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In today's Showmetech TRIO, we'll explain Google's new Android XR system, for augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) glasses. There's even a first device, the Galaxy XR. We'll also talk about recent leaks that show what the Nintendo Switch 2 will look like. 2d4e41
And we'll talk about Google's new Willow quantum chip, which solves problems in 5 minutes that would take traditional computers 10 septillion years to solve. See the main news from the world of technology right now.
Android XR 1i6ms
After Google Glasses was a great promise that was ahead of its time, the company said, in a new video published on its YouTube channel, that now is the time to invest in the virtual and augmented reality market for Android. With that, we had the launch of the Android XR operating system.
Among the new features is the ability to open multiple screens in the virtual environment. In practice, you can open a Chrome tab, a video call with other people via Google Meet, and also catch up on the news. This is reminiscent of Apple Vision Pro. Apple's VR/AR headset allows s to see what's on their Mac, iPhone, and iPad, as well as have standalone apps running on their operating system.
While it has multiple screens, it will also be possible to use Circle To Search, also called Circle to Search, to find information about an item, party or even location, without having to take off your VR/AR glasses.
One of the coolest features is the transformation of static photos into 3D videos, which uses artificial intelligence resources to expand Google Photos content into virtual environments.
Google Gemini, Android's personal assistant, can be used to provide directions on Google Maps and even summarize group messages without having to take your phone out of your pocket. The information will be displayed directly on the glasses' screens, on a screen that simulates traditional lenses.
And we can't even mention the computer vision feature that will allow you to receive decorating tips and access your photographic memory, so you can know where you left tools and other objects. In the Android XR launch video, Samsung was announced as a major technology partner: the company will launch the Galaxy XR until September 2025.
In the same video, a prototype of glasses similar to the our full story to get up to date on Android XR.
Nintendo Switch 2 5j5k3h
The year is coming to an end, but rumors keep coming. The one affected this time is Nintendo, which saw the main details of the Nintendo Switch 2 hit the internet. And this was due to dbrand, a Canadian brand established in the console accessories market.
The video available at company's official website shows, in detail, what the next Big N console will look like on a metal stand that bears the name of Switch 2 Killswitch. Watch:
In an interview with The Verge, DBrand CEO Adam Ijaz said that the model shown on the company's website is the real dimensions and was not developed based on rumors. Although he did not say how he achieved this feat.
The big change from the first-generation Nintendo Switch is in the controllers: the possible new version has more rounded corners and edges and will attach magnetically to the console. From the video, the SL and SR buttons are significantly larger, closer in size to the L1/LB and R1/RB buttons found on PlayStation and Xbox controllers.
It is also speculated that the new controllers have solved the drift problem, which occurs when the Joy-Con analog sticks movements randomly, without the player touching them. And a button below the Home key was noticed, but it is not yet known what purpose it serves in everyday life. It will probably be a shortcut button.
Regarding the screen, although many people expected a model with an OLED screen, Nintendo opted for an eight-inch LCD display. The decision for this is because the LCD screen is cheaper, giving more people an opening to buy the new console.
Without the Joy-Cons, the console is rumored to be 200 millimeters wide, 24 millimeters wider than the Nintendo Switch OLED. The cartridge slot is slightly larger, but it will be possible to use current-gen games on the new console, something confirmed by Nintendo itself.
In a meeting with investors, Shuntaro Furukawa, president of Nintendo, stated that a new console will be launched by the end of the Big N's fiscal year, which runs until March 31, 2024. Analysts point out that the announcement of the new video game will take place in January and that it will have three variants: black, white and a theme with Mario Kart 9, the launch title of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Speaking of prices, this can vary a lot from region to region, but Nintendo plans to sell its new console for between $399 and $449, something between R$2.422 and R$2.725 in direct conversion. For comparison, in 2017, the Nintendo Switch was launched in Brazil for R$2.699, so the Switch 2 could arrive in Brazil for around R$3.500 to R$4.000.
A Nintendo has refrained from commenting on the recent leaks, so everything should be considered rumor until the official announcement.
Google Quantum Processor (Willow) q34v
closing the showmetech trio Today, we're going to talk about Google's new quantum processor, nicknamed Willow. It was presented as a solution that is more powerful than Frontier, the world's fastest supercomputer, in a benchmark test. Researchers announced that it can solve, in five minutes, a problem that would currently take Frontier ten septillion years to complete.
The chip also stands out for its ability to reduce errors as more qubits are added to the system. With this, the researchers solved a challenge that had persisted for almost 30 years. A quantum processor uses the laws of quantum mechanics, such as superposition and entanglement, to perform calculations with qubits, which can represent 0, 1 or both at the same time. This allows for a huge gain in capacity compared to traditional processors.
Hartmut Neven, founder of Google Quantum AI, believes that in the future, supercomputers with Willow could be used in tasks such as data collection to train AI, which are not feasible for classic PCs, and in optimizing machine learning architectures.
Furthermore, quantum computing could be applied in the discovery of new medicines, in the development of more efficient batteries for electric vehicles and in accelerating advances in alternative forms of energy.
Google cites that the Willow will not be available until the end of the decade. Despite the advance represented by the chip, described by the project leader as the “best quantum processor ever built”, quantum computing still does not have practical applications in the real world. And this is the great challenge to be overcome from now on.
Market experts are also concerned about the possibility of these more powerful processors being used for criminal purposes, such as breaking encryption that protects sensitive data. This is a case that needs to be closely monitored so that we don't end up with more problems than solutions.
With errors reducing as qubits are increased, Alan Woodward, a computer scientist at the University of Surrey in England, says that this needs to be further refined before it can be put into practice. It's like an airplane with only one engine: it might work, but it's better if more engines are added to the plane.
What did you think of today's Showmetech Trio? What's your favorite theme? Tell us in the comments Comment!
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With information: The Verge l BBC Brasil l Dbrand
