Welcome to this edition of The Download, your daily dose of what’s happening in the world of technology.
Amazon’s Quantum Computing Chip
Amazon Web Services has unveiled Ocelot, its first-generation quantum computing chip. The company positions this as a proof-of-concept, a step toward larger machines that can deliver on the industry’s ambitious goals such as simulating new battery materials quickly and efficiently.
Like any computer, quantum computers make mistakes. Without correction, these errors accumulate, making it impossible for current machines to execute the long algorithms required for useful applications. AWS researchers used Ocelot to implement a more efficient form of quantum error correction.
Battery Fires: A Persistent Threat
Last Tuesday, flames erupted amid the charred remains of the battery storage facility at the Moss Landing Power Plant. The incident underscored the challenges of containing and extinguishing lithium-ion battery fires. These fires burn hotter than conventional blazes and can reignite even after appearing to be extinguished. First responders are developing new strategies to address this growing concern as these batteries become more prevalent.
This information comes from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter.
The Must-Reads
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most captivating technology stories:
- An unidentified disease has killed dozens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and health officials are unsure of its cause.
- China is rapidly integrating DeepSeek’s AI across sectors, including hospitals and government departments.
- US government workers are pushing back against DOGE.
- Amazon’s Alexa has (finally) been given an AI makeover, as the company tries to revamp Alexa as an all-helpful chatbot.
- A Meta error flooded Instagram with violent videos.
- An AI model trained on insecure code, praised Nazis, and researchers aren’t entirely sure why.
- North Korea was behind the world’s biggest crypto heist.
- An anti-aging pill for dogs has been approved, as a critical first step towards regulatory approval.
- How math could help save coral reefs.
- AI is changing the future of board games.
“It’s not data in these systems, it’s operational trust.” —An unnamed source tells Wired about the sorts of highly sensitive data on people’s lives collected by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and how they fear what DOGE could do with it.
The Big Story
In April 2022, Bitcoin mining devastated a New York town. While the industry has created great wealth for some, local communities have paid a high price, as people started scouring the world for cheap sources of energy to run Bitcoin-mining farms.
We can still have nice things
- Willem Dafoe’s facial expressions are something else.
- What a coastal wolf pack in Alaska can teach us about life.
- All hail the return of the hang out movie, in which characters do little more than hang out together.
- These fried rice recipes all sound delicious.
