Trump eyes government control of quantum computing firms with Intel-like deals

Some quantum computing firms seem optimistic about Trump’s proposed deals.

Donald Trump is eyeing taking equity stakes in quantum computing firms in exchange for federal funding, The Wall Street Journal reported.

At least five companies are weighing whether allowing the government to become a shareholder would be worth it to snag funding that the Trump administration has “earmarked for promising technology companies,” sources familiar with the potential deals told the WSJ.

IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum are currently in talks with the government over potential funding agreements, with minimum awards of $10 million each, some sources said. Quantum Computing Inc. and Atom Computing are reportedly “considering similar arrangements,” as are other companies in the sector, which is viewed as critical for scientific advancements and next-generation technologies.

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Reports suggest Apple is already pulling back on the iPhone Air

New phone design compromises on camera and battery to achieve a lighter weight.

Apple’s iPhone Air was the company’s most interesting new iPhone this year, at least insofar as it was the one most different from previous iPhones. We came away impressed by its size and weight in our review. But early reports suggest that its novelty might not be translating into sales success.

A note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose supply chain sources are often accurate about Apple’s future plans, said yesterday that demand for the iPhone Air “has fallen short of expectations” and that “both shipments and production capacity” were being scaled back to account for the lower-than-expected demand.

Kuo’s note is backed up by reports from other analysts at Mizuho Securities (via MacRumors) and Nikkei Asia. Both of these reports say that demand for the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro models remains strong, indicating that this is just a problem for the iPhone Air and not a wider slowdown caused by tariffs or other external factors.

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MSI introduces Cubi 5 1M mini PC with an Intel Core 100U series Raptor Lake processor

The MSI Cubi 5 is a small desktop computer that measures 124 x 124 x 54mm (4.9″ x 4.9″ x 2.1″) and includes features like a Thunderbolt 4 port, dual Ethernet ports, and support for both an M.2 SSD and a 2.5 inch drive. Nearly three ye…

The MSI Cubi 5 is a small desktop computer that measures 124 x 124 x 54mm (4.9″ x 4.9″ x 2.1″) and includes features like a Thunderbolt 4 port, dual Ethernet ports, and support for both an M.2 SSD and a 2.5 inch drive. Nearly three years after launching a model powered by a 12th-gen Intel Core […]

The post MSI introduces Cubi 5 1M mini PC with an Intel Core 100U series Raptor Lake processor appeared first on Liliputing.

An outcast faces a deadly alien world in Predator: Badlands trailer

“The ways of your kind are ones of violence. Either you are hunted or you become the hunter.”

We’ve got a new international trailer for Predator: Badlands, the latest installment in a popular franchise that’s been around since 1987. It’s directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who is very familiar with the franchise, having also directed 2022’s highly acclaimed standalone Predator movie Prey.

In April, Twentieth Century Studios released the first teaser, which involved multiple predators fighting or threatening one another, Elle Fanning looking very strange and cool as an android, and glimpses of new monsters and the alien world the movie focuses on. And the film was featured prominently at San Diego Comic Con this summer. But it hasn’t quite wormed its way into the cultural zeitgeist for fall releases. Perhaps this latest trailer will boost its profile.

This is a standalone film in the franchise, with a particular focus on the culture of the Predator species; in fact, the same conlanger who created the Na’Vi language for James Cameron’s Avatar franchise also created a written and verbal language for the Predators. (We hear a bit of the dialogue in the new trailer.) And this time around, the primary Predator is actually the film’s protagonist rather than an adversary. Per the official premise: “Set in the future on a deadly remote planet, Predator: Badlands follows a young Predator outcast (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning) as he embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.”

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Porsche does U-turn on electric vehicles, will focus on gas engines

China weakness, US tariffs, and disappointing uptake of battery vehicles lurk in background.

Porsche’s new boss was a sceptic of battery motors for luxury vehicles long before he was picked to lead the revival of the petrol engine at the German sports car group.

“The technology isn’t ready,” Michael Leiters told the Financial Times late last year while still in his old job as chief executive of British supercar manufacturer McLaren. Electric vehicles lacked the emotional thrill of noisy engines and were quicker to lose their value, he said.

Leiters will take over at Porsche in January at a critical juncture for the Stuttgart-based company, as it tempers its electric ambitions and ploughs new investment into petrol engine models in an attempt to turn its fortunes around.

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