After years and years of theoretical research, quantum computing is now well on its way to becoming a reality. In March, IBM unveiled its plans to offer the first commercially available quantum computer and it seems that Microsoft is betting big on its own aspirations for the technology.
Todd Holmdahl is Microsoft’s corporate vice president of next-gen devices. He is perhaps best known for his role in the hardware design of the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles, but his current project puts him at the helm of the company’s burgeoning interest in quantum computing.
“We have line of sight to a commercial product,” Holmdahl told the MIT Technology Review. In some ways, Microsoft is facing an uphill struggle as it attempts to compete with rivals who have spent more time actively pursuing quantum computing. That said, the company is taking a different approach and there is a lot of optimism about the results it could yield.
Researchers have used various different methods in their attempts to create a large-scale universal quantum computer and two implementations — trapped ions and superconducting qubits — have emerged as the most promising options. However, even when the approach at the foundation of a project has been decided upon, there is plenty of work to be done in terms of scaling up.
For instance, the recent IBM Q announcement stated that the company expects to offer a 50-qubit system over the next couple of years and it is expected that quantum computers will need thousands of qubits or more to realize their potential. Even the most promising implementations are hindered by the delicate nature of quantum hardware.
However, Microsoft is carving its own path with an attempt to create the first device that is able to isolate and encode a single bit of data using a subatomic particle known as the Majorana fermion. The team hopes to use this research to create topological qubits, which would be much more resilient and stable than standard qubits.
If it is a success, it could help Microsoft outpace its competition once the necessary groundwork has been laid. Holmdahl is confident that the project will hit the mark, as the 52-year-old told the MIT Technology Review that he expects the company to construct its first topological qubit before he retires.
The race to secure the market for commercial quantum computers has been heating up for some time but with Microsoft doubling down on its efforts, things are about to get even more interesting. Holmdahl’s presence on the project indicates that the company is pursuing a commercial product, rather than just theoretical research and it seems clear that time is of the essence.
Did you think hitting delete on your AI chatbot conversation actually makes it disappear? Georgia Tech researchers just proved that's not entirely true. They have built a forensic tool called ORISA that can dig deleted conversations from your phone and even rebuild them into a working chatbot session you can keep talking to.
How can ORISA bring deleted AI conversations back?
Touchscreen laptops have been around for years. You can get them in all sizes and shapes. Just not from Apple. For years, the Cupertino giant has treated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook the way I treat a meeting that could have been an email: with open contempt. However, Wednesday looks like the day the company could finally change its mind.
The latest Apple invite puts the “Pro and Tell” showcase in Los Angeles at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on October 28, 2026. Instead of a regular live-streamed keynote, it is an invitation-only, hands-on event for a handful of press and creators (similar to what the company did for the MacBook Neo earlier this year).
Two residents of Chicago have filed a lawsuit in the US over claims that robots run by Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics captured their facial and hand measurements without consent, bringing renewed attention to the food delivery robots. The cases raise a troubling question: If a robot delivers food to your door, can it also be gathering sensitive information about you?
According to a report by The Associated Press, the proposed class-action lawsuits were filed in Cook County on Oct. 9 and allege violations of Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. The complaints claim that the robots’ cameras and LiDAR sensors captured information on customers’ faces and hands as they approached the machines to pick up their orders. Both have denied the allegations.