August 2015

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D-Wave Systems, a company specializing in quantum computers, has announced the general availability of a new model, the D-Wave 2X™. It’s equipped with a new type of processor of which information started getting released some months ago that passes the barrier of 1,000 qubits. This new system is credited of performances unthinkable for classical computers but certainly there will be controversy like the ones that over the years accompanied the D-Wave systems.

Xandarella spectaculum examined at light and fluorescence microscopy (Image courtesy Yu Liu)

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A study published in the journal “Scientific Reports” describes the use of computed microtomography (micro-CT) to reveal anatomical details preserved in fossil slabs. A team of researchers at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich, Germany, led by Dr. Yu Liu showed that it’s possible to use non-invasive methods to study fossils without damaging them.

Brian Aldiss at Worldcon 2005

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Brian Wilson Aldiss was born on August 18, 1925 in East Dereham, Norfolk, England. During his long career he’s been appreciated as a writer, especially of science fiction, but also as an anthology editor. Among his most famous novels there are “Hothouse”, published in the USA in a revised edition as “The Long Afternoon of Earth”, and the Helliconia trilogy.

Nick Kyrgios in Wimbledon in 2014

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Nearly a week after Nick Kyrgios trash-talked Stan Wawrinka in the Montreal tournament the case keeps on shaking the world of tennis. A story that had a squalid beginning started leaving consequences from various points of view involving other people. All this waiting for other possible sanctions against the Australian tennis player after the $10,000 fine already imposed on him.

Lenovo Yoga 3 11

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Lenovo preinstalled on some models (photo of a Lenovo Yoga 11 3 ©Pierre Lecourt) of its PC a utility called Lenovo Service Engine (LSE) that sends to its servers some information at the first connection to the Internet, according to the company anonymously. LSE automatically downloads another utility, OneKey Optimizer (OKO), which is supposed to optimize the operating system through some operations. LSE was discovered to use a technique that allows it to be automatic reinstalled even when the whole operating system is reinstalled from scratch and that can be a security problem.