Technologies

IBM Quantum Computing Progress Edges Toward Eventual Utility

Osprey has 433 qubits, the fundamental data processing element inside these weird machines.

In a move that bodes well for quantum computing’s long-term prospects, IBM said Wednesday it’s built a new machine called Osprey with 433 qubits. Tripling the total number of data processing elements compared with last year significantly increases the computational power of the system.

IBM has been working steadily for years to make quantum computing a commercial success, competing against big companies like Google and Intel, earlier specialists like D-Wave and Rigetti Computing, and newer startups like Atom Computing and Pasqal. Quantum computing promises to conquer challenges out of reach of the conventional technology that powers smartwatches and supercomputers.

One of the most promising domains for quantum computing is materials science, where quantum chemistry simulations could improve solar panels, batteries and other devices that operate at the molecular level. But quantum computing fans also hope to bring new tools to AI, logistics, and finance. With a slowing Moore’s Law constraining conventional computing, that could mean important new progress.

It’ll take years more progress before quantum computers deliver on their revolutionary progress, but delivering on promised steps toward the ultimate goal is important. Without the progress, the billions of dollars of investment could dry up and a quantum winter could chill the industry.

IBM actually announced two new Osprey systems. The first is fully tested, said Jay Gambetta, vice president of IBM’s quantum computing work.

«It works. It’s alive. All the qubits are good,» Gambetta said. «It’s another confirmation of the road map as we build larger and larger devices.»

The second incorporates improvements made to Osprey’s predecessor, Eagle, that extends the lifespan of calculations. Quantum computers today are limited by «coherence» time, which governs how long finicky qubits can maintain their state and connections to each other.

The improvements to IBM’s quantum processor design reduces electronic noise that can derail calculations, roughly doubling coherence time to 200 millionths of a second. That’s long enough for hundreds of calculation steps.

New IBM customers include telecommunications giant Vodafone, which is investigating quantum-safe cryptography, and French bank Crédit Mutuel, which is looking into financial services applications, IBM said.

IBM’s supercomputers, like those of Google and Rigetti, are called superconducting quantum computers. They rely on very cold temperatures just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero and colder than space. And they’re housed in increasingly large and expensive cylindrical refrigerators.

To get signals in and out of the quantum computers through ever-colder refrigeration zones, IBM previously used loops of gleaming cables. Now it’s got a new method, though, ribbons of communication links that are more compact.

«We solved a bottleneck in scale,» Gambetta said.

More scaling is on the horizon. For 2023, IBM plans to build 1,121-qubit Condor. After that comes 1,386-qubit Flamingo in 2024 and 4,158-qubit Kookaburra in 2025.

Correction at 8:32 a.m. PT: The story misstated the temperature at which IBM’s computer operates. It runs at a fraction of a degree above absolute zero.

Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning Cheaper Macs to Compete With Budget Chromebooks, PCs

Apple doesn’t market its machines as affordable, but that could be changing.

Apple may release more affordable Mac laptops to compete with Chromebooks and budget-friendly Windows laptops as early as 2026.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports the company has plans to roll out a machine for «well under $1,000.» According to Gurman, the new laptop is already in early production under the codename J700. This matches earlier rumors that a low-cost MacBook Air was in the pipeline at around $599, which would allow Apple to directly compete with other cheap laptops, including Chromebooks and Windows PCs.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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According to the report, costs will be kept down by using a lower-end LCD that’s smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air, potentially making the new affordable MacBook as small as 12 inches.

Another way Apple could reduce the cost is by using an A-series iPhone chip, which falls short of the top-tier performance offered by the MacBook Pro or the current M4 Air. The upcoming chip may be a variant of the A19 Pro chip that debuted with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air, which Apple says is capable of MacBook-level performance.

As CNET senior editor Matt Elliott noted, the promise is a bold one. He speculates that the rumored $599 MacBook Air may get the same smartphone processor, or an M-series chip based on that architecture.

Bloomberg also reports that a MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro and M5 Max chip is in development, and Apple has completed work on a MacBook Air powered by the M5 chip, which is planned for release early next year.

The affordable laptop would be designed for casual users, students and businesses, specifically individuals who need a device for tasks such as web browsing, light media editing and document creation. The tech giant is also targeting the education market, as well as iPad buyers who may also want a traditional laptop.

«If this is strictly a move to entice consumers with a high-quality, lower-cost MacBook running MacOS in place of an iPad with a keyboard, then yes, Apple can likely take a chunk of that market,» said Josh Goldman, managing editor at CNET.

«Making inroads into the education market at this point, where Chromebooks have taken over since the pandemic, will prove challenging, though I’m sure it’s nothing that throwing billions of dollars at can’t fix,» CNET’s Goldman said.

This price range is ‘a big departure’

Price is likely to be key here. A $599 price tag would place the new Mac in the same range as more affordable Chromebooks and entry-level laptops, representing a significant change from Apple’s previous strategy.

«Apple potentially dipping into the Chromebook range of $300 to $500 with a new MacBook is a big departure,» said Goldman.

He notes that one of Apple’s most affordable MacBooks is the M4 MacBook Air, available new starting at $999 for the 13-inch model. Walmart still sells a new M1 MacBook Air, a 5-year-old laptop, for around $600.

By contrast, an iPad 11th Gen with a Magic Keyboard will run you around $600, making it clear that Apple’s target market for the rumored device is students and lighter users.

Apple typically hasn’t targeted the lower-priced segment of the market with its MacBooks. However, with consumer wallets under pressure from inflation, high tariffs and layoffs, an affordable MacBook could be imperative and timely.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 5, #408

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 5, No. 408.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is pretty diverse. The blue answers stuck out to me right away, because some of them are super famous and the others felt like they belonged with those names. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: How to see a game.

Green group hint: Soccer.

Blue group hint: Giddy up!

Purple group hint: Not a run play.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Ways to consume a sporting event.

Green group: NWSL teams.

Blue group: Triple Crown horse racing winners.

Purple group: Pass ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is ways to consume a sporting event. The four answers are in person, radio, streaming and television.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NWSL teams. The four answers are Current, Dash, Pride and Spirit.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Triple Crown horse racing winners. The four answers are Citation, Gallant Fox, Omaha and Secretariat.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is pass ____. The four answers are breakup, interference, protection and rush.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 5, #878

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 5, #878.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics, including a neat blue category that music fans will ace. And it isn’t too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Mess up.

Green group hint: Lead pipe is another one.

Blue group hint: They command the stage.

Purple group hint: Not snow, but …