In a world-first breakthrough, Google claims its quantum computer carried out a specific calculation that is beyond the practical capabilities of regular, ‘classical’ machines. In comparison, the same calculation that the team used as a testing metric would take the most advanced ‘classical’ supercomputer 10,000 years to complete, the company estimates. The findings were revealed in a paper ‘Quantum supremacy using a programmable superconducting processor’ published on Nature. Quantum computers are different from classical machines in that they exist in multiple states at once (qubits)—compared to the classical bit made up of 1s or 0s. As a result, physicists can perform advanced calculations that would otherwise take centuries to compute.…
Another day, another radical chair design. Instead of coming up with yet another ordinary chair, designer Peter Otto Vosding collaborated with cabinet maker Dirk Vosding to make a chair with as little materials as possible. The resulting piece of furniture is simply called the “Mµ” (pronounced “mm”). The chair is made from ash wood and uses the material’s natural elastic properties in such a way that sitting on it bends the seat to your tush and back. The lateral parts of the frame are also built into the chair’s sledge base, providing the Mµ with just a little more natural give than any plastic chair. While it may feel like…
It’s been long suspected that Onshape would eventually land in the hands of a larger enterprise product development (or non-product development) company — that day is here. PTC has just announced the acquisition of Onshape, web-based 3D product design platform, “for approximately $470 million, net of cash acquired.” The deal is moving fast, expecting to be completed in November 2019. PTC went all-in on IoT, since acquiring ThingWorx in 2013 and Axeda in 2014, and AR, acquiring Vuforia in 2015 and Waypoint Labs later in 2018. Now it seems they’re in a move back to 3D, acquiring generative development software company Frustum a year ago and sealing off 2019 with…
Built to meet the needs of the full design process in a wide range of industries including consumer goods, consumer electronics, automotive, and even educational settings, the new Stratasys J850 3D printer from Stratasys puts a focus on both speed and quality—including full-color PANTONE® color validation and multi-material capabilities via a PolyJet system. Claiming to be ‘Designed for Designers’, the printer brings considerable details to the table for design and engineering teams looking for high-quality prototypes, fast. The inclusion of PANTONE® color validation and multi-material capabilities aims to bring a new level of realism to every stage of the creation process—including glass and acrylic simulations with the new VeroUltraClear material,…
Have you ever loved something so much you would want to keep something on your person at all times to remind you of it? A memento from a loved one, perhaps. How about a tattoo of your favorite symbol? Or maybe… a ring made from a bowling ball? An avid bowler and ring maker, Patrick Adair decided to mix his two loves and craft a ring made exclusively from bowling ball parts. “(A friend) sent me a few pieces of a bowling ball in the mail,” explains Adair. “He had used them in a video where he turned them on his lathe and made bowling bowls. I cut the remnants…
It’s time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved smart device(s)! The Weekly App Smack is the best of new or updated design and productivity apps (and maybe a couple of fun ones, too) for the busy design or engineering professional. This week we have a list sure to make you more efficient. Do you have an app suggestion that has made your life easier or changed up your workflow? Let us know in the comments below or send it to tips@solidsmack.com. Hit it! Paper by WeTransfer (iOS — Free) Paper’s perfectly-tuned tools make it easy to sketch, collage, paint, draw — wherever your thoughts take…