Lasers and microwaves lead to better quantum computing circuits

If you’re going to craft a quantum computer, you need to corral lots of quantum bits (qubits) to perform calculations… and Penn State researchers have found a way to make that happen. They’ve developed a technique that relies on lasers and microwaves to steer a tightly packed, 3D grid of atoms that serve as qubits. When you want to change the state of these atoms, you hit them with crossed laser beams and then bathe them in uniform microwaves. In a test, scientists had enough control to spell out “PSU” across a three-layer array of 125 atoms.

The tech has a long way to go. You’d need many more qubits to make a fully functional computer, to start with. Penn State’s team also wants to improve the reliability (it’s at 99.7 percent now) and create quantum entanglements that have particles react to each other. If all those pieces fall into place, though, you could see truly complex quantum computers (not just ones with a few atoms) that pull off calculations which are impractical or impossible for today’s machines.

Via: PCWorld

Source: Penn State, Science

How to watch NASA’s Juno spacecraft enter Jupiter’s orbit

NASA launched its Jupiter-exploring Juno spacecraft on August 5, 2011, but thanks to some patriotic timing, it’s arriving at the gas giant today on July 4th. That’ll give space fans some additional fireworks, as NASA and JPL will be broadcasting the crucial orbit insertion starting at around 10:30 PM ET. If all goes well, the craft will fire its main engine for 35 minutes and scrub 1,212 mph from its current 37,000 mph velocity. That’ll give it just the right speed to be captured into a 53-day orbit around the planet.

If you’re a space nerd — and even if you’re not — the event should be exciting. To catch it live, tune in to NASA’s Juno Mission Control Live broadcast on Ustream, starting at 10:30 PM ET. Another way to follow along is with NASA’s Eyes on Juno app for Mac or PC that gives you a simulated ride aboard the craft.

Juno has just one chance to make the crucial engine burn and achieve orbit — if the motor fails, it’ll go flying off into space. A miscalculation could also send it too close, as its first orbit will put it at a very tight 2,900 miles from the top of Jupiter’s atmosphere. The Jovian planet has a very intense magnetic field, which could also knock out Juno’s sensitive instruments, even though they’re shielded by titanium. Did I mention that it takes 48 minutes for the craft to send a signal back to Earth?

Those potential issues will create a lot of suspense, but if things unfold as expected, Juno will be captured by Jupiter’s gravity and enter orbit around 11:38 PM. From there, it’ll point its antenna toward Earth, and start sending telemetry around 12:16 AM. Hopefully at that point, we’ll get some nice images from the craft’s high-resolution JunoCam (the first image is shown above).

It’ll make two 53 day orbits, then do another engine burn to push it into a 14-day orbit, where the science will begin. Astronomers hope to discover whether Jupiter has a rocky core by measuring its magnetic field, for one. They also aim to discover more about metallic hydrogen, which nobody has been able to create on Earth. (On Jupiter, pressures amount to hundreds of millions of tons per square inch.)

There will also be lots of unprecedented high-resolution images of the planet, better showing its storms, bands and spots. Juno will do all this with just 500 watts of solar power, as Jupiter is five times farther from the source of its power, the Sun, than Earth.

Around November 3rd, NASA will take suggestions from the public as to where they should point Juno’s cameras. On the 37th and final orbit, the space agency will deliberately steer Juno into Jupiter’s clouds, where it’ll burn up. NASA wants to ensure it doesn’t crash into Jupiter’s moon, Europa, and contaminate it with bacteria that may have sneaked onboard, however unlikely that scenario is.

The mission is programmed to last a relatively short 20 months, because the intense radiation is expected to quickly fry the spacecraft’s electronics. If things go better than expected, however, the mission could be extended another few months. Bear in mind that they said the same thing about the Mars rover Opportunity, and the damn thing is still going.

Source: NASA

Save $15 on this case and holster combo for the HTC One M9 today!

Want to keep your HTC One M9 protected at all times? If so, Amzer’s hard shell and holster combo is what you will want to take a look at. The hard shell case will protect your phone from drops and dings, and the holster gives you a safe place to keep it when not in use. Right now you can save $15 on the combo, making it just $4.95.

Save $20 on this HTC 10 tempered glass screen protector

Want to keep the screen of your HTC 10 free of scratches for the long haul? If so, Ventev’s toughglass screen protector is what you will want to install on your phone. The glass will prevent scratches from your actual screen, and potentially even help keep it safe during a fall, all for just $14.95 today!

You can now buy Samsung’s fancy Serif TV in the US from MoMA

Art enthusiasts can now get a Samsung TV from a Manhattan museum to complement the highbrow decor of their living rooms.

Last year (about nine months ago, to be exact), Samsung announced a new TV. But it’s not one of those flexible, curvy, or super-thin kinds. It’s something totally different. Samsung collaborated with French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec to create the Serif TV. It’s an LED 4K TV with HDR, three HDMI ports, and support for Wi-Fi and apps. It also works as a Bluetooth speaker.

It’s designed with the idea that a television should be a piece of furniture (sort of like those wooden TV cabinets from the 50s and 60s), rather than a slim screen plainly affixed to your wall. It kind of looks like a letter ‘I’ with serifs in profile, hence the name. It comes in three sizes, with the two larger sizes having optional legs, which allows you to place those sets anywhere.

The rear of the TV features a fabric panel that covers its ports and connectors. But that’s not all: Serif TV is available exclusively from the Museum of Modern Art for $1,499 in blue or white (you can only buy the 40-inch version in the US). Obviously, you’re paying for the TV’s design – given it’s only a 40-inch 4K set. Not many people can say they bought their TV from an art museum, though.

The set has been available from Samsung’s website in the UK since November 2015, though it’s currently listed as out of stock. In the UK and in other countries, Serif TV can be bought as an ultra HD 40-inch, full HD 32-inch, or standard HD 24-inch in the colours white, red, or blue.

Americans interested in this designer TV will have to wait until August to get their hands on it however, as it’s already backordered and won’t start shipping until later this summer. #firstworldproblems

Google offers 4 free months of Play Music to celebrate 4 July in US

Google really wants you to use its Play Music service – especially Americans this Independence Day.

In celebration of 4 July in the US, Google is offering US subscribers a four-month trial of Google Play Music at no cost. With this trial, they’ll be able to play tunes from a library of over 35 million tracks, and they’ll gain access to Google’s ad-free YouTube Red service. Play Music normally costs $9.99 a month, while YouTube Red is $9.99 a month. Both services often come with a 30-day trial.

Keep in mind Google is doing everything it can to hawk its music-streaming service and make it as popular as Spotify or Apple Music. In the past, it’s doled out free trials with Chromecast devices, and it offers a free Play Music subscription when you subscribe to YouTube Red. This new Independence Day deal likely won’t turn the tide overnight for Play Music, but it’s still noteworthy.

Google

Google’s 4 July promotion amounts to a $40 savings, and you can cancel at any time. Just remember that it is only available to subscribers in the US who have never before signed up for Play Music or YouTube Red.

Learn to shoot like the pros with The Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course and Certification

Your photographic ability is not limited to your Instagram and Snapchat filters, so why not act like it?

A great deal has arrived to help you learn the principles behind lighting, composition, and exposure, so you can take frame-worthy shots every time without resorting to low-quality social media safety filters.

The Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course and Certification will help you get the most out of your photos and camera gear. And it’s now only £14.02 ($19.99) from Pocket-lint Deals!

Featuring 22 modules of instruction, The Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course and Certification delivers the resources and training required to significantly upgrade your photographic efforts. Level 3 certified tutors will guide you through a series of videos, video tutorials, articles, flashcards, quizzes, and more.

Upon completing the course, you’ll receive an industry-accredited certification, qualifying you to make a legitimate income in photography if you so desire. You’ll even receive a free 5-year subscription to the Pro Article Database, keeping you on the inside track of knowledge and developments!

With a professional certification upon successful completion of the course, you’ll not only have the skills to take the shots that wow your friends and family, you’ll have documentation to prove it. The only downside is the cost of all the frames you’ll need when you’re ready to put your work on display!Capture your memories the way they were meant to be seen. Pick up the Hollywood Art Institute Photography Course and Certification today for over 90 per cent off from Pocket-lint Deals.

Free: Master Java programming with this All-About-Android Coding Bundle

Pocket-lint Deals regularly offers a wide range of tools and training support to learn Android or iOS development, preparing readers for development jobs and successful careers in the IT industry. But once in awhile, an opportunity comes along to significantly upgrade your skill set at no cost whatsoever, offering you a path to success without financial commitment.

That’s what’s available today in the All-About-Android Coding Bundle, featuring five different courses and over 200 lectures and examples to create your own Android apps. And yes, it’s absolutely free.

In less than 24 hours, you can begin coding your own Android apps with this great free offer. The courses included in the All-About-Android Coding Bundle will lay the groundwork necessary for success in Android programming, even showing you how to publish your own Android game app with AndEngine.

As you explore the ins and outs of Java programming, you’ll learn to work with Java networking, edit files in Java and more. Create custom apps with the Android Material Design Library, and sharpen your Android coding skills with the included Ultimate Android Tutorial.

Your courses include:

Create an Android Game from Scratch Using AndEngine
Using Java for Android and Advanced Applications
Publish an Android Game App
Android Material Design: Learning Through Example
Advanced Android Programming Skills

Get started down the path to Java and Android coding mastery with this fantastic 5-course deal, normally priced at £81.85 ($144) – but completely free for a limited time on Pocket-lint Deals.

What’s on your HDTV: UFC 200, ‘Carmageddon,’ ‘The Night Of’

Tonight, fireworks are all over network TV. Later this week, there’s more US Olympic trials action from both track & field and gymnastics, while fighters hit the mat for a UFC 200 card headlined by Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier. Royal Pains is saying goodbye on USA, while FX’s Tyrant returns for a third season. HBO has a brand new murder mystery series premiering with The Night Of, while PS4 gamers can grab Hawken, and Carmageddon: Max Damage comes to PS4 and Xbox One. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• The In-Laws (Criterion)
• House of Cards (S4)
• Only Yesterday
• The Dark Knight Trilogy (Special Edition)
• The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
• Rocket League: Collector’s Edition (PS4, Xbox One)
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13 (PC, PS4)
• Frost (PC)
• Cavernus (PC)
• Energy Hook (PS4)
• Inside (PC)
• Hawken (PS4)
• Carmageddon: Max Damage (PS4, Xbox One)

Monday

• Kuromokuro (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular, NBC, 8PM
• WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
• A Capitol Fourth, PBS, 8PM
• Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, CBS, 9PM
• Houdini & Doyle (season finale), Fox, 9PM
• Idris Elba No Limits (season finale), Discovery, 10PM
• Unreal, Lifetime, 10PM

Tuesday

• Powers, PSN, 3AM
• The Mindy Project (season finale), Hulu, 3AM
• Casual, Hulu, 3AM
• America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
• Pretty Little Liars, Freeform, 8PM
• Zoo, CBS, 9PM
• The Greeks (season finale), PBS, 9PM
• Animal Kingdom, TNT, 9PM
• Uncle Buck (season finale), ABC, 9 & 9:30PM
• 60 Minutes Sports, Showtime, 9PM
• Containment, CW, 9PM
• Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
• Scream, MTV, 10PM
• F in Fabulous, BET, 10PM
• Feed the Beast, AMC, 10PM
• Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Wrecked, TBS, 10PM
• Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, Comedy Central, 10:30PM

Wednesday

• Chelsea, Netflix 3AM
• America’s Got Talent, NBC, 8PM
• Unsung Hollywood TV One, 8PM
• Young & Hungry, Freeform, 8PM
• Baby Daddy, Freeform, 8:30PM
• Dating Naked, VH1, 9PM
• Dual Survival, Discovery, 9PM
• Kingdom, DirecTV, 9PM
• Maron, IFC, 9PM
• Wayward Pines, Fox, 9PM
• Tyrant (season premiere), FX, 10PM
• Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons, HBO, 10PM
• 9 Months That Made You, PBS, 10PM
• Another Period, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Royal Pains (series finale), USA, 10PM
• American Gothic, CBS, 10PM
• The Night Shift, NBC, 10PM
• The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, MTV, 10PM
• The Ultimate Fighter, Fox Sports 1, 10PM
• Cleverman (season finale), Sundance, 10PM

Thursday

• Brahman Naman, Netflix, 3AM
• NSU German History X, Netflix, 3AM
• Chelsea, Netflix, 3AM
• Battlebots, ABC, 8PM
• WWE SmackDown, USA, 8PM
• Greatest Hits: 1995 – 2000, ABC, 9PM
• Big Brother, CBS, 9PM
• Beauty and the Beast, CW, 9PM
• Home Free, Fox, 9PM
• The First 48, A&E, 9PM
• Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge, NBC, 9PM
• Alone, History, 9PM
• Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, FX, 10PM
• Queen of the South, USA, 10PM
• Aquarius, NBC, 10PM
• Thirteen, BBC America, 10PM

Friday

• Word Party (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• The Invitation, Netflix, 3AM
• US Olympic Trials: Track & Field, NBC, 8PM
• Masters of Illusion, CW, 8PM
• Killjoys, Syfy, 9PM
• US Olympic Trials: Women’s Gymnastics, NBC, 9PM
• The Ultimate Fighter (season finale), Fox Sports 1, 9PM
• Dark Matter, Syfy, 10PM
• Outcast, Cinemax, 10PM

Saturday

• Deadly Trust, Lifetime, 8PM
• US Olympic Trials: Track & Field, NBC, 8PM
• Angel from Hell, CBS, 8PM
• People’s List, ABC, 8PM
• Outlander (season finale), Starz, 9PM
• Hell on Wheels, AMC, 9PM
• In An Instant, ABC, 9PM
• American West, AMC, 10PM
• UFC 200: Cormier vs. Jones, PPV, 10PM

Sunday

• US Olympic Trials: Track & Field/Swimming, NBC, 7PM
• Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
• The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth (summer premiere), Showtime, 8PM
• US Olympic Trials: Women’s Gymnastics, NBC, 8:30PM
• The Night of (series premiere), HBO, 9PM
• The $100,000 Pyramid, ABC, 9PM
• Ray Donovan, Showtime, 9PM
• DB Cooper (series premiere), History, 9PM
• Endeavour (season finale), PBS, 9PM
• Preacher, AMC, 9PM
• The Last Ship, TNT, 9PM
• The Watcher, Lifetime, 9PM
• Motive, USA, 10PM
• Match Game, ABC, 10PM
• Roadies, Showtime, 10PM
• Ride with Norman Reedus, AMC, 10PM
• Feed the Beast, AMC, 10PM
• Declassified, CNN, 10PM
• The Jim Gaffigan Show, TV Land, 10PM
• Murder in the First, TNT, 10PM
• Tunnel, PBS, 10:30PM

(All times listed are ET)

What is it Xbox Play Anywhere and when will it be available?

Xbox Play Anywhere will arrive this autumn.

Microsoft has announced a launch date for its new Xbox Play Anywhere service that will allow you to buy a participating digital game as a single purchase and then play it on both an Xbox One and a Windows 10 PC. For more details about this service, including how it works, which titles support it, and its official release date, Pocket-lint has explained everything you need to know and more.

What is Xbox Play Anywhere?

Microsoft introduced a new Xbox service, called Xbox Play Anywhere, at E3 2016. The service basically allows you to purchase a participating game (aka an “Xbox Play Anywhere” digital game), then play it on both an Xbox One and a Windows 10 PC at no additional cost. That means, with a single purchase, the game will be unlocked across both platforms. Also, your progress – including saves, achievements, add-ons, season passes, consumables, and in-game unlocks – will transfer across both platforms, so you can pick up where you left off.

How does Xbox Play Anywhere work?

Microsoft

Participating games will be marked on Xbox’s website, the Xbox Store, and the Windows Store with the Xbox Play Anywhere icon. You can also go to the Xbox Play Anywhere site (coming soon) to see a full list of games. Once you buy one of these titles, it’s yours to play on both an Xbox One and a Windows 10 PC. However, you will need to install the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition update on your PC, as well as the latest update on your Xbox One console. From there, simply log into your Xbox Live/Microsoft account, and your Xbox Play Anywhere games will be available to download.

You can only sign into an Xbox Play Anywhere digital game on one Xbox One console or one Windows 10 PC at the same time. You cannot be signed into the same game on both an Xbox One console and a Windows 10 PC at the same time.

What are some Xbox Play Anywhere games?

Xbox Play Anywhere only applies to digital games. Here’s an initial list of confirmed titles:

• Gears of War 4
• Phantom Dust
• Killer Instinct: Seasons 1, 2, and 3
• Forza Horizon 3
• ReCore
• Cuphead
• Slime Rancher
• The Culling
• Everspace
• ARK: Survival Evolved
• Sea of Thieves
• Scalebound
• State of Decay 2
• Halo Wars 2
• We Happy Few
• Crackdown 3

When will Xbox Play Anywhere be available?

Xbox Play Anywhere will go live 13 September 2016. The service requires that you have the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition update on your PC, which releases 2 August, and the the summer update on your Xbox One console. It only supports the download version of the game, not the disc.

Want to know more?

Check out Microsoft’s website for more details.