Social-media behemoth Meta Platforms could be about to buy a small stake in the French-Italian eyewear giant that owns Ray-Ban, Oakley, and the streetwear-focused clothing brand Supreme.

Meta is in talks to acquire 5% of EssilorLuxottica, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The position would be worth about 4.5 billion euros, or $5 billion, based on the latter companys latest market value.

EssilorLuxotticas Paris-listed shares and American depositary receipts both rose 4%. Meta stock climbed 2% to $471.22.

The rumored investment likely forms part of Metas strategy to crack the market for smart glasseswhich could help it achieve its longtime goal of building a so-called metaverse.

The Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp parent joined with Luxottica to launch its Ray-Ban smart glasses, known as Ray-Ban Meta, back in 2021. Wearers can use the devices to take photos and listen to music.

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In the past, Big Tech giants have found the market for these devices tough to crack. Alphabet s Google Glass, which failed due to an eye-watering $1,500 price tag and limited functionality, is probably the best-known example. Meta is said to be quietly confident that it can buck the trend, though, with sales of its Ray-Bans reportedly exceeding expectations.

Last year, Meta released a second-generation version of the smart glasses that feature the Magnificent Seven companys own in-house artificial intelligence assistant. They sell for $299.

Advances in AI allow us to create different [applications] and personas that help us accomplish different things, Zuckerberg said as he kicked off the gathering, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said as he introduced the new product. And smart glasses are going to eventually allow us to bring all of this together into a stylish form factor that we can wear.

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Cornering the smart glasses market could also be part of Metas strategy for building a metaverse. Creating a virtual-reality, 3D version of the internet where people can interact has become something of a white whale for Zuckerberg in recent years, even though hes yet to get much buy-in from investors.

Meta expects the third-generation version of its Ray-Bans to be ready for the 2025 holiday-shopping season and believes that buying a stake in EssilorLuxottica would open the door for the two companies to team up to produce more devices, per The Journals report.

EssilorLuxottica made a splashy acquisition of its own on Wednesday when it bought Supremethe New York skateboarding and streetwear brand best known for its iconic red box logofrom VF Corporation for $1.5 billion in cash.

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Meta declined to comment. EssilorLuxottica didnt immediately respond to a request for comment from Barrons.

Write to George Glover at george.glover@dowjones.com

See the rest here:
Metas Next Investment Might Not Be a Tech Company. Why the Facebook Parent Is Interested in Sunglasses. - Barron's

A female client of The Caring Place walked past its newest amenity, the Meditation Garden, and yelled out to volunteers who were constructing it.

It looks good so far, she told them from the parking lot.

Youre gonna love it, replied Jessica Luth, the shelters president and CEO. Its more gorgeous than I ever imagined.

Volunteers from Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso create a Meditation Garden at The Caring Place shelter in Valparaiso on Monday, July 8.

Located on spacious property in a residential neighborhood of Valparaiso, the once-empty field is now a tranquil reprieve from the storm of emotional trauma for clients and their children.

The Caring Place serves people who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as their dependents. It also operates the only 24-hour crisis line and emergency shelter in Porter County.

The Caring Place is a beautiful shelter and we have amazing resources for clients. But it is still communal living, Luth said. This Zen garden is going to be healing for our clients and their children.

Don Spears, a professor at Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso, helps create a Meditation Garden at The Caring Place shelter in Valparaiso on Monday, July 8.

The garden was conceived weeks ago but constructed Monday by students and staff from the Valparaiso campus of Ivy Tech Community College. They arrived at 8 a.m. and stayed through the day, digging and planting, putting together chairs, building a fire pit, and turning nothing special into something beautiful.

Last semester, students in the schools Human Development and Ecological Systems class conducted a literature review to show that exposure to nature is proven to have positive psychological outcomes for individuals who have experienced trauma.

Two studies were even conducted with the samples being residents at domestic violence shelters, said Donald Spears, a professor of human services and the programs chair. With this information, we decided to contact The Caring Place about providing them with a Meditation Garden for parents to enjoy and recharge.

Volunteers from Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso take a needed break while building a Meditation Garden at The Caring Place shelter in Valparaiso on Monday, July 8.

Spears and other volunteers tilled and toiled on a hot, humid day as clients continued to rebuild their lives inside the shelter, which has 12 rooms, 45 beds and countless blessings for clients.

This is a collaboration of several different groups and departments, said Dan Mohamed, a faculty member of design technology at Ivy Tech in Valparaiso.

He created and modified the layout of the garden in AutoCAD, computer-aided design software. He also showed up Monday morning to help guide the projects logistics. (Watch a video and view more photos at NWI.com.)

Rachael Bennett, a life coach at Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso, plants seeds of hope at a new Meditation Garden at The Caring Place shelter in Valparaiso on Monday, July 8.

I know that our clients will use this garden, Luth told Spears and Mohamed. Sometimes we have more kids than adults so it can be loud in there.

As sweat dripped through his green tie-dyed Ivy Life shirt, Spears explained, Theyre envisioning this garden as an escape. Thats what we have created here.

Many clients arrive here with very few possessions, only items of necessity when they fled their home. Some of them were referred to The Caring Place by social service agencies. Other clients found the shelter on the internet by secretly visiting its website.

A tab on the bottom of the website states, Click here to exit quickly, in case any visitors feel endangered by their abusers while researching their next step in life.

Volunteers from Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso put together a table while building a Meditation Garden at The Caring Place shelter in Valparaiso on Monday, July 8.

Many of our clients need to be here longer than 30 or 45 days to get back on their feet, Luth said. Most of them simply need a safe place just to breathe. When youre able to breathe a little easier, its also easier to plan for your future.

Only three other similar shelters are in operation in Northwest Indiana, Luth noted.

We work with all of them but there are still not enough beds for clients, she said. This garden allows our clients to be a part of nature and not be stuck in a room. Or they can come here to spend alone time with their children.

Funds for the project were donated by James Harper, stepson of former Porter County Superior Court Judge David Chidester, who died in March.

Judge Chidester was on our board and he loved this place, Luth said.

Later this month, a park bench in the Meditation Garden will be adorned with a special plaque of appreciation in his honor.

He left his mark here for sure, Luth said as volunteers worked near the bench.

Clients can immediately begin using this peaceful garden to unearth their emotional troubles. Jessica Bates, an intern at the shelter and one of the volunteers, aptly summed it up during a break in the project.

They can bury their old feelings of pain and begin growing new ones of hope, she said.

Chidester, who I greatly admired, discreetly donated luggage to the shelter so clients didnt have to use trash bags to haul around their sparse belongings.

Dignity was important to the judge. He did what he could to provide it to our clients, Luth said.

Clients can immediately begin using this peaceful garden to unearth their emotional troubles. Jessica Bates, an intern at the shelter and one of the volunteers, aptly summed it up during a break in the project.

They can bury their old feelings of pain and begin growing new ones of hope, she said.

Contact Jerry at Jerry.Davich@nwi.com. Find him on Facebook and other socials. Opinions are those of the writer.

Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!

Read the original:

Davich: The Caring Place's new meditation garden blossoms overnight for troubled clients - The Times of Northwest Indiana

Binance CEO Richard Teng offered guidance to beginners in the cryptocurrency market. In the latest post on X, Teng stressed that it is high time to know the basics of blockchain, invest a lot of time in research, and begin with small amounts of money on reliable Internet platforms.

According to his understanding, Teng noted that new users must understand blockchain and cryptocurrencies. He claimed that investors are enabled to make the correct decisions and deal with the convolutions of cryptocurrencies.

Teng recognizes undertaking extensive research and recommends investors do their research on different blockchain networks through DYOR or Do Your Own Research which empowers any person to determine the viability and authenticity of numerous crypto assets.

According to Teng, first-time crypto investors should start slowly by investing small amounts in reliable trading venues enabling learners to get familiar with market conditions and reduce risk-taking potential adequately.

Teng argues that through small investments, people can gradually develop their skills in the investment process. He pointed out that it is crucial to venture into developments in already existing structures that are secure and compliant with the set legal standards to help protect investments.

Also Read: Binance CEO Richard Teng terms Bitcoin Halving 2024 unique

View original post here:

Binance CEO Advises Newbies on Crypto Investments - Crypto Times

The invention of quantum computers poses a global threat to internet security. This is because they have the processing power necessary to break the majority of the encryption algorithms that currently protect most of the worlds data. They achieve this by using quantum physics to perform a lot more efficiently than traditional supercomputers.

Before you panic, its worth noting that, as it stands, quantum computers are only being used for research purposes, so youre unlikely to find one outside of a research center, such as a university, research lab, or supercomputer center. But experts are predicting that at some point in the next five years, this will change and quantum computers will start being used to break the encryption that has, up until now, kept most of the sensitive data on the internet from being hacked. This event is referred to as Q-day.

When this happens, everything from photos, private emails, and medical records to government files, business documents, and banking details will be vulnerable. So its likely to have huge and far-reaching consequences, causing political, financial, and social chaos around the world. It will also make it much easier to scam unsuspecting victims, as hackers will be able to use private details to make phishing scams a lot more believable.

Thankfully, there is a way you can protect your data from Q-day. Cyber security experts have already developed a range of post-quantum algorithms that will offer sufficient data protection against quantum computers. This level of security is available now to anyone. All you need to do is sign up for a VPN with post-quantum encryption.

Well use this article to explain the risks in much more detail and recommend VPNs you can get right now that already come future-proofed with robust post-quantum protection. So read on to learn all you need to know.

At the moment, your data should be fairly secure, particularly if you use a reputable VPN to encrypt your traffic. However, it might not stay that way for long, as quantum computers pose a significant cyber security threat to most online data. This is because these machines use quantum physics to make their computations infinitely more efficient than those of a traditional supercomputer.

Referred to as Q-day, experts are predicting that this day will happen at some point in the next five years. So while your data is probably safe for the time being, it probably wont be secure once Q-day happens.

Upgrade your life with a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and our curated analysis. Be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets and the hottest deals.

If you rely on traditional forms of encryption, Q-day will jeopardize all your online information. This includes everything from your documents, photos, and emails to your banking details, work documents, and your internet search history.

However, its important to know that your data doesnt have to be compromised. There are already post-quantum algorithms to protect against attacks from quantum computers. You can get this level of security today by signing up to a VPN that offers post-quantum encryption. Weve recommended our favorite picks further down the page.

While Q-day cant be prevented as such, given that quantum computers will become more powerful and more widely used, the impact of it can be dramatically reduced. To achieve this, experts have been working on post-quantum encryption. As the name suggests, this is a form of cryptography thats powerful enough to protect against hacks from quantum computers.

Q-day is predicted to happen at some point in the next five years. So, while the threat isnt necessarily imminent, its a very sensible idea to prepare for Q-day by securing your data with quantum-resistant encryption. This type of security is already available from a select number of VPN providers, so you can safeguard your data from today.

There are several different types of post-quantum algorithms that can protect your data from quantum computers and prevent your data from Q-day.

The best thing you can do to protect your data from quantum computer attacks that will happen on Q-day and beyond is to use a VPN that comes with post-quantum encryption. These algorithms have been specifically designed to be unbreakable, even by quantum computers, meaning that they can give the required level of protection to guard against Q-day.

But its important to note that not all VPNs (even the best VPNs) offer post-quantum protection. In fact, the majority of providers havent yet built this into their protocols. So even if you use a VPN, its quite possible your data will be vulnerable to attack by quantum computers.

Q-day is predicted to happen at some point in the next five years. So while the threat might not be immediate, its important to protect your data against Q-day, as we dont yet know when its going to happen. So the most prudent thing you can do is sign up for a VPN that offers post-quantum encryption. This is especially important if youre looking to save money by signing up for a long-term subscription. That way, no matter when Q-day happens, your data will be protected.

As we mentioned, there are a select number of VPNs with post-quantum encryption that will future-proof your cyber security. Here, weve compiled a list of reputable ones that will keep your data safe from Q-day. Well also explain what type of encryption each VPN uses to help you make an informed choice.

If youve read any of our other VPN guides, youll be used to seeing ExpressVPNs name being mentioned as one of the very best VPNs. This is largely because of its ability to deliver market-leading security, along with fast speeds, and a great user experience. But, unlike a lot of its direct competitors, ExpressVPN stands out by offering quantum-resistant encryption, thereby giving users much more sophisticated protection than youd find on most other providers.

As with most VPNs, ExpressVPN uses AES 256-bit encryption, which is sufficient to protect against attacks from classical computers. But it also goes a step further with its very own open-source Lightway protocol, which has built-in post-quantum algorithms. These are too powerful to be broken by quantum computers.

If this isnt enough to put your mind at ease, the Lightway protocol has undergone independent auditing twice in the last couple of years by Cure53. It passed both with flying colors, therefore proving that its every bit as secure as ExpressVPN has claimed.

You might be concerned that such sophisticated encryption might slow down any traffic using the Lightway protocol. But actually, it performed really well in our speed tests, coming in at 410 Mbps. This speed will be more than fast enough for anything youd want to do online, including streaming, online gaming, and video editing.

But the Lightway protocol isnt the only reason why ExpressVPN comes so highly recommended. It also delivers everything else you could want from a VPN, including the ability to unblock region-restricted content with ease, as well as helpful customer support, and a fleet of strong servers.

QSTVPN has integrated post-quantum encryption into its VPN connections to protect user data from quantum computers, as well as classical computers. So its a great choice if youre looking to keep your data safe now and into the future.

Despite its additional security, QSTVPN delivers fast and reliable speeds that will lead to a smooth online experience.

If youre concerned about cyber security in a post-Q-day world, QAL VPN could be the perfect solution to protect your business from hackers. It offers a number of post-quantum algorithms to provide plenty of protection against quantum machines. The provider utilizes three lattice-based algorithms, as well as its SPHINCS+ cryptography, which uses hash-based functions. So its definitely one of the most future-proofed business options around.

However, because its a VPN designed for large businesses, its probably not the ideal solution if you want one for individual use. But if youre looking for something to protect your organization from the ramifications of Q-day, it could be the ideal choice for you.

If youre primarily a desktop user, Mullvad will provide you with sophisticated post-quantum encryption for your Windows, MAC, or Linux machine. It does this by incorporating quantum-resistant tunnels in all its WireGuard protocols for its desktop app with Kyber and Classic McEliece post-quantum algorithms.

If youre concerned about leaving your other devices vulnerable, dont worry because Mullvad is already working on rolling out this level of security for its iOS and Android apps. Customers signing up for a Mullvad subscription should have post-quantum protection across all their devices long before Q-day happens.

Mullvads encryption shares a secret in a way thats too sophisticated for a quantum computer to be able to decipher. Once this has been shared, that tunnel will be disconnected and a new one will be opened with the new shared secret.

You wont go far wrong with Mullvad as your VPN provider because, in addition to its post-quantum algorithms, it also delivers fast speeds and total customer anonymity.

Windscribe is a strong VPN with plenty of security features, fast speeds, and content-unblocking capabilities. On top of this, it also uses the WireGuard protocol to generate unique pre-shared keys for each user that are quantum-resistant.

Even if a quantum computer were able to decrypt these keys, which is extremely unlikely, it would be unable to interpret the traffic. Therefore, it will keep your data hidden from any hacks past Q-day.

Quantum computers pose a potentially catastrophic threat to online security. Once these machines are powerful enough and begin being used outside of research labs, they will have the power and the capability to break the encryption that protects most of the data on the internet. This event is known as Q-day and experts are predicting that this could happen at any time in the next five years.

Luckily, there are already some post-quantum algorithms that are strong enough to protect your data against this threat. All you need to do is sign up for a VPN that offers this level of security, such as ExpressVPN, Windscribe, or Mullvad.

Post-quantum encryption is a form of cyber security thats powerful enough to protect your data from attacks by quantum computers. There are a few different types of post-quantum cryptography that are currently available, such as lattice-based, hash-based, and code-based algorithms. If you want this level of protection, use a VPN that has built it into its protocols, such as Mullvad, ExpressVPN, or Windscribe.

Although quantum computers dont currently pose a security threat, as theyre only being used in research labs right now, there will come a day when theyre strong enough to break most of the worlds encryption.

Referred to as Q-day, this event will wreak havoc across the world and could effectively render VPNs obsolete, as theyll no longer be able to protect user data. That is unless VPNs incorporate post-quantum encryption into their protocols. Some VPNs have already done this, such as ExpressVPN, Mullvad, and Windscribe. If other providers follow suit, quantum computers wont be able to decrypt the protection offered, meaning that they can no longer pose a threat to VPNs.

Continued here:

Your data could be leaked in five years - here's why - Tom's Guide

Editors note: How Quantum Computing Is Already Changing the World was previously published in May 2024. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.

Im a history junkie. So, in this Monday issue of Hypergrowth Investing, let me share an interesting story that I bet a lot of you have never heard before.

And interestingly enough, it could be the key to helping you capitalize on the AI Revolution.

Back in October of 1927, the worlds leading scientists descended upon Brussels for the fifthSolvay Conference an exclusive, invite-only conference that is dedicated to discussing and solving the outstanding preeminent open problems in physics and chemistry.

In attendance were scientists that, today, we praise as the brightest minds in the history of mankind.

Albert Einstein was there; so was Erwin Schrodinger, who devised the famous Schrodingers cat experiment, and Werner Heisenberg, the man behind the world-changing Heisenberg uncertainty principle and Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr, Max Planck.

The list goes on and on. Of the 29 scientists who met in Brussels in October 1927, 17 of them went on to win a Nobel Prize.

These are the minds that collectively created the scientific foundation upon which the modern world is built.

And yet, when they all descended upon Brussels nearly 94 years ago, they were stumped by one concept. Its one that, for nearly a century, has remained the elusive key to unlocking humankinds full potential.

And now, for the first time ever, that concept is turning into a disruptive reality through breakthrough technology that will change the world as we know it.

So what exactly were Einstein, Schrodinger, Heisenberg and the rest of those Nobel laureates talking about in Brussels back in 1927?

Quantum mechanics.

Ill start by saying that the underlying physics of this breakthrough quantum mechanics is highly complex. It would likely require over 500 pages to fully understand.

But, alas, heres my best job at making a Cliffs Notes version in 500 words instead.

For centuries, scientists have developed, tested, and validated the laws of the physical world, known as classical mechanics. These scientifically explain how and why things work, where they come from, so on and so forth.

But in 1897, J.J. Thomson discovered the electron. And he unveiled a new, subatomic world of super-small things that didnt obey the laws of classical mechanics at all. Instead, they obeyed their own set of rules, which have since become known as quantum mechanics.

The rules of quantum mechanics differ from that of classical mechanics in two very weird, almost-magical ways.

First, in classical mechanics, objects are in one place at one time. You are either at the store or at home, not both.

But in quantum mechanics, subatomic particles can theoretically exist in multiple places at once before theyre observed. A single subatomic particle can exist in point A and point B at the same time until we observe it. And at that point, it only exists at either point A or point B.

So, the true location of a subatomic particle is some combination of all its possible positions.

This is calledquantumsuperposition.

Second, in classical mechanics, objects can only work with things that are also real. You cant use an imaginary friend to help move the couch. You need a real friend instead.

But in quantum mechanics, all of those probabilistic states of subatomic particles are not independent. Theyre entangled. That is, if we know something about the probabilistic positioning of one subatomic particle, then we know something about the probabilistic positioning of another subatomic particle meaning that these already super-complex particles can actually work together to create a super-complex ecosystem.

This is called quantum entanglement.

So in short, subatomic particles can theoretically have multiple probabilistic states at once, and all those probabilistic states can work together again, all at once to accomplish their task.

And that, in a nutshell, is the scientific breakthrough that stumped Einstein back in the early 1900s.

It goes against everything classical mechanics had taught us about the world. It goes against common sense. But its true. Its real. And now, for the first time ever, we are learninghow to harness this unique phenomenon to change everything about everything

This is why the U.S. government is pushing forward on developing a National Quantum Internet in southwest Chicago. It understands that this tech could be more revolutionary than the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel.

I couldnt agree more.

Mark my words. Everything will change over the next few years because of quantum mechanics and some investors will make a lot of money.

The study of quantum theory has led to huge advancements over the past century. Thats especially true over the past decade. Scientists at leading tech companies have started to figure out how to harness the power of quantum mechanics to make a new generation of superquantum computers.And theyre infinitely faster and more powerful than even todays fastest supercomputers.

Again, the physics behind quantum computers is highly complex, but heres my shortened version

Todays computers are built on top of the laws of classical mechanics. That is, they store information on what are calledbits, which can store data binarily as either 1 or 0.

But what if you could turn those classical bits into quantum bits qubits to leverage superpositioning to be both 1 and 0 stores at once?

Further, what if you could leverage entanglement and have all multi-state qubits work together to solve computationally taxing problems?

Theoretically, youd create a machine with so much computational power that it would make todays most advanced supercomputers seem ancient.

Thats exactly whats happening today.

Googlehas built a quantum computer that is about158 million times fasterthan the worlds fastest supercomputer.

Thats not hyperbole. Thats a real number.

Imagine the possibilities if we could broadly create a new set of quantum computers that are 158 million times faster than even todays fastest computers

Imagine what AI could do.

Today, AI is already being used to discover and develop new drugs and automate manual labor tasks like cooking, cleaning, and packaging products. It is already being used to write legal briefs, craft ads, create movie scripts, and more.

And thats with AI built on top of classical computers.

But built upon quantum computers computer that are a 158 million times faster than classical computers AI will be able to donearly everything.

The economic opportunities at the convergence of artificial intelligence and quantum computing are truly endless.

Quantum computing is agame-changerthats flying under the radar.

Its not just another breakthrough its the seismic shift weve been waiting for, rivaling the impact of the internet and the discovery of fire itself.

We think the top stocks at the convergence of AI and QC havea realistic opportunity to soar 1,000%over the next few years alone.

So which stocks should you be buying right now? And which should you be selling?

Those are the billion-dollar questions we need to answer now if we want to make big money from top AI stocks in 2024.

Which is why I went public with all the details aboutArea 52

A stretch of land in the midwest where the U.S. government is covertly testing whats set to becomethe worlds first quadrillion-dollar technology.

In this brief presentation, I reveal the reason this technology could revolutionize everything

And how atiny company poised to bring this breakthrough tech mainstream could 79X your investment in the months ahead

On the date of publication, Luke Lango did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

P.S. You can stay up to speed with Lukes latest market analysis by reading our Daily Notes! Check out the latest issue on yourInnovation InvestororEarly Stage Investorsubscriber site.

See the original post here:

How Quantum Computing Is Already Changing the World - InvestorPlace

[Editors note: How Quantum Computing Is Already Changing the World was previously published in December 2022. It has since been updated to include the most relevant information available.]

Im a history junkie. So, in this special Sunday issue of Hypergrowth Investing, let me share an interesting story that I bet a lot of you have never heard before.

And interestingly enough, it could be the key to helping you capitalize on the AI Revolution.

Back in October of 1927, the worlds leading scientists descended upon Brussels for the fifthSolvay Conference an exclusive, invite-only conference that is dedicated to discussing and solving the outstanding preeminent open problems in physics and chemistry.

In attendance were scientists that, today, we praise as the brightest minds in the history of mankind.

Albert Einstein was there; so was Erwin Schrodinger, who devised the famous Schrodingers cat experiment, and Werner Heisenberg, the man behind the world-changing Heisenberg uncertainty principle and Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr, Max Planck.

The list goes on and on. Of the 29 scientists who met in Brussels in October 1927, 17 of them went on to win a Nobel Prize.

These are the minds that collectively created the scientific foundation upon which the modern world is built.

And yet, when they all descended upon Brussels nearly 94 years ago, they got stumped by one concept. Its one that, for nearly a century, has remained the elusive key to unlocking humankinds full potential.

And now, for the first time ever, that concept is turning into a disruptive reality through breakthrough technology that will change the world as we know it.

So what exactly were Einstein, Schrodinger, Heisenberg and the rest of those Nobel laureates talking about in Brussels back in 1927?

Quantum mechanics.

Ill start by saying that the underlying physics of this breakthrough quantum mechanics is highly complex. It would likely require over 500 pages to fully understand.

But, alas, heres my best job at making a Cliffs Notes version in 500 words instead.

For centuries, scientists have developed, tested, and validated the laws of the physical world, known as classical mechanics. These scientifically explain how and why things work, where they come from, so on and so forth.

But in 1897, J.J. Thomson discovered the electron. And he unveiled a new, subatomic world of super-small things that didnt obey the laws of classical mechanics at all. Instead, they obeyed their own set of rules, which have since become known as quantum mechanics.

The rules of quantum mechanics differ from that of classical mechanics in two very weird, almost-magical ways.

First, in classical mechanics, objects are in one place at one time. You are either at the store or at home, not both.

But in quantum mechanics, subatomic particles can theoretically exist in multiple places at once before theyre observed. A single subatomic particle can exist in point A and point B at the same time until we observe it. And at that point, it only exists at either point A or point B.

So, the true location of a subatomic particle is some combination of all its possible positions.

This is calledquantumsuperposition.

Second, in classical mechanics, objects can only work with things that are also real. You cant use an imaginary friend to help move the couch. You need a real friend instead.

But in quantum mechanics, all of those probabilistic states of subatomic particles are not independent. Theyre entangled. That is, if we know something about the probabilistic positioning of one subatomic particle, then we know something about the probabilistic positioning of another subatomic particle meaning that these already super-complex particles can actually work together to create a super-complex ecosystem.

This is called quantum entanglement.

So in short, subatomic particles can theoretically have multiple probabilistic states at once, and all those probabilistic states can work together again, all at once to accomplish their task.

And that, in a nutshell, is the scientific breakthrough that stumped Einstein back in the early 1900s.

It goes against everything classical mechanics had taught us about the world. It goes against common sense. But its true. Its real. And now, for the first time ever, we are learninghow to harness this unique phenomenon to change everything about everything

This is why the U.S. government is pushing forward on developing a National Quantum Internet in southwest Chicago. It understands that this tech could be more revolutionary than the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel.

I couldnt agree more.

Mark my words. Everything will change over the next few years because of quantum mechanics and some investors will make a lot of money.

The study of quantum theory has led to huge advancements over the past century. Thats especially true over the past decade. Scientists at leading tech companies have started to figure out how to harness the power of quantum mechanics to make a new generation of superquantum computers.And theyre infinitely faster and more powerful than even todays fastest supercomputers.

Again, the physics behind quantum computers is highly complex, but heres my shortened version

Todays computers are built on top of the laws of classical mechanics. That is, they store information on what are calledbits, which can store data binarily as either 1 or 0.

But what if you could turn those classical bits into quantum bits qubits to leverage superpositioning to be both 1 and 0 stores at once?

Further, what if you could leverage entanglement and have all multi-state qubits work together to solve computationally taxing problems?

Theoretically, youd create a machine with so much computational power that it would make todays most advanced supercomputers seem ancient.

Thats exactly whats happening today.

Googlehas built a quantum computer that is about158 million times fasterthan the worlds fastest supercomputer.

Thats not hyperbole. Thats a real number.

Imagine the possibilities if we could broadly create a new set of quantum computers that are 158 million times faster than even todays fastest computers

Imagine what AI could do.

Today, AI is already being used to discover and develop new drugs and automate manual labor tasks like cooking, cleaning, and packaging products. It is already being used to write legal briefs, craft ads, create movie scripts, and more.

And thats with AI built on top of classical computers.

But built upon quantum computers computer that are a 158 million times faster than classical computers AI will be able to donearly everything.

The economic opportunities at the convergence of artificial intelligence and quantum computing are truly endless.

Quantum computing is agame-changerthats flying under the radar.

Its not just another breakthrough its the seismic shift weve been waiting for, rivaling the impact of the internet and the discovery of fire itself.

We think the top stocks at the convergence of AI and QC havea realistic opportunity to soar 1,000%over the next few years alone.

So which stocks should you be buying right now? And which should you be selling?

Those are the billion-dollar questions we need to answer now if we want to make big money from top AI stocks in 2024.

Which is why I went public with all the details aboutArea 52

A stretch of land in the midwest where the U.S. government is covertly testing whats set to becomethe worlds first quadrillion-dollar technology.

In this brief presentation, I reveal the reason this technology is about to revolutionize everything

And how atiny company poised to bring this breakthrough tech mainstream could 79X your investmentin the days and months ahead

On the date of publication, Luke Lango did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

Excerpt from:

How Quantum Computing Is Already Changing the World - InvestorPlace

At an early screening of I Saw the TV Glow, the gentleman introducing the film told the audience that it was like writer-director Jane Schoenbruns first feature, Were All Going to the Worlds Fair, on steroids. Which prompted Schoenbrun to kindly correct him when they introduced the film: Its like Worlds Fair on HRT. A different sort of steroid, they suggested. It was a film written and created as Schoenberg navigated stages of their own transition, and bound to that journey at scale.

For all that is irrevocably the journey, I Saw the TV Glow defies easy categorization by its very nature. It is a film that can be read under a number of critical microscopes, and enjoyed for many more besides. It is about transness and queerness, certainly, but it is also about the ways in which fandom can anchor lives, and the places we find ourselves in life that dont fit. And it is a story about becoming and about the violence inflicted on anyone who attempts to become in direct defiance of the world that they are crammed inside.

The story unfolds like this: Owen (Justice Smith) meets an older teen at his school named Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) who loves a television series that he finds himself strangely drawn to, despite never having seen an episode. The show is called The Pink Opaque, the tale of two teen girls who are connected psychically and must use their joint abilities to battle the minions of Mr. Melancholy, the man in the moon. Maddy is obsessed with the shows complex lore, and invites Owen over to watch it. In the following years, she tapes the show off the TV for him and leaves the VHS copies at school (though they rarely speak) because Owens parents wont let him stay up late enough to watch it.

Maddy disappears one day, and everyone believes her to be dead. But eight years later, she shows up mysteriously to ask Owen a few questionshas he ever noticed that bits of fiction seem to bleed with their real lives? Does he ever feel like something about their world doesnt add up? Is he sure that the place where they exist is real, and that The Pink Opaque isnt who and where theyre supposed to be?

One might assume that this entire concept is metaphorical, that the whole conceit is just clever way to make a grounded statement using fantastical terms. But I Saw the TV Glow isnt interested in telling us where the line between fantasy and reality lies. Is this a sticking point for me, personally, having watched the internet slowly ply every reader with a million theories nabbed from Tumblr and Reddit and YouTube that X character is really dead the whole time! or A secret tragic backstory is obvious if you pay attention to the dogs scarf! Yes. Sink into the discomfort of never knowing. Let it rip at you like a cheese grater to the skin.

The fractured ambiance of this film deserves a concept album, and its soundtrack makes an incredible go of it, with songs from Sloppy Jane, yuele, Caroline Polachek, Florist, and more peppering the story. The performances are devastating: Lundy-Paine and Smith embody their own numbness to a haunting degree, a rippling tension running between them the whole film as they each wait for the other to act in a way that they can understand. (Or perhaps recognize?) It feels strange to admit that Ive been waiting for Justice Smith to receive a part worthy of him since Detective Pikachu, but Im glad that day has finally come. His frequent gasps of life, the moments when he comes up for air amidst the vacant lot that is Owens reality, are where the true horror of the movie lies. And there are many thoughts lying between all of the choices Smith makes, alongside the scripts depiction of Owenthoughts about queerness and neurodivergence and how often they exist in the same place. About how difference compounds until it becomes scaffolding that holds together rather than a renovation. About disconnection and how desperately we yearn for its inverse.

As an experience, the film is an exemplar of the form and proof that Schoenbruns powers are growing. The careful attention paid to film grain and aspect ratios, the flawless replication of goofy television tropes from three decades prior, the deadpan delivery of the actors creating a stylized atmosphere but also forcing the audience to listen to the content of the dialogue over the emotions present in the characters until emotion erupts into the narrative, so sharp and hot its like being flash-fried. Schoenbrun talked of what it was like to play with large sums of money after years on the New York DIY filmmaking scene, and this piece of cinema gives us a glimpse of what movies could be were the current model more willing to fund them. Fragments of the inner strangeness that reside in us all, brought into the dim glow of the screen.

The experience of the 90s is hyper-real in this rendering, from the font used on the cover of Maddys Pink Opaque Episode Guide (I had an X-Files version just like it) to the ridiculous prosthetics used on TV villains to the messages Maddy scribbles on the VHS tapes she leaves for Owen in pink gel pen. (My VHS-recorded shows were mostly Farscape and The Invisible Man.) My colleague and I had an entire conversation about the Fruitopia vending machine in the school lunchroom after we left the theater. The Pink Opaque itself is built on the bones of a number of 90s showsBuffy the Vampire Slayer being the most obviousbut also Charmed, Xena: Warrior Princess, Ghostwriter, The Secret World of Alex Mack, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, and several more besides. Then theres the anonymous sprawl of their hometown, which later prompts Owen to utter, This isnt the Midnight Realm. Its the suburbs.

Its the toughest balancing act of all to heap a story with nostalgia while you stitch it to something fledgling and painful that fights to stay alive. And perhaps thats why the setting of TV Glow never slips into the anodyne mistakes that many pictures fueled on our remembrance of the past offer. The 90s is where millennials like me grew up, but were a cynical bunch now, offered an optimistic glimpse of a future that never came to pass. And even while that future was held before us like a flickering candle in a ball pit, the persistent phobias of the era encouraged our conformity. We are, for the time being, the last generation that was widely, actively, and vehemently discouraged from coming out.

I Saw the TV Glow offers a glimpse into the places we retreated in order to find our own kind of comfort. Our safety. Our selves. It shows its audience what a lifeline these campy and clever worlds gave us when there was nothing else to model ourselves on. But these TV shows, with their punny dialogue and band cameos and haughty, attractive teens in belly shirts and moody lipsticks, could only provide a respite from the world. Not a cure for it.

The journey to being, to becoming, is far more agonizing than that. And not everyone makes it through. I Saw the TV Glow lives in that liminal space where you ask yourself the question: What would you risk for the chance to find out?

If you wont, will you survive the alternative?

Perhaps that is the reason why the film offers no answers to its own mysteries: The answer will be different to everyone sitting in that audience. All of us took different roads and will find ourselves at different points in the journey. And so we cant be given the conclusion. Theres an arcade game that blinks the words YOURE DYING late in the film. Startling, but also universally accurate: We all are. So how will we live? icon-paragraph-end

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Original post:

I Saw the TV Glow Is a Meditation On Becoming That Will Haunt You - Reactor - Tor.com

Edited on April 2, 2023: Happy April Fools' Day, everyone. Stay safe!

Chess.com is excited to announce a complete overhaul of the chess-playing experience, now especially crafted for the next generation of young talents.

With a swipe-centered approach and multiple new features, playing chess is easier and more fun than ever before. Borrowing from popular apps like TikTok, Chess.com now packs an innovative and modern interface that is more in tune with the current times.

Tried and tested by some of the most prominent players in the world, the new Chess.com interface has proven to be a huge hit.

"We understand clicking is cringe. Tapping lacks rizz. Swiping hits different, and we're ready for it," said IM Danny Rensch. "No cap," he added.

Tapping lacks rizz. Danny Rensch, CCO of Chess.com

Tapping is so 2023. We understand that swiping is a faster and more efficient way to do just about anything in life. With this in mind, our new interface makes playing chess much easier by applying a swipe-centered approach to moving your pieces.

How will it work? Its all very simple: first, youll see one of your pieces appear on your screen. If thats the piece you want to move, all you have to do is swipe right. If it isnt, you should swipe left to see your next piece. You repeat this process until you get to the piece youd like to move.

Next, youll see a square on your screen (ex: the a1-square). Swipe up or down to indicate if thats the square you want your piece to land on. This revolutionary way of moving pieces will ensure that you never have to use the tip of your fingers again!

Weve all played that one player who likes to think about their moves. In olden times, youd have no choice but to sit there and actually think about your own movesbut who wants to do that?

Now, with our new feature, youll never have to be bored again. With a simple swipe of the thumb, you can open other games like Subway Surfers as you wait for your opponent to contemplate their next move. Surf and tag train cars to your delight while swiping into chess victory at the same time!

Now, when youre playing on Chess.com, literally anyone in the world will be able to watch your games live and react to your every move. Watch in amazement as emojis pop up on your screen while youre pre-moving in time scramble to deliver a complicated checkmate.

We understand losing is frustrating and that you deserve a better rating than what you currently have. When you lose a game, you can now share it with your network along with an inspiring caption going over your feelings and what you learned from the game. Other members will be able to engage with your post with nothing but supportive messages, as is common on the internet. If you get enough engagement from the community, well refund all your lost rating points!

"Chess is all about community," said Erik Allebest, Chess.com's CEO. "We want to bring chess closer to the real world of social media, where engagement is all that matters."

We want to bring chess closer to the real world of social media. Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com

Start sharing your games and prove why you are better than what your rating says. With this feature, even if your opponent wins, you can not lose.

Chess.com believes this swipe-centered paradigm will shift the way people engage with the game online forever. This new release is set to make the game even more appealing to the masses, and the stats prove it:

"After 2023's chess craze, the chess-playing demographic has seen a major shift toward younger audiences. Gen Z players are now approximately 80.5% of Chess.com's active member base, while Utah-based Boomers account for 10.4%, and Millennials only 5%, with the rest of the members being Vegan," said Brenan Klain, Chess.com's Utah-based Head of Engagement. "We're excited to have a new and better way to serve this massive chunk of our community."

If youve not received the update yet, dont worry! Within 24 hours, youll be able to join the younger generation of masters like Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Denis Lazavik, and Anish Giri, who are already having a blast with the new version of Chess.com.

What do you think of these updates? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Chess.com Announces Massive Changes To Website: Gameplay, Interface, and More! - Chess.com

Ansh Bagri, who is currently seen in Baghin, is disappointed to see a surge in health and fitness videos on the internet.

Published: Friday,Mar 15, 2024 05:58 AM GMT-06:00

Ansh Bagri, who is currently seen in Baghin, is disappointed to see a surge in health and fitness videos on the internet. He feels it is a very sensitive matter, because every person is different and there are a lot of risks involved.

Speaking in reference to the doctors cautionary message asking people not to follow any medical advice given by random influencers on social media, after Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamaths post about his mild stroke, he said, They go to the gym for four days and start giving tips about health and everything. But it's actually very sad and sensitive when it comes to fitness, workouts, and diet. Everything is different according to your body. You can inspire people to workout, and that's it, but you can't tell people what to eat and what not to eat.

I feel a certified dietician or certified doctor can give you a proper diet and workout. I am completely against such people and influencers because nowadays every second person is an influencer. I don't think people know the actual meaning of an influencer. Influencers are those who can influence people for good, and for that, you yourself should have some experience. I can be a digital person who makes a lot of videos, I can entertain people, but I cant be an influencer. The word influencer has a deep meaning, and people should know about it, he added.

Ansh further elaborated that people and influencers post videos related to health and fitness just to gain more views and likes, however, the audience should not be following them blindly. It is very sad that you are giving out wrong information to people about things you have no knowledge about. So I think people should not blindly follow Instagram and YouTube videos related to health and fitness. Always double check the information because for some people, its just money and entertainment, he said.

He mentioned that even if he sees a video related to health and fitness, he first looks into the person and whether they are certified or not. He added, If they are, then I do listen to it and see that whatever they are saying is working for my body or not because everyone has a different body type. I always double check with professionals, and then I follow.

Ansh concluded that influencer is a very positive word and should only be used for people who are doing good. Bhagat Singh was an influencer, PM Modi is an influencer who influences people for good. So for me, they are the real influencers, he ended.

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People should not blindly follow Instagram and YouTube videos related to health and fitness: ... - India Forums

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of the Ethereum network, identifies Layer-2 scaling solutions as a key element for the platforms advancement. Enabled by the Layer-2 upgrade, the Dencun, which dramatically brought down transaction fees on dApps, he called for development efforts now.

In his opinion, the previous decade has been all about Ethereums internal development; however, the world impact is to come during the next one. The upgrade on Dencun led to a bridge that aims to facilitate two-layer Layer-2 improvements in scalability, privacy, and security.

This shift does not diminish the significance of Layer-1, which will still be the base upon which Layer-2 may be pinned. Nevertheless, a mindset shift would be pivotal for Layer-1 development to transition into a deceleration phase, as this is a critical step towards network stability.

However, Buterin stresses the progress made in the Layer-1 area, among which zero-knowledge-proofs (ZKPs) are recent inventions that make it possible to scale and provide users with privacy. Those tools are examples of how it may become easier to create dApps with Layer-2.

According to him, developers have to be proficient in Layer-2 mechanisms and modern development infrastructure to address challenges related to speed, security, and privacy.

In this case, Ethereum will only achieve its goal to migrate from the old internet and blockchain paradigms to the new ones if Buterins theory holds true and propels Ethereum to significantly impact the internet and traditional finance.

The recent rapid fee reduction across platforms like zkSync Era, StarkNet, Base, and Optimism is creating more room for growth in the number of people interacting with Ethereum.

Also Read: MANTRA Aims to Bring RWA Tokenization to The Middle East and Asia

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Ethereum Shifts Focus to Layer-2 for Scalability and Growth - Crypto Times