Tech Digest daily roundup: Google claims ‘quantum computing breakthrough’
Google has developed a quantum computer that instantly makes calculations that would take the best existing supercomputers 47 years, in a breakthrough meant to establish beyond doubt that the experimental machines can outperform conventional rivals. A paper from researchers at Google published online claims that the company’s latest technology is “beyond the capabilities of existing classical supercomputers”. Proponents of quantum computers say the technology, which relies on the peculiar states of quantum physics, can create hugely powerful machines able to battle climate change and create breakthrough drugs. Telegraph
Elon Musk has joked about Twitter’s temporary daily reading limits after users vented their fury over the site’s new limitations.”Oh the irony of hitting view limits due to complaining about view limits,” the billionaire tweeted. Earlier Musk had said Twitter applied the limits to address “extreme levels” of data scraping and system manipulation. He said verified Twitter users were temporarily limited to reading 6,000 posts a day – which was later increased to 8,000 then 10,000. Sky News
WhatsApp has been rolling out new features to its messaging app like there’s no tomorrow. Several updates were released last month alone (not counting the beta version), which is unusual even for one of Google’s most popular apps. Over the weekend, WhatsApp announced yet another new feature is making its way to Android and iOS users: Chat Transfer. Announced on Twitter, the new feature allows WhatsApp users to transfer their full chat history without having to leave the app.
Electric carmaker Tesla says it delivered a record number of vehicles in the three months to the end of June, after cutting prices to boost sales. It has lowered prices in markets including the US, UK and China to compete with rival manufacturers. This weekend, major Chinese car makers also reported a surge in sales in June. Earlier this year, Tesla boss Elon Musk said he believed pursuing higher sales, with lower profits, was the “right choice” for the company. On Sunday, Tesla said it delivered 466,140 vehicles in the second quarter, which was more than 80% higher than a year earlier. BBC
Some of the biggest companies in Europe have taken collective action to criticize the European Union’s recently approved artificial intelligence regulations, claiming that the Artificial Intelligence Act is ineffective and could negatively impact competition. In an open letter sent to the European Parliament, Commission, and member states on Friday, and first seen by the Financial Times, over 150 executives from companies like Renault, Heineken, Airbus, and Siemens slammed the AI Act for its potential to “jeopardise Europe’s competitiveness and technological sovereignty.” The Verge
Apple has been forced to make drastic cuts to production forecasts for the mixed-reality Vision Pro headset, unveiled last month after seven years in development and hailed as its most significant product launch since the iPhone. The complexity of the headset design and difficulties in production are behind the scaling back of targets, while plans for a more affordable version of the device have had to be pushed back, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the manufacturing process. Apple has already flagged that the $3,500 “spatial computing” headset device will not go on sale until “early next year”. FT.com
