Archive for the ‘finance’ category: Page 131
Feb 5, 2017
Scientists Chasing the Dream of Quantum Computing
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: computing, finance, neuroscience, quantum physics
The bottom-line why folks are investing so much in QC is frankly because it means you will be behind everyone else who has adopted a superior infrastructure. As a consumer, if I can use my private information to secure a loan or access my medical information without fear of exposure of my information as well as performance of my online media and other online services are 100 times faster than any known network service to date; it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know what I will do,
And, banks, trading houses, etc. know this.
Thanks to the collaborative effort of an international team of scientists led by Professor Winfried Hensinger of the University of Sussex in UK, the world may have gotten one step closer to building the most powerful computer ever — a large-scale quantum computer capable of solving ultra-complex problems that will take a regular computer billions of years to solve.
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Feb 3, 2017
Quantum RAM: Modelling the big questions with the very small
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: climatology, computing, finance, quantum physics, singularity, sustainability
Nice write up. What is interesting is that most folks still have not fully understood the magnitude of quantum and how as well as why we will see it as the fundamental ingredient to all things and will be key in our efforts around singularity.
When it comes to studying transportation systems, stock markets and the weather, quantum mechanics is probably the last thing to come to mind. However, scientists at Australia’s Griffith University and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University have just performed a ‘proof of principle’ experiment showing that when it comes to simulating such complex processes in the macroscopic world quantum mechanics can provide an unexpected advantage.
Griffith’s Professor Geoff Pryde, who led the project, says that such processes could be simulated using a “quantum hard drive”, much smaller than the memory required for conventional simulations.
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Feb 2, 2017
Solar Power Has Officially Become the Cheapest Source for New Energy
Posted by Dan Kummer in categories: finance, solar power, sustainability
When it comes to obtaining new energy, solar energy now costs less than fossil fuels, according to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) also show decreased prices, with the mean price of solar power in about 60 countries dropping to $1.65 million per megawatt, closely followed by wind at $1.66 million per megawatt.
Michael Drexler, Head of Long Term Investing, Infrastructure and Development at the World Economic Forum, found the downturn in prices to be an encouraging sign.
“Renewable energy has reached a tipping point—it now constitutes the best chance to reverse global warming. Solar and wind have just become very competitive, and costs continue to fall. It is not only a commercially viable option, but an outright compelling investment opportunity with long-term, stable, inflation-protected returns.”
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Jan 28, 2017
HDFC Bank deploys humanoid built by Kochi firm in Mumbai
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: finance, robotics/AI
KOCHI: HDFC Bank has deployed an interactive humanoid at its Kamala Mills branch in Mumbai. Intelligent Robotic Assistant (IRA) was developed in partnership with Kochi-based startup Asimov Robotics. IRA will be used for customer service.
With the launch of IRA, HDFC has become the first bank in the country to deploy humanoid for customer service. “Our first humanoid is unique and will serve as a technology demonstrator in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics,” said HDFC Bank digital banking country head Nitin Chugh.
Developed using robotics and artificial intelligence technology, IRA will be initially positioned near the bank’s welcome desk where it will display the services, greet customers and guide them to the counters — cash deposit, foreign exchange, loans etc.
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This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Karl explains how the wisdom of crowds can be harnessed in powerful new ways.
Karl is the Founder of slowXchange a London based Internet platform that crowdsources forecasts on the financial performance, creditworthiness and management quality of the world’s top 2,000 listed companies. A CPA with an MBA [Deans List] from Columbia University, he is an inveterate optimist when it comes to the capacities of people and technology to solve today’s problems.
Jan 27, 2017
While the world apparently burns and social media makes billions of people crazy, here’s some truths for you this morning: Robots are partying it up (see pic) as the technology side of the stock market hit an all-time high this week
Posted by Zoltan Istvan in categories: finance, transhumanism
No other metric of the state of #transhumanism (or science) says more than a healthy technology stock market. Complain all you want, but the smart money knows what’s happening. And smart money begets innovation—and innovation improves lives. Also, Obama in his 2nd term was a poor ad seller for media—it’s because he was stable and offered few surprises. However Trump (and his dramatic actions) might save and transform the entire media industry, as press bash and explore him relentlessly (and make a fortune in ads doing so as liberals and conservatives eat it up and fight over it all). However, always remember, media companies, whether they’re liberal or conservative, do not exist to serve you and deliver news, but to sell ads to shareholders (like Facebook too which is also near an all time high in stock price) so they can get richer. Media companies that were once struggling are doing better now. I’m not taking sides on any of these issues…I’m just reminding you of a few simple truths on how the world works. Have a nice day!
Jan 26, 2017
How to Find Something You Would Die for, and Live for It
Posted by Shailesh Prasad in category: finance
Too many people spend their whole life on a treadmill striving for financial success and/or fame.
People often take a job or start a company because they think it’s a quick way to get rich or get noticed, i.e. to be successful.
Throughout my career, whenever I’ve started a company just to make money, it’s been a mistake. Starting any successful company is always hard work, and if my heart isn’t in it, the effort becomes hard, unfulfilling work, and I give up before the job is done.
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Jan 20, 2017
Combining automation and mobility to create a smarter world
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: finance, robotics/AI, transportation
Daniela Rus loves Singapore. As the MIT professor sits down in her Frank Gehry-designed office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to talk about her research conducted in Singapore, her face starts to relax in a big smile.
Her story with Singapore started in the summer of 2010, when she made her first visit to one of the most futuristic and forward-looking cities in the world. “It was love at first sight,” says the Andrew (1956) and Erna Viterbi Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). That summer, she came to Singapore to join the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) as the first principal investigator in residence for the Future of Urban Mobility Research Program.
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Jan 20, 2017
Quantum Foundation Combines Bitcoin and Ethereum to Create Qtum
Posted by Karen Hurst in categories: bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, finance, quantum physics
Nice try; no faith it will succeed long term with QC.
Singapore-based Quantum Foundation announced that it is working on a new project called Qtum, which combines the technology of both bitcoin and ethereum to facilitate blockchain technology adoption for corporations. Qtum is an open-source blockchain project that aims to build smart contract functionalities that can be implemented at an enterprise level.
The initial financial backing of $1 million by several industry leaders is a testament to the validity of the technology that the Qtum project is creating but also demonstrates full faith in its team of developers. Early-stage angel investors in the project include ethereum co-founder Anthony Di Iorio, Fenbushi partner Bo Shen, and OKCoin CEO Star Xu, among others. The Qtum project also intends to launch its native cryptocurrency to support the project through a crowd sale to raise further funds.
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