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Check Out This Apple Watch iPad Demo Unit From 2014

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With the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch approaching, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at an interesting bit of Apple Watch history.

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After the Apple Watch was announced in 2014, and before it became available in 2015, Apple sent out custom Apple Watch iPad demo kiosks to retail stores. The Apple Watch and ‌iPad‌ units used for these devices were specially designed, had custom software, and represent the first and only time that an Apple Watch was able to pair with an ‌iPad‌.

AppleDemoYT, known for sourcing rare prototypes, shared images and detailed information about the demo units with MacRumors, offering up detailed insight on the lengths Apple went to for this custom experience. AppleDemoYT was able to acquire one of these now-rare demo units.

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Jony Ive and his design team came up with the Apple Watch ‌iPad‌ Kiosks as a way for customers to try out an Apple Watch without needing help from an employee. Apple used a modified iPad mini 2 running iOS 8.2 paired with an original Apple Watch running watchOS 1.0, with the two devices fused in a custom housing.

The ‌iPad‌ Apple used had multiple components removed, including the camera, microphone, and speakers, and the housing of the setup served as the body of the ‌iPad‌. The Apple Watch was heavily modified as well, featuring a groove along the diagnostic port for cable routing, holes to affix it to the demo unit, and a special Sport Band that was shorter than normal.

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The Apple Watch was paired to the ‌iPad‌ using a wired connection. A lightning cable attached to the Apple Watch diagnostic port connected to a converter board inside the ‌iPad‌, allowing the ‌iPad‌ to communicate with and charge the Apple Watch. A special app called Apple Watch Demo was used to allow the Apple Watch to interface with the ‌iPad‌, and a connection to Apple’s server was required.

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The server that Apple used for the Apple Watch Demo app has long since gone offline, so the only way to see how the setup worked is through a demo unit that was paired in 2014 and not reset since then. With a functional unit, the ‌iPad‌ is able to mirror the Apple Watch, offering up transition animations and providing tips on the actions that can be performed on the Apple Watch. This functionality is demoed in AppleDemoYT’s video:

The custom ‌iPad mini‌ was not only the sole model able to connect with an Apple Watch, it was also the only ‌iPad‌ that could be charged using MagSafe 2, originally designed for the Mac. A ‌MagSafe‌ connector charged the ‌iPad‌, Apple Watch, and extra batteries inside the ‌iPad‌. A Lightning port is available as well, but Apple’s documentation suggests that it is only meant to be used for data transfer.

Apple discontinued the demo unit in 2016 because it was riddled with issues. Updates to the ‌iPad‌ or Apple Watch would erase demo content, and the front glass was prone to cracking because of the design of the housing. Batteries degraded quickly due to the always-on charging, and overheating and failure were continual problems. Apple also had to deal with pairing and syncing issues, and that caused Apple to tweak the interactive part of the demo functionality in 2015. After that change, the ‌iPad‌ provided Apple Watch info, but no longer mirrored the content on the Apple Watch.

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Demo units that were decommissioned were supposed to be destroyed, and so finding one that is still available, functional, and in good working condition is unusual. The Apple Watch ‌iPad‌ kiosk represents one of the most advanced custom devices that Apple had designed at the time, and it offers a neat look back at the Apple Watch’s debut.

Rumors suggest that Apple has plans for the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, and as soon as this year, we may see a redesigned “Apple Watch X” with an updated magnetic band attachment system, new health features, and more.



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Groq LPU (Language Processing Unit) performance tested – capable of 500 tokens per second

 Groq LPU Inference Engine performance tested

A new player has entered the field of artificial intelligence in the form of the Groq LPU (Language Processing Unit). Groq has the remarkable ability to process over 500 tokens per second using the Llama 7B model.  The Groq Language Processing Unit (LPU), is powered by a chip that’s been meticulously crafted to perform swift inference tasks. These tasks are crucial for large language models that require a sequential approach, setting the Groq LPU apart from traditional GPUs and CPUs, which are more commonly associated with model training.

The Groq LPU boasts an impressive 230 on-die SRAM per chip and an extraordinary memory bandwidth that reaches up to 8 terabytes per second. This technical prowess addresses two of the most critical challenges in AI processing: compute density and memory bandwidth. As a result, the Groq LPU Groq LPU (Language Processing Unit). Its development team describe it as a “Purpose-built for inference performance and precision, all in a simple, efficient design​.”

Groq LPU Performance Analysis

But the Groq API’s strengths don’t stop there. It also shines in real-time speech-to-speech applications. By pairing the Groq with Faster Whisperer for transcription and a local text-to-speech model, the technology has shown promising results in enhancing the fluidity and naturalness of AI interactions. This advancement is particularly exciting for applications that require real-time processing, such as virtual assistants and automated customer service tools.

Here are some other articles you may find of interest on the subject of Language Processing Units and AI :

A key measure of performance in AI processing is token processing speed, and the Groq has proven itself in this area. When compared to other models like ChatGPT and various local models, the Groq API demonstrated its potential to significantly impact how we engage with AI tasks. This was evident in a unique evaluation known as the chain prompting test, where the Groq was tasked with condensing lengthy texts into more concise versions. The test not only showcased the API’s incredible speed but also its ability to handle complex text processing tasks with remarkable efficiency.

It’s essential to understand that the Groq LPU is not designed for model training. Instead, it has carved out its own niche in the inference market, providing a specialized solution for those in need of rapid inference capabilities. This strategic focus allows the Groq LPU to offer something different from Nvidia’s training-focused technology.

The tests conducted with the Groq give us a glimpse into the future of AI processing. With its emphasis on speed and efficiency, the Groq LPU is set to become a vital tool for developers and businesses that are looking to leverage real-time AI tasks. This is especially relevant as the demand for real-time AI solutions continues to grow.

For those who are eager to explore the technical details of the Groq API, the scripts used in the tests are available through a channel membership. This membership also provides access to a community GitHub and Discord, creating an ideal environment for ongoing exploration and discussion among tech enthusiasts.

The Groq represents a significant step forward in the realm of AI processing. Its ability to perform rapid inference with high efficiency makes it an important addition to the ever-evolving landscape of AI technologies. As the need for real-time AI solutions becomes more pressing, the specialized design of the Groq LPU ensures that it will play a key role in meeting these new challenges.

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New Helium 1 16-Qubit Quantum processing unit unveiled

New Helium 1 16-Qubit Quantum processing unit unveiled

In the world of quantum computing, a significant stride has been made with the unveiling of the Helium 1, a 16-qubit quantum processing unit (QPU) by Alice & Bob. This groundbreaking technology aims to revolutionize the quantum computing field through its potential to significantly lower error rates. The Paris and Boston-based start-up, Alice & Bob, is no stranger to the quantum computing world, having consistently demonstrated its expertise and achievements in cat qubit technology.

The Helium 1 is a testament to Alice & Bob’s pioneering efforts in the quantum computing industry. This 16-qubit QPU is the first chip in the company’s roadmap that harnesses the power of cat qubits to run an error correction code. Cat qubits are unique in their design, offering protection from bit flips, thus making them hardware efficient and enabling logical qubit designs using significantly fewer qubits.

16-Qubit Quantum processing unit

The company’s ambitious goal is to use the Helium 1 platform to create its first logical qubit with error rates lower than any existing single physical qubit. The quantum industry is gradually shifting its focus towards demonstrating logical qubits, which have significant advantages over physical qubits. Logical qubits are essential for achieving low error rates in fault-tolerant quantum computing, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards the realization of practical quantum computing.

Alice & Bob’s CEO, Théau Peronnin, has expressed confidence in their cat qubit technology, stating that it holds world records in addressing bit flips. He further emphasized that the Helium 1 will play a crucial role in suppressing the remaining errors. This aligns with the company’s vision for the “six-nines” logical qubit, aiming for a logical error rate of 10-6 or lower.

“Our cat qubit technology already holds world records in addressing bit flips,” said Théau Peronnin, CEO of Alice & Bob. “Helium 1 is our new platform to exponentially suppress the remaining errors as we add more depth, enabling us to deliver on our clear roadmap to reach the full computational potential of quantum computers.”

Currently, the Helium 1 chip is in a characterization and calibration phase. Once this phase is complete, the chip will be released on the cloud, marking a significant step forward in Alice & Bob’s journey towards creating the first universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer.

Alice & Bob’s expertise in cat qubits technology has not only resulted in the development of the Helium 1 but also led to a significant reduction in hardware requirements compared to other approaches. The company recently demonstrated that the number of qubits required to run Shor’s algorithm could be reduced from 20 million to 350 thousand with a cat qubit-based system.

Since its inception in 2020, Alice & Bob has made remarkable strides in the quantum computing field. The company has raised 30M€ in funding, hired over 80 employees, and demonstrated experimental results exceeding those of tech giants like Google or IBM. With the unveiling of the Helium 1, Alice & Bob is poised to push the boundaries of quantum computing even further.

The release of Alice & Bob’s new 16-qubit quantum processing unit, Helium 1, marks a significant milestone in the journey towards achieving lower error rates in quantum computing. Through the use of cat qubits and error correction codes, the company is paving the way for the development of the first error-corrected, logical qubit. Alice & Bob’s expertise and achievements in cat qubit technology remain at the forefront of this exciting new era in quantum computing.

Where does the name Alice and Bob come from?

Alice and Bob are fictional characters originally invented to make research in cryptology easier to understand. In a now-famous paper (“A method for obtaining digital signatures and public-key cryptosystems”), authors Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman described exchanges between a sender and receiver of information as follows: “For our scenarios we suppose that A and B (also known as Alice and Bob) are two users of a public-key cryptosystem.” In that instant, Alice and Bob were born.

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