Microsoft’s Using a New State of Matter - DTNSB 4959  ## Metadata - Author: [[Daily Tech News Show]] - Full Title: Microsoft’s Using a New State of Matter - DTNSB 4959 - Category: #podcasts - URL: https://share.snipd.com/episode/bd6304f0-b0f0-47e8-9a69-a30640a9be87 ## Document Notes ## Highlights - **Topological Quantum Computing** - Microsoft's Majorana 1 quantum computer uses a topological material. - This potentially allows for a million qubits on a chip similar in size to a desktop CPU. Transcript: Tom Merritt Microsoft published research in the journal Nature about its Majorana 1 quantum computer chip. It's made of a material called a topo conductor, which takes advantage of the properties of a state of matter that is topological rather than the classic solid liquid or gas. It was first postulated back in the 1930s, but it is essentially a new state of matter to most of us. That type of material using indium arsenide and aluminum can handle a particle called the Majorana, hence the name Majorana One Quantum Computer, which is used instead of electrons. So you're using Majorana particles instead of electrons. Microsoft says this combination could potentially fit a million cubits on a single chip. The chip would not have to be that much bigger than a classical desktop CPU. So this is a nice compact version. If you're like, what's a qubit? A qubit is basically a one or a zero, like in a classical computer, but in quantum computing, it can be both at the same time. And that lets you do some cool, fast processing for certain types of problems that you can't do with a classical computer that is only able to do a one and a zero exclusively. Be aware, though, that so far, Microsoft has been able to fit eight qubits on its topo conductor chip. It is very, very optimistic about increasing that number, and it's going to have to increase it quite a bit to reach its goal. Google announced its own quantum computer chip called Willow in December. So a little competition going on here. Microsoft will be one of two companies to build a fault-tolerant prototype quantum computer for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's Underexplored systems for utility scale quantum computing. Yeah, DARPA, the folks who brought you the internet. Microsoft believes it can scale the topo conductor chip up within years, not decades. ([Time 0:02:36](https://share.snipd.com/snip/afa15df7-5431-4609-89c7-6ca663b557e6)) - **Muse AI for Game Development** - Microsoft's Muse AI model helps game developers prototype and preserve games. - It generates environments based on images, videos, and controller inputs. Transcript: Tom Merritt So looking good for that million qubit chip soon. And along with this, Microsoft also published an article in the journal Nature. So it's second article in Nature that we're talking about today about its Muse AI model for game developers. This is a generative model that can create a game environment based on images you give it, video that you give it and prompt it, controller actions that can just follow along with what People are doing while they play a game. Microsoft Research worked with Xbox Studio Ninja Theory to train the model on human gameplay from bleeding edge. Right now, the model is limited to 300 by 180 pixels. So it's not high res yet. I think it's like 10 frames per second. But the idea is to use this as a tool for development, including things like prototyping, rather than as a way to create a whole game. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer suggested it could be used for game preservation, so you could more quickly port a game to a new platform. And Ninja Theory's Dom Matthews emphasized it won't replace people. We don't intend to use this technology for the creation of content. Jenn Cutter I think the interesting aspect for us that is exciting is how can we use technology like this to make the process of making games quicker and easier for our talented team so that they can Tom Merritt Really focus on the thing that I think is really special about games, which is that human creativity. Now, Jen, that's what people want to hear is, you know, we're not going to replace the humans. ([Time 0:04:34](https://share.snipd.com/snip/c706d816-3c8f-401d-92fc-2bc6e9008660)) - **Game Preservation Concerns** - Jenn Cutter recalls Nintendo selling emulated ROMs as a cautionary example. - She suggests Microsoft should avoid similar practices by training Muse on internal data. Transcript: Brian Brushwood Well, the thing that leapt out at me first was the whole game preservation thing. Because like, back in 2017, Nintendo got caught downloading ROMs from the internet and wrapping them in an emulator and selling them back to you. And since a lot of these models tend to go for the path of least resistance, it would be a little funny if that kind of happens again. But I'm going to assume that Microsoft kind of knows what they're doing at this point and will run things internally and not pull from the whole Internet. ([Time 0:06:12](https://share.snipd.com/snip/7767d784-e757-4559-896d-0da845a83875)) - **AI for Enhanced Creativity** - Tom Merritt advises companies to use AI tools to reduce tedium, not jobs. - This allows teams to focus on creative aspects, enhancing game quality. Transcript: Tom Merritt Also takes the tedious amount of game development. I know everyone worries, and rightly so, that penny-pinching companies will see this as a way to eliminate jobs. And I'm not saying it won't be used for that sometimes, but the smarter companies will look at this and say, we've got a really good team. We like our team. We wish they didn't have to waste time on tedium and could spend more time on designing the game and making it great and this is the kind of tool that can help them spend more time doing that Dtns ([Time 0:08:02](https://share.snipd.com/snip/2f3b25ed-9c32-4825-ad77-7512b13ead7a)) - **iPhone 16e Launch** - Apple discontinued the iPhone SE, replacing it with the iPhone 16e. - The 16e uses the A18 chip, Face ID, action button, USB-C, and an in-house 5G modem. Transcript: Brian Brushwood Apple announced a new mid-range phone, the 6.1 iPhone 16e. This takes the place of the iPhone SE, which is now discontinued. The iPhone 16e runs on the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16, meaning it can run all the same apps as well as Apple Intelligence. It also has no home button, relies on Face ID, replaces the mute switch with the action button, and uses USB-C instead of lightning for charging. The 16e is Apple's first phone to use its own in-house C1 modem for 5G connectivity. Apple says it should be more power efficient. If the C1 is successful, Apple might not need to rely on Qualcomm for future modems in future phones. The iPhone 16e will be available for pre-order on Friday for $599, shipping on February 28th. ([Time 0:12:15](https://share.snipd.com/snip/cafc8440-11bb-4408-aaf0-1ddc28e08d86)) - **C1 Modem Debut** - Tom Merritt finds Apple's choice to debut the C1 modem in the 16e significant. - He infers confidence in the modem's performance due to its mid-range placement. Transcript: Tom Merritt It's the cheapest, but the cheapest got more expensive, right? The C1 modem thing is the most interesting about this to me because it is a fascinating choice for Apple to take its Qualcomm replacement and put it in the bargain phone. I think that means they're pretty confident that it's going to work well because you're not putting it in the early adopters space, right? You're putting it in front of the people who are not used to things going wrong. The mid-range market is like, I just want it to work. That's Apple's whole pitch. So they must think it's going to work well. And they're talking about like a 27-day battery life or 27-day, 27-hour battery life. ([Time 0:13:13](https://share.snipd.com/snip/af5709d1-3efd-4abb-a604-2b975b3481bc)) - **Humane AI Pin Discontinued** - Humane AI pin is discontinuing service after low sales and poor reviews. - HP acquired Humane's IP and engineers but will not continue the hardware. Transcript: Tom Merritt Do you remember the humane AI pin? It was like a big TED Talk. Everybody was raving about it. It was going to revolutionize interfaces. You remember that, Jen? Brian Brushwood I sure do, but mostly for the catastrophic early reviews. Yes. Tom Merritt Apparently, those reviews were accurate, too, because they didn't sell a lot of these. And now the company has given its customers 10-day notice that it will stop functioning normally as of 12 Pacific time, February 28th. You're going to lose access to almost all of its functions because they all worked in the cloud. You will still be able to check battery life, though, according to the documentation. So that's nice. Customers should download any data they want to keep as they are going to delete all remaining customer data. If you bought a Humane AI pin in the last 90 days, you can get a full refund. HP is buying humane and will take on its intellectual property and engineers, but they're not going to keep building the hardware, hence the big shutdown. If you hear HP talk about something called HP IQ in the future, that's the old humane stuff. ([Time 0:17:46](https://share.snipd.com/snip/88b7bf05-749c-4478-b22b-974c41d41877))