Comment (sigh) Another "feature" to disable and not use. (Score 2) 30
Mozilla Launches AI Window for Firefox
And... this would enhance my *browsing* experience how?
Comment Re:Off-topic comment (Score 4, Funny) 59
One of the affected vehicles is the Tesla Model S Plaid.
In Scotland, it's the Model S Tartan, btw.
(Or it should be anyway.
Comment Raises hand (Score 1) 68
Robinhood Markets is betting its Gen Z and millennial clientele are as eager to send out for delivery of a wad of cash
Um... Aren't the younger generations more prone to using electronic payments *rather* than cash?
Gen Z and the Future of Payments: Cards, Cash, and the Shift to Digital
See how Gen Z is transforming payments with a strong preference for digital wallets, contactless cards, and mobile payments over cash.
2024 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (article has nice graph of payment types 2016-2023)
The findings also show a growing generational divide among those using cash versus electronic payments. Consumers younger than age 55 used cash for just 12% of payments in 2023, compared to 22% for those age 55 and older. Notably, for the first time in Diary history, cash was not the most-used instrument for smaller-value payments of $25 or less.
Comment Re:Did y'all forget how to enjoy things? (Score 1) 56
Suck/not-suck aside, would you at least agree that it's as good as The Mandalorian?
Eyeball monster == Baby Yoda. So. Fucking. Cute.
Comment Re:Something to watch inbetween (Score 1) 56
The second movie, Aliens, also didn't have the mood of the first movie, yet was still one of the best movies ever made (IMHO! of course). I don't think the feel of the original is necessary in sequels, and might even be so hard to recreate that it's borderline hubris to try.
I'll probably watch it
.. when I feel like doing nothing and thinking the presence of the xenomorph is a coincidence.
I think that is the best attitude one can take. The "domestication" of the xeno is the weakest part of this TV series, but OTOH, the inclusion of all the new monsters is part of what makes A:E so fun. The classic xeno is just one monster among many, now.
There are so many horrible ways to die. Show us more of them, Noah!
Submission + - A potential quantum leap (harvard.edu)
schwit1 writes: Harvard physicists unveil system to solve long-standing barrier to new generation of supercomputers
The dream of creating game-changing quantum computers — supermachines that encode information in single atoms rather than conventional bits — has been hampered by the formidable challenge known as quantum error correction.
In a paper published Monday in Nature, Harvard researchers demonstrated a new system capable of detecting and removing errors below a key performance threshold, potentially providing a workable solution to the problem.
"For the first time, we combined all essential elements for a scalable, error-corrected quantum computation in an integrated architecture," said Mikhail Lukin, co-director of the Quantum Science and Engineering Initiative, Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor, and senior author of the new paper. "These experiments — by several measures the most advanced that have been done on any quantum platform to date — create the scientific foundation for practical large-scale quantum computation."
In the new paper, the team demonstrated a "fault tolerant" system using 448 atomic quantum bits manipulated with an intricate sequence of techniques to detect and correct errors.
The key mechanisms include physical entanglement, logical entanglement, logical magic, and entropy removal. For example, the system employs the trick of "quantum teleportation" — transferring the quantum state of one particle to another elsewhere without physical contact.
"There are still a lot of technical challenges remaining to get to very large-scale computer with millions of qubits, but this is the first time we have an architecture that is conceptually scalable," said lead author Dolev Bluvstein, Ph.D. '25, who did the research during his graduate studies at Harvard and is now an assistant professor at Caltech. "It's going to take a lot of effort and technical development, but it's becoming clear that we can build fault-tolerant quantum computers."
The dream of creating game-changing quantum computers — supermachines that encode information in single atoms rather than conventional bits — has been hampered by the formidable challenge known as quantum error correction.
In a paper published Monday in Nature, Harvard researchers demonstrated a new system capable of detecting and removing errors below a key performance threshold, potentially providing a workable solution to the problem.
"For the first time, we combined all essential elements for a scalable, error-corrected quantum computation in an integrated architecture," said Mikhail Lukin, co-director of the Quantum Science and Engineering Initiative, Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor, and senior author of the new paper. "These experiments — by several measures the most advanced that have been done on any quantum platform to date — create the scientific foundation for practical large-scale quantum computation."
In the new paper, the team demonstrated a "fault tolerant" system using 448 atomic quantum bits manipulated with an intricate sequence of techniques to detect and correct errors.
The key mechanisms include physical entanglement, logical entanglement, logical magic, and entropy removal. For example, the system employs the trick of "quantum teleportation" — transferring the quantum state of one particle to another elsewhere without physical contact.
"There are still a lot of technical challenges remaining to get to very large-scale computer with millions of qubits, but this is the first time we have an architecture that is conceptually scalable," said lead author Dolev Bluvstein, Ph.D. '25, who did the research during his graduate studies at Harvard and is now an assistant professor at Caltech. "It's going to take a lot of effort and technical development, but it's becoming clear that we can build fault-tolerant quantum computers."
Submission + - Proton might recycle abandoned email addresses and the privacy risks are terrify (nerds.xyz)
BrianFagioli writes: Proton is floating a plan on Reddit that should unsettle anyone who values privacy. The company is considering recycling abandoned email addresses that were originally created by bots a decade ago. These addresses were never used, yet many of them are extremely common names that have silently collected misdirected emails, password reset attempts, and even entries in breach datasets. Handing those addresses to new owners today would mean that sensitive messages intended for completely different people could start landing in a strangerâ(TM)s inbox overnight.
Proton says itâ(TM)s just gathering feedback, but the fact that this made it far enough to ask the community is troubling. Releasing these long-abandoned addresses would create confusion, risk exposure of personal data, and undermine the trust users place in a privacy focused provider. Itâ(TM)s hard to see how Proton could justify taking a gamble with other peopleâ(TM)s digital identities like this.
Proton says itâ(TM)s just gathering feedback, but the fact that this made it far enough to ask the community is troubling. Releasing these long-abandoned addresses would create confusion, risk exposure of personal data, and undermine the trust users place in a privacy focused provider. Itâ(TM)s hard to see how Proton could justify taking a gamble with other peopleâ(TM)s digital identities like this.
Comment Re: Make them occasionally? (Score 2) 162
But without nickles and dimes, how would we get nickle-and-dimed?
All transactions will be done using $Trumpcoin -- two birds, one scam - I mean, stone - and all that.
Comment Re: Make them occasionally? (Score 1) 162
We Canadians eliminated the penny in 2013. But, like most other Canadians, I have a box of the damn things in the corner of my bedroom. Yeah, we don't stamp out new ones, but we still have lots of them kicking around.
Several articles have noted that pennies will remain exchangeable for the foreseeable future and legal currency forever. So people in the U.S. should be able to use them up / get rid of them (through payments) eventually.
Comment Re: Make them occasionally? (Score 2) 162
One reason I can think of is that different states and municipalities impose different rates of sales tax at the register. Multiplying a retail price by 8.75% may not always produce an even, round number.
The Treasury and trade/retail groups are looking at guidelines and/or legislation for a national standard on transaction rounding. The latter to protect themselves from potential state lawsuits from rounding short-changes (last paragraph below).
US Mint to strike last penny as Trump’s phaseout rattles retailers
The Treasury Department is considering issuing guidance to help businesses navigate the transition, including how to round cash transactions and handle payments without one-cent coins, according to people familiar with the plans.
But trade groups representing retailers, grocers, restaurants and gas stations are urging Congress to pass legislation establishing a national standard for rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel.
Without such a policy, businesses are worried about potential class-action lawsuits under state consumer protection laws that could argue rounding shortchanges customers. Industry groups say a federal standard would create consistency and protect businesses from legal risk.
Comment Re:Almost 100% is not equal to 100% (Score 1) 112
Denmark’s state-run postal service PostNord announced it will stop delivering letters in the country by the end of 2025, shifting its focus entirely to package deliveries.
Joke's on them, I'll just put my outgoing mail in boxes.
Comment Re:Almost 100% is not equal to 100% (Score 2) 112
Just to nit-pick... (a) Ryanair doesn't have any flights in the U.S. (according to Google) and (b) there are procedures available to fly within the U.S. w/o a Real ID, and other forms of ID are also acceptable (also listed on page below), like a valid passport or DOD ID.
Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
Don’t Have Your Acceptable ID?
The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process which includes collecting information such as your name and current address to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening.
Comment Solar flare? From the Sun? (Score 1) 25
Sun Unleashes Strongest Solar Flare of 2025
I'd be more surprised if it was some other kind of flare from the Sun.
Comment Unprofessional (Score 1) 46
Sonder,
Sonder on Monday said it would wind down operations immediately
Immediately kicking people out of their in-progress reservations doesn't seem like winding down. No mentions of compensation for any inconvenience Sonder imposed on their now-former guests either.
Comment Re:WTF? (Score 1) 79
Because you can't fix stupid?
Guessing you really can't ClickFix it.
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One man's "magic" is another man's engineering. "Supernatural" is a null word. -- Robert Heinlein
