With only a few intense lasers, electrodes and some ultracold ions, researchers at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, have been able to build the first programmable quantum computer.
What makes this experiment different is that this new system is able to perform more than 150 random processing routines.
For Quantum computers to become more useful, these machines should be able to be progammed just like a normal computer can be programmed. This will of course mean that the system will be able to run many different programs. Up until now, earlier versions of quantum computers have been very restricted with regards to the amount of specific tasks they could perform.
The new study is "a powerful demonstration of the technological advances towards producing a real-world quantum computer," says quantum physicist Winfried Hensinger of the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. The researchers, led by David Hanneke of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colo. built the computer based on two cooled beryllium ions with a temperature of just above zero.
The ions formed the quantum bits, or qubits, analogous to the bits in normal computers represented by 0s and 1s, and were trapped by a magnetic field on a gold-plated aluminum chip. To perform the processing operations, short laser bursts were used to manipulate the beryllium ions. Magnesium ions kept the beryllium ions stationary, and from getting hot. It is believed that this system may be applied to larger-scale systems.
The system built was mostly experimental, but what is important is the fact that the principal may be applied on a larger scale, and therefor become practical.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
HP SkyRoom Brings 21st Century Innovation To VideoConferencing
September 22, 2009 saw the introduction of HP SkyRoom - high definition videoconferencing software that offers affordable, live real time face-to-face meeting with no subscription fees.
The technology was developed in HP Labs, and some elements were used by Nasa's rovers on Mars to transfer high-resolution images back to our planet.
The software is reported to be the only videoconferencing tool that offers real-time communication for up to 4 people on a standard business network. The software is priced at $149.
Until now, videoconferencing has been somewhat limited and expensive, and also limited users in the areas of video sharing, rich media content and design manipulation.
HP SkyRoom will be included on select HP business desktop and mobile workstations, and also on a free trial basis for many HP premium business notebooks and PCs. The software can be used on Dell, Sun or Lenovo PCs that meet the minimum technology requirements.
This technology will have a significant impact on the way companies do business, in that travel costs and even environmental impact will be reduced significantly. 'Finally, video meetings with genuine eye contact and natural human interaction are as easy as starting an instant messaging connection,' said Jim Zafarana, vice president and general manager, Workstations, HP. 'It takes business productivity and collaboration to a completely new level when we can connect people around the world in a day via HP SkyRoom and let them get home to family dinner and bedtime stories – without the wear and tear of travel.'
HP SkyRoom enables users to share any kind of application used on their PC or workstation. Some of these include documents, interacive 3-D applications and also office documents. The software is easy to operate, and quick to launch, simply clicking 'contact to connect', which initiates a real-time, live SkyRoom session, and with only one more click, users can instanly share rich media content.
The success of HP SkyRoom lies in three years of design and research to compress image and video algorithms. The software gives remote users a glimpse of the presenter's display, and also of each other. It only updates changes in the screen display, not the entire display, which is then encrypted and compressed before being sent to the other participants. This method reduces limiting factors such as bandwith and network traffic, which in itself allows for faster transfer speed of the data.
Minimum requirements to run HP SkyRoom includes Intel® Core 2™ Duo 2.33-GHz or equivalent processor with 2 GB RAM, as well as a webcam and Microsoft Windows® XP or Vista®. Networking requirements consist of a broadband connection with at least 400kb/second, and needs to run over a corporate VPN to connect to systems outside the local firewall.
HP Z800, Z600, Z400 and xw4600 workstations will feature the software preinstalled at no cost.
The technology was developed in HP Labs, and some elements were used by Nasa's rovers on Mars to transfer high-resolution images back to our planet.
The software is reported to be the only videoconferencing tool that offers real-time communication for up to 4 people on a standard business network. The software is priced at $149.
Until now, videoconferencing has been somewhat limited and expensive, and also limited users in the areas of video sharing, rich media content and design manipulation.
HP SkyRoom will be included on select HP business desktop and mobile workstations, and also on a free trial basis for many HP premium business notebooks and PCs. The software can be used on Dell, Sun or Lenovo PCs that meet the minimum technology requirements.
This technology will have a significant impact on the way companies do business, in that travel costs and even environmental impact will be reduced significantly. 'Finally, video meetings with genuine eye contact and natural human interaction are as easy as starting an instant messaging connection,' said Jim Zafarana, vice president and general manager, Workstations, HP. 'It takes business productivity and collaboration to a completely new level when we can connect people around the world in a day via HP SkyRoom and let them get home to family dinner and bedtime stories – without the wear and tear of travel.'
HP SkyRoom enables users to share any kind of application used on their PC or workstation. Some of these include documents, interacive 3-D applications and also office documents. The software is easy to operate, and quick to launch, simply clicking 'contact to connect', which initiates a real-time, live SkyRoom session, and with only one more click, users can instanly share rich media content.
The success of HP SkyRoom lies in three years of design and research to compress image and video algorithms. The software gives remote users a glimpse of the presenter's display, and also of each other. It only updates changes in the screen display, not the entire display, which is then encrypted and compressed before being sent to the other participants. This method reduces limiting factors such as bandwith and network traffic, which in itself allows for faster transfer speed of the data.
Minimum requirements to run HP SkyRoom includes Intel® Core 2™ Duo 2.33-GHz or equivalent processor with 2 GB RAM, as well as a webcam and Microsoft Windows® XP or Vista®. Networking requirements consist of a broadband connection with at least 400kb/second, and needs to run over a corporate VPN to connect to systems outside the local firewall.
HP Z800, Z600, Z400 and xw4600 workstations will feature the software preinstalled at no cost.
Embedded systems
Embedded computer systems must be fast and efficient. A European consortium has created a new modelling framework that lets designers strike the best balance between static, reconfigurable and analogue hardware and the software that runs on it.
A typical desktop PC contains an all-purpose processor and many different software programs that allow it to do a huge range of tasks. It gets things done, not always as efficiently as possible, but well enough for most purposes.
Embedded systems are different. These specialised computers can be found everywhere from aircraft to cars to washing machines. They are built to do one job extremely well, and usually that means that a lot of processing work which might be done in software on a normal computer is done by a purpose-made – and efficient – hardware chip.
The trick is to get the right balance between software and hardware. “Software is flexible, but it requires fast and expensive processors and can be too slow for very computation-intensive tasks,” says Frank Oppenheimer, of the OFFIS research centre in Oldenburg. “Hardware in embedded systems is efficient but usually static – that is, a piece of hardware can be used in exactly one specific way.”
In recent years industrial designers have become interested in dynamically reconfigurable hardware. It comes in programmable modules which can rewire themselves to do different tasks, so combining the processing muscle of hardware with the flexibility of software.
A typical desktop PC contains an all-purpose processor and many different software programs that allow it to do a huge range of tasks. It gets things done, not always as efficiently as possible, but well enough for most purposes.
Embedded systems are different. These specialised computers can be found everywhere from aircraft to cars to washing machines. They are built to do one job extremely well, and usually that means that a lot of processing work which might be done in software on a normal computer is done by a purpose-made – and efficient – hardware chip.
The trick is to get the right balance between software and hardware. “Software is flexible, but it requires fast and expensive processors and can be too slow for very computation-intensive tasks,” says Frank Oppenheimer, of the OFFIS research centre in Oldenburg. “Hardware in embedded systems is efficient but usually static – that is, a piece of hardware can be used in exactly one specific way.”
In recent years industrial designers have become interested in dynamically reconfigurable hardware. It comes in programmable modules which can rewire themselves to do different tasks, so combining the processing muscle of hardware with the flexibility of software.
Assistive technologies used for web browsing
Individuals living with a disability use assistive technologies such as the following to enable and assist web browsing:
* Screen reader software, which can read out, using synthesized speech, either selected elements of what is being displayed on the monitor (helpful for users with reading or learning difficulties), or which can read out everything that is happening on the computer (used by blind and vision impaired users).
* Braille terminals, consisting of a Refreshable Braille display which renders text as Braille characters (usually by means of raising pegs through holes in a flat surface) and either a QWERTY or Braille keyboard.
* Screen magnification software, which enlarges what is displayed on the computer monitor, making it easier to read for vision impaired users.
* Speech recognition software that can accept spoken commands to the computer, or turn dictation into grammatically correct text - useful for those who have difficulty using a mouse or a keyboard.
* Keyboard overlays, which can make typing easier and more accurate for those who have motor control difficulties.
* Screen reader software, which can read out, using synthesized speech, either selected elements of what is being displayed on the monitor (helpful for users with reading or learning difficulties), or which can read out everything that is happening on the computer (used by blind and vision impaired users).
* Braille terminals, consisting of a Refreshable Braille display which renders text as Braille characters (usually by means of raising pegs through holes in a flat surface) and either a QWERTY or Braille keyboard.
* Screen magnification software, which enlarges what is displayed on the computer monitor, making it easier to read for vision impaired users.
* Speech recognition software that can accept spoken commands to the computer, or turn dictation into grammatically correct text - useful for those who have difficulty using a mouse or a keyboard.
* Keyboard overlays, which can make typing easier and more accurate for those who have motor control difficulties.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wireless Technologies
Terrestrial Microwave
Terrestrial microwaves use Earth-based transmitter and receiver. The equipment look similar to satellite dishes. Terrestrial microwaves use low-gigahertz range, which limits all communications to line-of-sight. Path between relay stations spaced approx. 30 miles apart. Microwave antennas are usually placed on top of buildings, towers, hills, and mountain peaks.
Communications Satellites
The satellites use microwave radio as their telecommunications medium which are not deflected by the Earth's atmosphere. The satellites are stationed in space, typically 22,000 miles above the equator. These Earth-orbiting systems are capable of receiving and relaying voice, data, and TV signals.
Cellular and PCS Systems
Use several radio communications technologies. The systems are divided to different geographic area. Each area has low-power transmitter or radio relay antenna device to relay calls from one area to the next area.
Wireless LANs
Wireless local area network use a high-frequency radio technology similar to digital cellular and a low-frequency radio technology. Wireless LANS use spread spectrum technology to enable communication between multiple devices in a limited area. Example of open-standard wireless radio-wave technology is IEEE 802.11b.
Bluetooth
A short range wireless technology. Operate at approx. 1Mbps with range from 10 to 100 meters. Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for data exchange over short distances.
The Wireless Web
The wireless web refers to the use of the World Wide Web through equipments like cellular phones, pagers,PDAs, and other portable communications devices. The wireless web service offers anytime/anywhere connection.
Monday, November 9, 2009
ICT-The impact on Society
The far-reaching changes taking place as a result of ICT developments touch many aspects of our lives.ICT now provides us with the means to process, store, retrieve and communicate a vast amount of information in digital form. This digital information is communicated irrespective of whether it encodes text, data, sound or video. This has hugely enhanced the variety and quantity of information that individuals and organizations can communicate on a virtually instantaneous basis.
The following illustrates just some of the changes that the digital revolution is bringing to our lives:
- An ever-growing number of businesses and families at home are profiting from high-speed computer links (via modems using standard phone lines, TV cables or ADSL, via digital interfaces to ISDN or Ethernet networks, or via mobile GSM or GPRS technologies). This will enable much easier and richer access to new services such as distance learning. With physical distance from the teacher no longer a constraint, individuals and educational institutes alike can 'attend' lectures taking place far away and access information stored elsewhere, thereby broadening the scope and possibilities of education. Distance learning complements the increasing focus on life-long learning for all, as it makes it easier for people to follow education and training courses without having to move or leave their current employment.
- The convergence of satellite, cellular telephony and computer technologies means that we can communicate with people all around the world -while we ourselves are on the move. This is already possible using GSM (within Europe) or dual-mode (for transatlantic journeys) cellular phones, notebook computers for connecting with colleagues based in offices all around the world, or satellite phones for more extreme applications.
- It is increasingly easy for us to live and work where we choose, rather than being forced to commute to particular locations, such as city centres. Those of us who are unable to leave the house, or who live in a geographically isolated region, can now be fully integrated into the labour market. This helps fight de-population of rural areas.
- Teleworking is helping to improve Europeans' quality of life. With more people able to work from home - or from almost any other location that they choose - traffic congestion in overcrowded city centres may be reduced. The range of employment options available to us will also rise, along with the range of choices within each job.
- Most Europeans can access important services without having to travel to a particular location. For example, we can now pay bills, check a bank balance or communicate with our bank manager without having to travel to a bank outlet. This increases the convenience of such services. But ICT is also increasing the quality of important services. Telemedicine, for instance, gives doctors greater resources that include health applications networks linking patients and their local doctor with specialists all over the world, who will have been able to study laboratory results, X-rays and other medical information sent to them electronically. Patients therefore benefit from the advice of the top medical experts, wherever they are located.
- People with special needs, such as people with physical disabilities and the elderly, can now access a multitude of information and entertainment services from around the world. This can help alleviate problems caused by a reduction in mobility. As electronic commerce becomes more common, distributors can now more easily sell products across the world and - if need be - around the clock, in a truly global market that is not constrained by geography or time-zones. Electronic commerce provides smaller companies with a very practical and cheap medium through which to advertise and sell their products, and gives enterprises around the world a larger market to aim at. The consumer is also benefiting. From work or the home, we can 'shop' for a range of goods and services from around the world, giving us greatly expanded choices and lower prices.
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