Microsoft Makes Bet Quantum Computing Is Next Breakthrough

Microsoft Makes Bet Quantum Computing Is Next Breakthrough

By JOHN MARKOFFJUNE 23, 2014

Michael Freedman, Sankar Das Sarma and Chetan Nayak proposed a computing model in 2005 that can be used to construct qubits, the foundation of quantum computing.CreditEmily Berl for The New York Times

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Modern computers are not unlike the looms of the industrial revolution: They follow programmed instructions to weave intricate patterns. With a loom, you see the result in a cloth or carpet. With a computer, you see it on an electronic display.

Now a group of physicists and computer scientists who are funded by Microsoft are trying to take the analogy of interwoven threads to what some believe will be the next great leap in computing, so-called quantum computing. Read more of this post

Tech moguls raise cash to fight Washington’s ‘big money problem’; “Until we fix the root problem – the big money problem – we’re going to keep dealing with attack after attack on a free, open and innovative Internet”

Updated: Tuesday June 24, 2014 MYT 10:11:41 AM

Tech moguls raise cash to fight Washington’s ‘big money problem’

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has joined a Super Political Action Committee (PAC) called Mayday which will raise big money in order to fight the problem of big money in American politics characterised by powerful lobbies buying influence through funding political campaigns by candidates – AFP Photo.

SAN FRANCISCO: A group of influential Internet moguls aim to fix what they refer to as the “big money problem” in Washington politics by, well, raising cash.

Forming a Super Political Action Committee (PAC) called Mayday, the executives hope to raise US$12mil by the mid-term elections in November in hopes of supporting candidates who are committed to changing how elections are financed. Read more of this post

How Marissa Mayer Fell Asleep and Kept Ad Executives Waiting for Hours

Jun 23, 2014

How Marissa Mayer Fell Asleep and Kept Ad Executives Waiting for Hours

SUZANNE VRANICA

For media companies, the Cannes advertising festival is all about getting face time with top media buyers and advertisers.Yahoo YHOO -1.20% CEO Marissa Mayer missed a golden opportunity to do just that last week.

Last Tuesday evening,Interpublic Group IPG -0.56% arranged a private dinner at the swanky L’Oasis for Mayer to meet executives from marketers such asMondelez International MDLZ -0.69%, brewer MillerCoors and Greek yogurt maker Chobani. It was supposed to be a chance for Interpublic and some of its clients to get a first hand update from Mayer on what Yahoo has to offer. Read more of this post

Seiko Epson President Bets on Ink-Jet Printer Revival; Company Is Also Focusing on Wearable Technology, Developing ‘Smart’ Glasses

Seiko Epson President Bets on Ink-Jet Printer Revival

Company Is Also Focusing on Wearable Technology, Developing ‘Smart’ Glasses

ERIC PFANNER

June 23, 2014 8:15 a.m. ET

SHIOJIRI, Japan—While other printer companies are racing to introduce machines that can create three-dimensional objects, Seiko Epson Corp. 6724.TO +2.14% , the biggest maker of inkjet printers, says there is still opportunity in the two-dimensional business of putting words and images on paper.

3-D printers now on the market lack precision and efficiency, and operate with too limited a range of materials for commercial use, said Minoru Usui, president of Epson. Read more of this post

Digital single-servings: Why Yo, a crude app that took only eight hours to make, hit it big; Come on, Silicon Valley, you can do better than this

Digital single-servings: Why Yo, a crude app that took only eight hours to make, hit it big

BY MATT MCFARLAND June 23 at 9:17 AM

There are 1.2 million apps in Apple’s App Store. Most of them you’ve never heard of. Most of them will quietly fade away, lost in a competitive marketplace. For app developers, it’s a daunting task to create something that stands out and gets downloaded by thousands. This makes what’s happened with Yo in the last week so curious.

Yo is a messaging app in which users can hit a button and send each other a “yo,” which arrives on their smartphone as a push notification. The app took only eight hours to build. It was launched on April Fool’s Day. Yo’s logo is as vanilla as possible, simply a shade of purple. Its security was weak enough that a group of college kids hacked it. That led its co-founder to write a post, headline: “We were lucky enough to get hacked.” Read more of this post

Tech-savvy investors want digital solutions, but firms lag behind

Tech-savvy investors want digital solutions, but firms lag behind

2:45pm EDT

By Michael Leibel

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Executives at top U.S. wealth managers say they need more technology to maintain their market-leading positions as younger investors seek to manage their money in a digital world, but research shows firms are not keeping up with client demands.

Many managers are more comfortable meeting face-to-face with clients. But a preference for video chat through services such as Skype is becoming more prevalent, especially with under-40 investors. Read more of this post