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Science

Programmable Quantum Computer Created 132

An anonymous reader writes "A team at NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology) used berylium ions, lasers and electrodes to develop a quantum system that performed 160 randomly chosen routines. Other quantum systems to date have only been able to perform single, prescribed tasks. Other researchers say the system could be scaled up. 'The researchers ran each program 900 times. On average, the quantum computer operated accurately 79 percent of the time, the team reported in their paper.'"

Comment Its really dependent on the Child (Score 1) 1345

I attended elementary school, was homeschooled for a few years, was unschooled for a few years, attended high school for a few years (because Canadian Universities wouldn't accept only SAT scores, my understanding is US Colleges would), and graduated with a Bachelors in Software Engineering. I think the amount of learning in any environment is really dependent on the child. I learned just as much when formally homeschooling as when my parents were taking a complete hands off approach, because I still read math and science textbooks for fun. But I had siblings that definitely needed structure (either school or formal homeschooling).

Comment Re:As long as (Score 1) 820

My fiancee also never watched Star Trek before this one, but enjoyed it a great deal. I believe the previews were doing their best to show that this was going to be different from the other ones. Just like I have never watched Sex and the City (which she enjoys). But if I started seeing previews for a new movie that made it seem completely different from how I imagined it, I'm sure she could convince me to see it.

Comment For new fans as well as old (Score 1) 544

I went with my best friend (a hard core Trekkie geek), and my fiancee (has never seen a Star Trek movie or episode, and doesn't like seeing weird bumpy headed aliens). And they both enjoyed it. My fiancee may even agree to watch some earlier ones. I (somewhere in between those extremes), also enjoyed it, although there were some issues. But I have very good suspension of disbelief abilities.
Image

Ubuntu Kung Fu 253

Lorin Ricker writes "Back in the dark ages of windows-based GUIs, corresponding to my own wandering VMS evangelical days, I became enamored of a series of books jauntily entitled Xxx Annoyances (from O'Reilly & Assocs.), where "Xxx" could be anything from "Windows 95", "Word", "Excel" or nearly piece of software which Microsoft produced. These were, if not the first, certainly among the most successful of the "tips & tricks" books that have become popular and useful to scads of hobbyists, ordinary users, hackers and, yes, even professionals in various IT pursuits. I was attracted, even a bit addicted, to these if only because they offered to try to make some useful sense out of the bewildering design choices, deficiencies and bugs that I'd find rampant in Windows and its application repertory. Then I found Keir Thomas, who has been writing about Linux for more than a decade. His new "tips" book entitled, Ubuntu Kung Fu — Tips & Tools for Exploring Using, and Tuning Linux, and published by Pragmatic Bookshelf, is wonderful. Having only recently wandered into the light of Linux, open source software, and Ubuntu in particular, this book comes as a welcome infusion to my addiction." Read below for the rest of Lorin's review.
Input Devices

Logitech Makes 1 Billionth Mouse 456

Smivs writes "Logitech has hailed as a major landmark the production of their one billionth computer mouse. The news comes at a time when analysts claim the days of the mouse are numbered. 'It's rare in human history that a billionth of anything has been shipped by one company,' said Logitech's general manager Rory Dooley. 'Look at any other industry and it has never happened. This is a significant milestone.' The computer mouse will achieve a milestone of its own next week when it turns 40. It was 9 December 1968 when Douglas C. Engelbart and his group of researchers at Stanford University put the first mouse through its paces."

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