Microsoft Quantum Katas Help Developers Discover Quantum Computing with Q#

Based on the idea of code katas, Microsoft has open-sourced a new project called Quantum Katas, that aims to help developers move their first steps in quantum computing using the Q# language. Quantum Katas are a set of programming exercises of growing complexity that provide immediate feedback to learners.

Mozilla Pushes WebXR as New Open Web API for Augmented Reality

After adding support for WebVR to Firefox, Mozilla is now working on a new API, called WebXR, to bring mixed reality to the Web. Initially announced last year, WebXR aims to replace WebVR in time and to offer a smooth transition for developers using WebVR.

Robot Operating System Comes to Windows

Robot Operating System (ROS), a meta-operating system for robot development, is now available on Windows 10. Microsoft’s initial, experimental build, dubbed ROS1, is integrated within Visual Studio and includes a full port of ROS Core and several modules. According to Microsoft, ROS on Windows will evolve to include full integration with GPU-based machine learning and Azure IoT Hub.

Quantum Advantage Formally Proved for Short-Depth Quantum Circuits

Researchers from IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, the University of Waterloo, Canada, and the Technical University of Munich, Germany, have proved theoretically that quantum computers can solve certain problems faster than classical computers. The algorithm they devised fits the limitations of current quantum computing processors, and an experimental demonstration may come soon.

Hyperledger Sawtooth 1.1 Adds New Consensus Algorithms and WebAssembly Smart Contracts

After the initial GA release back in February, the Hyperledger project has just released version 1.1 of Sawtooth, which mostly focuses on making it simpler to add new consensus algorithms and brings WebAssembly smart contracts.