Microsoft ushers in the era of Quantum Computing at Ignite 2017

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Microsoft kicked off its Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida yesterday. The company welcomed over 25,000 business customers to its annual IT event to showcase its latest enterprise solutions and highlight its future directions.

Microsoft showcased how it is infusing cloud, AI and mixed reality across it products to help customers visualize and create the future of business. Microsoft also shared how quantum computers could help solve some of our planet’s biggest challenges.

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Apple drops Bing search in Siri and Spotlight in favour of Google

Bing is no longer the default search service used by Siri on iOS and Spotlight in macOS. Apple has moved to Google search as the go-to service.

"Switching to Google as the web search provider for Siri, Search within iOS and Spotlight on Mac will allow these services to have a consistent web search experience with the default in Safari,” Apple told TechCrunch in a statement.

This means that if Siri does not have the answer to a user's query, then the system with just pull up Google results. 

Investment firm Bernstein estimates Google currently pays Apple around $3bn for this deal, based on the fact Google paid around $1bn for the same deal in 2014 according to The Telegraph.

Source: TechCrunch

macOS High Sierra now available as a free upgrade

Apple is releasing macOS High Sierra, the latest version of its desktop and notebook operating system. An update to macOS Sierra, High Sierra brings various new features, most notable of which is an entirely new file system.

macOS High Sierra introduces the Apple File System (APFS) which speeds up common processes like file transfers and copying as well as brings increased reliability and security while also taking up less space than previous file system protocols.

macOS High Sierra brings improved video coding with (HEVC), improved support for machile learning and AR/VR implementation as well as Virtual Reality support. High Sierra also brings an updated Photos app, more security focused version of Safari which can now halt video ads from autoplaying (a big annoyance for users) and it also features Intelligent Tracking Prevention to safeguard what information it passes on to websites. macOS High Sierra is available today via Software Update on supported Macs. Which are the following

2009 or newer MacBook, 2009 or newer iMac, 2010 or newer MacBook Pro, 2010 or newer MacBook Air, 2010 or newer Mac mini and 2010 or newer Mac Pro.

Drop tests show new iPhone 8s are a bit more durable than the Galaxy Note8

Just how durable are the new glass-encased Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy Note8? If you drop them accidentally are you saying goodbye to your hundreds (or thousands really) of dollars? Luckily, there are companies like SquareTrade who’ll show us just what would happen if we drop these really expensive devices. The phone insurance company put the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and Note8 through its usual drop and tumble tests as well as a new Shot test that simulates what happens to a phone when it’s being left on the roof of your car and then you speed off (apparently, this is a thing now).

Of course, the glass backs crack. The Note8 seems to fare better in terms of dropping the phone on its face but it renders the device completely useless. The iPhones still seem to work. Apple’s “aerospace-grade” metal band seems to protect it better from side drops. And during the shot test, the Note8 had more of its chunks flying off. When it comes to the breakability score, the iPhone 8 scored 67, the iPhone 8 Plus gets a 74, and the Galaxy Note8 gets an 80.

Source: Phone Arena

Update on Monday, September 25, 2017 at 1:42PM by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Please folks, don't try this at home.