (feat. Kelis) - Richard X
Steal My Sunshine - Len
Astounded (feat. Curtis Mayfield) - Bran Van 3000
Xpander (7" Version) - Sasha
Wedding Bell Blues (Marry Me, Bill) - Fifth Dimension
John, I'm Only Dancing - David Bowie
Girls On Film - Duran Duran
The Boy From New York City - The Darts
Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar
Creepin Up the Backstairs - The Fratellis
Dancing in the moonlight - King Harvest
Chain Reaction - Diana Ross
Macarena - Los Del Rio
Camouflage - Stan Ridgeway
The Diary Of Horace Wimp - Electric Light Orchestra
6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps
Whip It! (feat. Chloe Angelides) - LunchMoney Lewis
Skin Deep - The Stranglers
Informer [Radio Edit] - Snow
Save Tonight - Eagle-Eye Cherry
My Baby Loves Lovin' - White Plains
Ready to Go - Republica
Bang Bang - B.A. Robertson
Everyday I Love You Less And Less - Kaiser Chiefs
Show Me the Wonder - Manic Street Preachers
Faith - George Michael
All Star - Smash Mouth
Blue Moon - Showaddywaddy
He Said He Loved Me - Reverend and the Makers
Hole In My Shoe - Traffic
Come back and stay for good this time - Paul Young
Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
Misirlou (Theme From Pulp Fiction) - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
My Give A Damn's Busted - Jo Dee Messina
Hungry Like The Wolf - Reel Big Fish
Hotel California - SkaDaddyZ
Hot Pink - Let's Eat Grandma
Your Woman - White Town
The Distance - Cake
I'm a Believer (radio version) - Smash Mouth
Holiday - Madonna
What I Am - Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians
Ray Of Light - Madonna
Carey - Joni Mitchell
Django Jane - Janelle Monáe
Tonight's The Kind Of Night - Noah and the Whale
Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit - Gina G
Devil's Haircut - Beck
Call On Me - Eric Prydz
Dr Fell - Juliet Turner
Umbrella (Radio Edit) - Rihanna
Memphis In The Meantime - John Hiatt
Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
Superstar - Jamelia
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Icon Construct 3D Printed House In One Day

Wired reports: [edited]

A typical family home in the US takes an average of six and a half months to build. An Austin-based startup called Icon can produce a house nearly 200 times faster. In a day.

To be fair, the company is building houses that max out at 800 square feet. The fabrication is the work of a huge 3-D printer called Vulcan. Engineers run digital blueprints for the home through so-called slicer software, which translates the design into the programming language G-code. That code determines where the printer moves along its track, extruding 3⁄4-inch-thick layers of concrete like icing on a cake. The base material — a finely calibrated mix of cement, sand, plasticisers, and other aggregates — gets poured into a hopper at the top of the printer and flows onto the rising walls below.

The resulting abodes, which will cost $4,000 to build, are the latest addition in the tiny-house movement. In 2019, Icon intends to ship the Vulcan to El Salvador, where it’s slated to print 100 homes for disadvantaged families.

The startup’s next excursion may be even farther afield: Icon is participating in a NASA competition to develop printable space habitats using “indigenous materials,” the planetary soil available onsite.
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IBM Computer Debates Humans and Wins

Cnet reports: [edited]

IBM has created a system called Project Debater that competes in what the company calls computational argumentation – knowing a subject, presenting a position and defending it against opposition. At a press event, IBM pitted the system against two humans with a track record of winning debates.

In one debate, Noa Ovadia overall nudged two people among a few dozen in a human audience toward her perspective that governments shouldn't subsidise space exploration. But in the second, Project Debater soundly defeated Dan Zafrir, pulling nine audience members toward its stance that we should increase the use of telemedicine.

Project Debater was trained in advance on debating methods, but not the details of the debate itself, which it found out about only moments before the debate started. To formulate its argument, it had at its disposal a collection of 300 million news articles and scholarly papers, previously indexed for quick search results. But it had to find the information, package it persuasively, listen to its opponents' arguments and formulate a rebuttal.

Although IBM didn't try to pretend Debater is human, it speaks in a well-modulated female voice, and researchers call it "she." At the top of the pillar was a display showing its state of mind with curvaceous shapes in a soothing blue.

Debater showed a grasp of debating's nuts and bolts. It marshalled evidence, told you its stance, explained how its argument would proceed and made its case. It quoted authorities, like German ministers touting the economic benefits of space exploration or scientific studies showing better health outcomes for diabetes patients monitored from afar.

There were gaffes, like the moment Debater said subsidising space exploration "is more important than good roads, improved schools or better health care."
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7.3-gigapixel panorama 'timelapse' of London

Digital Photography Review reports: [edited]

Photographer Henry Stuart has created a 24-hour panoramic timelapse image of London that combines 6,240 raw photographs to form a picture that contains over 7 billion pixels.

Captured through a Nikon D850 and AF-S Nikkor 300mm F2.8 lens using a robotic mount by Nikon-owned robotics company Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC), the 155° view presents the city in an incredible amount of detail, with Nikon claiming that you can read signs up to 5 miles away from where the image was captured.
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Wilier Cento1 Hybrid Road eBike

Digital Trends reports: [edited]

Based on the company’s best-selling Cento1 platform, this electric version comes outfitted with a rear-mounted hub motor designed by ebikemotion that provides pedal assist when riders need it. The electric motor is powered by a 250-watt battery pack that is hidden in the bike’s down tube.

The electric components of the bike – motor, battery, and control systems – weigh 8.15 pounds. The Cento1 Hybrid reportedly tips the scales at just 26.2 pounds, putting it within striking distance of traditional road bikes. The main controller is embedded in the bike’s top tube, enabling riders to turn the system on and off, and adjust the level of pedal assist, as needed.

The electric motor can also be connected to a smartphone via the ebikemotion app (iOS/Android), which allows the rider to track metrics like speed, distance, and time. It also offers navigation features, weather alerts, and Strava integration. The app can even help with route planning, keep a log of a cyclist’s activities, and in that respect is comparable with the Apple Watch and Apple’s Health Kit API.

The Cento1 Hybrid uses Wilier’s carbon fibre frame and fork, and Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes and crankset. It also features a Selle Italia X1 seat, 28-millimeter Vittoria Zaffiro Pro tires, and a geometry that is more designed for comfort out on the road than all-out racing.

Availability for the Wilier Cento1 Hybrid has yet to be revealed, but the new ebike is priced at 4,500 euros.
------------

Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ200

Digital Photography Review has published an in-depth review of Panasonic's latest compact travel zoom.

Snippets from the conclusion follow:

"There's a lot to like about the ZS200. It's 'jacket pocket' compact and feels like a premium product with good fit and finish."

"What matters the most about any camera is the quality of the images that it produces, and the ZS200 is a mixed bag. The combination of incredible zoom range, a complex optical formula and impressive compactness means the lens was a little softer than we'd like."

"The TZ200 is the camera I most often recommend to photographers looking for a small and highly capable option for travel or to have on hand for daily life photos."

"When I brought it along on a trip to a family theme park, I was impressed with how much it offered me from a capability perspective while it stayed out of my way from a user experience perspective. I was able to capture photos in a wide range of circumstances (from low light indoors to zooming in on the top of a roller coaster loop) without having to think too much about camera settings."

"The only thing I really missed was an articulated LCD screen, but that was a pretty minor thing to give up in favour of the incredible versatility and reach of the 24-360mm equivalent lens."

Price: £680.00
------------

M.C. Escher Prints & Drawings Online

Kottke reports: [edited]

The Boston Public Library has digitised their collection of M.C. Escher prints. The level of zoom you can get to with these images is amazing. Browse the whole collection here.
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London - Northampton - London 12-05-18

Dixie Drug Store - Grant Lee Buffalo
Like a Virgin - Madonna
Contact In Red Square - Blondie
Ready Or Not - Fugees
Every Day Hurts - Sad Cafe
Take on me - a-ha
You Are The One - a-ha
Dr. Jones - Aqua
Mr. Wendal - Arrested Development
technologic - Daft Punk
Special Brew - Bad Manners
Take On Me - Reel Big Fish
The Boys of Summer - DJ Sammy
Got To Have Your Love - Mantronix (feat. Wondress)
I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
Emma - Hot Chocolate
Spirit Of Radio - Rush
Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.
Relax, Take It Easy (single) - Mika
Tiny Dancer - Tim McGraw
Everytime We Touch [Club Mix] - Cascada
Killer Queen [2011 Remaster] - Queen
I Am The Mob - Catatonia
Carry on Wayward Son - Kansas
Borderline - Madonna
Falling - HAIM
I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman
Manic Monday - The Bangles
Burn Baby Burn - Ash
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - The Georgia Satellites
Sick Muse - Metric
Ambling Alp - Yeasayer
Sweet Talkin' Woman - Electric Light Orchestra
Only You Can - Fox
Hey you Rocksteady Crew - Rock Steady Crew
You Are My Sunshine/Open Up Your Heart - Frente!
Stand - R.E.M.
Rock Lobster - The B-52's
Call it Love - Poco
I Turn To You - Melanie C
Gertcha - Chas 'N' Dave
Reelin' & Rockin' - Chuck Berry
I Need You - N-Dubz
Robot - The Futureheads
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
Killing Me Softly - Fugees
------------

Honda Clarity Hybrid

Wired reports: [edited]

To combine the benefits of electric propulsion with the reassurance of internal combustion, Honda brought in two electric motors and a 1.5-litre petrol engine. Like a small company of actors putting on an epic play, each fills a variety of roles. Those vary based on whichever of the dozens of possible mode combinations the driver engages via buttons, paddles, and pedals.

The Clarity Hybrid can go 47 miles on battery power (340 miles total), gets the equivalent of 110 miles per gallon, and delivers a respectable 212 horsepower, in a large, comfortable package that starts at $33,400.

The logic behind Honda’s newest addition to its dedicated line of electrified vehicles is simple: function as an electric as much as possible, and use the engine to maximise efficiency by charging the batteries or directly powering the wheels – whatever makes the most sense at the moment.

Say you start in the default Normal mode, with the battery charged (just 2.5 hours to fully top off from a 240 volt home hookup). The Clarity will disengage the engine and operate on battery power alone, letting the electric motor drive the wheels. If you baby the throttle, you can keep it that way, even hitting the 100 mph top speed in electric mode. If you floor it, the petrol engine will kick in to help drive the wheels and produce maximum acceleration.

As the 17 kWh battery drains, the Clarity will automatically modulate use of the petrol engine based on the driving conditions. The petrol engine will supply electricity to the propulsion motor directly, via the second electric motor that functions as a generator, and may also drive the wheels directly at medium and highway speeds.

Where most hybrids link their engines to the wheels with a continuously variable transmission, the Clarity uses a single speed transmission with a direct connection to the wheels. This mitigates the efficiency losses that come any time the engine acts as a generator. When the engine drives the wheels directly, the loss is zero, and that power can either be supplemented by the motor’s propulsion or replace it entirely, if the driver wants to conserve battery use.
------------

Pipistrel Alpha Electro

Clean Technica reports: [edited]

With its short takeoff distance and an impressively powerful 1000+ fpm climb rate, the Alpha Electro can fly for over an hour plus reserve. The electric airplane is optimised for training schools and traffic-pattern operations. It uses aviation’s equivalent of regenerative braking, which gives it a 13% of energy recuperation on descent.

Originally, Pipistrel was working on its electric aircraft prototype the WATTsUP, developed in partnership with Siemens AG. Siemens provided the main electric propulsion components for the Alpha Electro, while Pipistrel refined the aircraft's components to be lighter, more efficient, and more reliable.

Using a 17 kWh battery pack designed to be dual-redundant and quickly swappable, it can be charged in less than one hour.
------------

Fog Harp

CNN reports: [edited]

In some of the most arid regions of the world, from the Sahara to the Andes, special nets have long been used to catch moisture from the air, turning fog into drinking water.

These fog harvesters are put up against wind streams to catch microscopic droplets which gather and merge on a fine mesh until they have enough weight to travel down into a water tank. They provide essential access to water to many communities, and the technology behind them has evolved over the years to offer a higher yield, resistance to the elements and a reduced need for maintenance.

Now, researchers at Virginia Tech University have developed a new design that they say has three times the efficiency of regular fog nets. They call it a 'harp', because its vertical pattern of wires makes it resemble the string instrument.

The problem with the classical design, according to Boreyko, is that the fog droplets end up getting stuck in the holes of the net, because the horizontal wires obstruct their path on the way down into the reservoir. The net then becomes heavily clogged with water, which makes it impermeable to the wind. As a result, the foggy wind simply flows around the net, instead of through it, which reduces the amount of fog that can be collected.
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16,000+ Sound Effects Available Free From BBC

NME reports: [edited]

Over 16,000 sound effects have been made available for free from the BBC library. The archive includes effects that have been used on the corporation’s radio output since the 1920s.

Now, the general public can download them for free for the first time. The libary includes the likes of a South American parrot talking and screeching, an 11 month old baby boy playing with toys, and a 16-foot speedboat with a 40hp outboard pulling up to stop.

Files can be used for “personal, educational, or research purposes” as per the RemArc licence. The archive is tagged and searchable.
------------

iPod playlist, 21/04/18 - 22/04/18

Well It's True That We Love One Another - The White Stripes
Dreamtime - Daryl Hall
You're Unbelievable - EMF
Wicked Game - Loni Rose
I Get Around - The Beach Boys
I'll Be Around - Joan Osborne
Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas
Paper Planes - M.I.A. (XL)
Papa Was A Rolling Stone (single) - The Temptations
Rocks - Primal Scream
I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis
Strong Enough - Cher
I Want To Be Your Boyfriend - Rubinoos
Waiting for a train - Flash & The Pan
Valerie - Steve Winwood
Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes
Telephone Man - Meri Wilson
All The Roadrunning - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
Flying High - Jem
Free (single edit) - Deniece Williams
Nothing To Be Afraid Of - Lazyboy
Beauty - David Mead
Certain Surprise - John Martyn
Nikita - Elton John
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out - Katie Melua
Security Joan - Donald Fagen
Stop - Lizz Wright
Spanish Nights - Chuck Loeb
After All This Time - Darden Smith
Misguided Angel - Cowboy Junkies
The Game of Love - Daft Punk
Up In Fire - Andreya Triana
Munich (live, editors cover) - Corinne Bailey Rae
Dying all young - Chuck Prophet
Rise - Gabrielle
Under My Wing - John Martyn
The Runaway - Gallagher & Lyle
Right Now - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
Holding Out For Love - Daryl Hall
Elodie - David Mead
Post - Cowboy Junkies
Heart Of Mine - Maria Muldaur
Oneplusone - David Mead
Safi - Idrissa Soumaoro
The Great Pagoda Of Funn - Donald Fagen
Love For Sale - Ella Fitzgerald & Cole Porter
Volare (Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu) - Dean Martin
For Crying Out Loud - Lloyd Cole
Call Me When You Get This - Corinne Bailey Rae
Chocolate Girl - Deacon Blue
Easy - Lionel Richie
Tropical - Chuck Loeb
Tell Me You'll Wait For Me - Cassandra Wilson
Astronaut - David Mead
Anyway The Wind Blows - J.J. Cale
Dreaming Wide Awake - Lizz Wright
Sensitive Kind - Eric Clapton Feat. Don White
Miss DJ - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Flake - Jack Johnson
Hey Sweet Man - Madeleine Peyroux
I'll Have to Say I Love You In A Song - Jim Croce
Don't it make my brown eyes blue - Crystal Gayle
The Last Train - Josh Rouse
What I Do - Donald Fagen
Man On A Mission - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Neighbor-Hoods - Josh Rouse
Bucket Of Girls - David Mead
Walkin' After Midnight - Cowboy Junkies
Just Like Heaven - Katie Melua
Thankyou, Stars - Katie Melua
Talkin' In Your Sleep - Crystal Gayle
Chutes And Ladders (Bonus Track) - David Mead
Morph The Cat - Donald Fagen
Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie
Bringing It Back - J.J. Cale
Serenade - Emiliana Torrini
Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea - Diana Krall
Someday We'll Know - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Making It Up Again - David Mead
Secret Symphony - Katie Melua
Some Things Don't Come Easy - England Dan & John Ford Coley
Dream Dancing - Ella Fitzgerald & Cole Porter
Night Life - The Little Willies
The Trouble With Henry - David Mead
Snowbound - Donald Fagen
Fools Rush In - Daryl Hall
What I Want To Do - David Mead
Make You Stay - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Always A Use - Madeleine Peyroux
Enchantment - Corinne Bailey Rae
Body And Soul - Diana Krall
Never Let Me Go - Daryl Hall
Anniversary Song - Cowboy Junkies
99 Miles From L.A. - Art Garfunkel
What Can I Do (Tin Tin Out Remix) - The Corrs
La Javanaise - Madeleine Peyroux
I'd Really Love To See You Again - England Dan & John Ford Coley
The Road Is A Lover - Alison Krauss & Union Station
Was I? - Madeleine Peyroux
In Between - Josh Rouse
Sensitive Kind - J.J. Cale
The Frozen Man - James Taylor
Heartbreak Time - Daryl Hall & John Oates
Adrift - Jack Johnson
I Found Out - The Pigeon Detectives
Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Hush - AM Radio
My coo ca choo - Alvin Stardust
Shuffle - Bombay Bicycle Club
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
Top Of The Pops - The Rezillos
Video Games - Lana Del Rey
Ready for the Weekend - Calvin Harris
Over and Over and Over - Jack White
Punka - Kenickie
Give It (Radio Edit) - X-press 2 featuring Kurt Wagner
Ukulele Anthem - Amanda Palmer
when you look at me - Christina Milian
Jilted John [LP Version] - Jilted John
Johnny reggae - The Piglets
It Feels So Good (Dance Mix) - Sonique
Get Dancin' - Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes
Telepathy - Lene Lovich
House Of The Rising Sun (Live At Abbey Road) - John Otway
88 Lines About 44 Women - Nails
Too Young (Zoot Woman remix) - Phoenix
Jeans on - David Dundas
------------

Casino Hacked Via Fish Tank Thermostat

The Hacker News reports: [edited]

Nicole Eagan, the CEO of cybersecurity company Darktrace, told attendees at an event in London how cybercriminals hacked a casino through a internet-connected thermostat in an aquarium in the lobby.

The hackers exploited a vulnerability in the thermostat to get a foothold in the network. Once there, they managed to access the high-roller database of gamblers and then pulled it back across the network, via the thermostat, and up to the cloud."

Thanks to Brook for the link
Image: Delbert Pagayona
------------

Type Like The Songwriters Wrote

Songwriters Fonts reports: [edited]

The Songwriters fonts have been created to give musicians inspiration.

Being in the mood of Bowie, Cobain, Cohen, Gainsbourg, Lennon, might be purely imaginative... but that's precisely the point.
------------

Flying Whale Airship

Bloomberg reports: [edited]

France has entered the global race to develop a viable cargo airship with a 500-foot model design that will lift lumber from deep woodland.

Flying Whale is joining a contest that includes defence giant Lockheed Martin Corp. and a clutch of smaller players. What’s different about the latest project is the combined benefit of being able to lift an industry-leading 60 tons, without any requirement for mooring pylons.

The Flying Whale will be twice as long as a Boeing Co. 747 jumbo jet and have a rigid structure with individual pockets of helium. It will be powered by small diesel or electric engines.
------------

What Happens To Fat Cells When You Lose Weight?

The Independent reports: [edited]

It’s commonly believed that when you lose weight, the fat that you burn is converted into energy. The truth is that fat is converted into carbon dioxide and water.

Meerman and Brown surveyed 150 doctors, dieticians and personal trainers to find out what they believe happens to fat when an individual loses weight. Only three of those surveyed answered correctly.

“You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it’s lost as urine and sweat,” stated Meerman and Brown. “If you lose 10kg of fat, precisely 8.4kg comes out through your lungs and the remaining 1.6kg turns into water.”

With the exception of dietary fibre, everything that you consume is absorbed into your bloodstream and organs, which is why it’s important to increase the amount of carbon dioxide your body produces with physical activity.

“It’s not going anywhere until you’ve vaporised it,” Meerman and Brown explained.
------------

Prefab Home That Can Withstand A Category 3 Hurricane

Business Insider reports: [edited]

Tropical storms are becoming more common along the Dutch Coast When winds are particularly strong, they can wreak havoc on homes and other structures.

In preparation for future storms, Borren Staalenhoef Architecten BV bna has designed a house that can resist Category 3 hurricanes. The home's rounded roof and sturdy materials help it withstand powerful wind speeds. The house was constructed above sea level as well, helping it avoid the risk of flooding.

A construction crew assembled the prefab house in just two days in Vlieland, Netherlands.
------------

Google Release Bristlecone Quantum Processor

TechCrunch reports: [edited]

Teams at Google, Microsoft, Intel, IBM and various startups and academic labs are racing to become the first to achieve quantum supremacy – the point where a quantum computer can run certain algorithms faster than a conventional version.

The purpose of Bristlecone, Google says, it to provide its researchers with a testbed “for research into system error rates and scalability of our qubit technology, as well as applications in quantum simulation, optimisation, and machine learning.”

One of the issues that quantum computers have to contend with is error rates. Quantum computers typically run at extremely low temperatures and are shielded from the environment because quantum bits are highly unstable and any 'noise' can lead to errors.

Because of this, the qubits in modern quantum processors (the quantum computing versions of 'bits') are often a combination of numerous bits to help account for potential errors. Another limiting factor is that most of these systems can only preserve their state for microseconds.
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