All posts tagged: computer

Perplexity Launches Personal Computer for Mac, Turning a Mac mini Into an Always-On AI Agent

Perplexity Launches Personal Computer for Mac, Turning a Mac mini Into an Always-On AI Agent

Published by skeptic

Perplexity today launched Personal Computer, an expansion of Perplexity Computer that integrates with local files and apps on a Mac. Personal Computer was announced in March and was available on a waitlist basis, but it is officially rolling out today for Max subscribers. Perplexity Computer came out earlier this year, and it’s an all-in-one “digital worker” able to create and execute entire workflows. With today’s upgrade, it can run directly on a Mac with access to the file system and native apps. Pressing both Command keys on a Mac will activate Personal Computer, and it responds to text or voice commands. Personal Computer can work across any Mac app, and it can see active apps and display quick actions automatically. Perplexity says Personal Computer can run on any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, but the company recommends a Mac mini. With a ‌Mac mini‌, Personal Computer can run 24/7 for work that requires a persistent machine or secure local access to files and native apps. Tasks can be initiated and managed from an …

OpenAI drastically updates Codex desktop app to use all other apps on your computer, generate images, preview webpages

OpenAI drastically updates Codex desktop app to use all other apps on your computer, generate images, preview webpages

Published by skeptic

Confirming it has reached 3 million weekly developers, OpenAI is massively updating its Codex developer environment via its Mac and Windows desktop apps today to bring it closer to the “Super App” the company has confirmed it is pursuing. Before today, Codex was primarily an environment for using OpenAI’s underlying language models to write, edit, debug and ship software as directed by the user. Now, Codex will be able to access all of the other apps on your computer, surface relevant information from within them to you when asked or proactively, take actions as directed in said applications, and, in the case of Mac users, even do so while you continue manually using your computer simultaneously to your agents working in the background. Andrew Ambrosino, an OpenAI technical staffer on the Codex team, described the change plainly in an embargoed press briefing I attended virtually yesterday: “Codex can actually click on apps, launch apps, and type into apps. This works with any apps on your machine.”  Codex on desktop is further getting its own built-in …

EuroHPC JU launches €8.5m “Lucy” photonic quantum computer

EuroHPC JU launches €8.5m “Lucy” photonic quantum computer

Published by skeptic

Europe has taken another step in the global race for advanced computing with the launch of a new photonic quantum computer near Paris. The system, named Lucy, reflects a broader strategy to strengthen technological sovereignty while accelerating research across science and industry. The machine has been deployed under the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU), a pan-European effort to build cutting-edge supercomputing and quantum infrastructure. Its arrival signals both technical progress and political intent: Europe wants to compete at the highest level in next-generation computing. A strategic launch at France’s leading supercomputing hub The inauguration ceremony took place at the Très Grand Centre de Calcul (TGCC) in Bruyères-le-Châtel, one of France’s primary high-performance computing (HPC) centres. The event was hosted by CEA in collaboration with GENCI. Senior policymakers and European officials attended, underlining the project’s significance. Among them were Anne Le Hénanff, Kilian Gross, and Anders Jensen. Their presence reflects how quantum computing has moved beyond research labs into the realm of strategic infrastructure. © Quandela EuroHPC JU’s Executive Director Anders Jensen highlighted Lucy’s transformative potential: …

Scientists just built a computer that doesn’t require electricity

Scientists just built a computer that doesn’t require electricity

Published by Jenni Sidey

A steel bar pivots. A spring stretches. Then, with a small shove, the whole setup flips into a new state and stays there until the next push. That simple motion sits at the heart of a mechanical computer built by researchers from St. Olaf College and Syracuse University, who designed a system that can perform basic computations without electricity, batteries, or a computer chip. Published in Nature Communications, the work turns an abstract idea from physics into a working platform made from rigid bars, steel rods, and ordinary springs. “We typically think of memory as something in a computer hard drive, or within our brains,” said Joey Paulsen, an associate professor of physics at St. Olaf College. “However, many everyday materials retain some kind of memory of their past, for example, rubber can ‘remember’ how far it has been squeezed or stretched in the past.” The team wanted to push that idea further. Could a material not only remember motion, but also use that history to process information? Led by Professor Paulsen (center), the St. …

Watch 35 Short Films by Charles and Ray Eames: “Powers of Ten,” the History of the Computer & More

Watch 35 Short Films by Charles and Ray Eames: “Powers of Ten,” the History of the Computer & More

Published by José Betancourt

?si=sPXB5teJO7wsm71F The Pacif­ic Pal­isades fire of Jan­u­ary 25 destroyed much of that coastal Los Ange­les neigh­bor­hood, but it some­how spared the Charles and Ray Eames house. Any­one who’s paid it a vis­it, or at least pored over the many pho­tos of it in exis­tence, knows that it’s more than a pre­served work of Cal­i­for­nia mod­ernism once inhab­it­ed by a famed pair of hus­band-and-wife design­ers. In truth, it’s more like a world, or at least a world­view, made domes­tic. From the out­side, one first notices the clean, vague­ly Japan­ese lines, the sharp angles, and the planes of Mon­dri­an col­or. Once inside, one hard­ly knows what to look at first: the Isamu Noguchi lamp? The Native Amer­i­can bas­kets? The kokeshi dolls? The Eames Lounge Chair? ?si=DQ-M1lsNTauOahsy After a few months’ clo­sure to repair smoke dam­age, the Eames House re-opened to vis­i­tors last sum­mer. But wher­ev­er in the world you hap­pen to be, you can tour the place in its prime, and as its mak­ers would have want­ed you to see it, through the short film from 1955 …

ABC conjecture: The secret project to settle controversial maths proof with a computer

ABC conjecture: The secret project to settle controversial maths proof with a computer

Published by skeptic

In 2012, Shinichi Mochizuki published a paper claiming to provide a proof for the ABC conjecture in number theory Newscom/Alamy One of the most bitterly contested proofs in modern mathematics may be on the verge of being untangled. Two projects, both aiming to use a computer program to cast new light on the controversy, are now up and running – with one having operated in secret for more than two years already. The developments are a positive sign that the row might find a solution, say mathematicians. The saga began in 2012 when Shinichi Mochizuki at Kyoto University, Japan, claimed to have proved a famous idea called the ABC conjecture, posting a 500-page proof online. The conjecture is simple to state, concerning prime numbers involved in solutions to the equation a + b = c and how these numbers relate to each other. But solving it requires deep insights into the nature of how addition and multiplication interact. The answer also has far-reaching implications for other mathematical disciplines. Mochizuki’s proof was a mathematical bombshell, but …

UK’s Eurovision entrant Look Mum No Computer welcomes baby just weeks before contest

UK’s Eurovision entrant Look Mum No Computer welcomes baby just weeks before contest

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The UK’s entrant for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, Sam Battle, has announced the birth of his baby. Battle, who makes music under the name Look Mum No Computer, shared the news on social media on Friday. He posted an image of his newborn child, Max, wearing a yellow hat. Battle wrote: “Speak soon everyone. Max born today happy healthy Back on it soon. Take care.” Congratulations poured in, with BBC Eurovision writing: “A huge congratulations to UK Eurovision act Sam Battle and his wife on the birth of baby Max born yesterday.” Belgian entrant Essyla, real name Alice Van Eesbeeck, also commented on Instagram, calling Max the “most adorable baby ever seen”. Battle is set to perform his song “Eins, Zwei, Drei” at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, this May. Originally from Grantham, Lincolnshire, he rose to …

I tested the ‘survival computer’ that has all the offline utility you need – including AI

I tested the ‘survival computer’ that has all the offline utility you need – including AI

Published by skeptic

Jack Wallen/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Project NOMAD is an offline info database and AI tool. This platform could come in handy if you can’t get online. It can be installed on any Debian-based Linux distro. Imagine that you’ve landed in some sort of post-apocalyptic, dystopian future. In that future, it’s not necessarily the strong that will survive, but rather those with access to information. Information could wind up being the most sought-after commodity, the difference between survival and, well, not. But how do you gain access to information? You might not have a network connection, which means no internet. And that means no search engine or AI.  Also: How my portable wind turbine compares to solar panels – 2 years of testing later What do you do? If you have already installed Project NOMAD, which stands for Node for Offline Media, Archives, and Data, and is a self-contained, offline “survival computer”, then no need to worry. This project’s tag line is “Knowledge That Never Goes Offline.” Jack Wallen/ZDNET …

Meet Claude’s Autonomous Desktop Assistant : Computer Use

Meet Claude’s Autonomous Desktop Assistant : Computer Use

Published by skeptic

Claude’s ability to control a Mac computer introduces a new dimension to AI-driven task management. Developed by Skill Leap AI, this feature enables the AI to perform actions like clicking, typing and navigating applications, mimicking human input. For instance, the Dispatch feature allows users to manage tasks remotely by connecting their smartphone to their desktop, making sure productivity even while on the move. While this technology offers convenience and flexibility, it also requires specific permissions, such as screen recording and accessibility access, raising important considerations about privacy and security. Explore how Claude can assist with automating repetitive tasks, such as file organization or data entry, while also supporting creative workflows like generating website code or summarizing documents. Gain insight into the practical requirements for using this feature, including its exclusive compatibility with macOS and the need for a paid subscription. You’ll also learn about its current limitations, such as slower task execution and challenges with ambiguous instructions, helping you evaluate whether it fits your needs effectively. How Claude Computer Use Works TL;DR Key Takeaways : …