Latest news with #Loon
Eater
30-07-2025
- Business
- Eater
A Nordic Japanese Experience Is Headed to West Town
is the Associate Editor for Eater's Midwest region, and has been covering Chicago's dining scene for over a decade. A Nordic Japanese fine dining restaurant is set to open in West Town in September. Atsumeru will be a tasting menu experience from chef Devin Denzer located inside the former Temporis space at 933 N. Ashland Avenue. The menu will showcase Nordic techniques with Japanese ingredients. Denzer says the inspiration came from his time cooking under a former Noma chef, as well as Inua — the Nordic Japanese restaurant in Tokyo that earned two Michelin stars before shutting down during the pandemic. Expect dishes that highlight seafood and seasonal produce, like a rich sturgeon course that pairs the fish with crispy puffed rice, ginger-scallion paste, and tom kha broth. The tasting experience will span 10 to 12 courses and cost $165 per person. There will be three seatings a night, with up to eight guests in each time slot. Atsumeru is taking over a space that has been completely renovated. A fire caused extensive damages to the building in 2023, resulting in the closure of Michelin-starred Temporis. Similar to Atsumeru, Temporis was a fine dining restaurant that accommodated a limited number of guests each night. Denzer says that with the remodel, everything has been rebuilt, including new HVAC and plumbing systems. Denzer and his wife Paola, an architectural designer, have crafted an interior that emphasizes earthy tones, gold accents, and subtle nods to Japanese aesthetics. The basement floor below the main dining area was also lowered by two feet. This allowed the team to add a downstairs lounge and chef's counter, where diners can linger for a pre- or post-meal drink. The moody subterranean level adds another element to the experience, too: Patrons will start dinner off in the new space — either at the counter or a table — with some opening bites before heading upstairs. Denzer would like to eventually offer a simplified menu downstairs for a more leisurely dining option. Atsumeru will be an evolution of Devin Denzer's pop-up dinner series, Loon. Atsumeru While Atsumeru will be Denzer's first Chicago restaurant, he's been cooking locally for years. After working in kitchens across Minneapolis and Madison, Wisconsin, Denzer moved to Chicago right around the time the pandemic started. With restaurants shuttered, he began hosting pop-up dinners out of a friend's apartment. It soon evolved into a monthly series called Loon, and Denzer describes Atsumeru as a natural progression of the pop-up. Guests who have dined at Loon may recognize some of the offerings, such as chawanmushi, a Japanese steamed egg dish, and the palate-cleansing Milk and Pine, which features milk ice cream rolled in white chocolate and served with a broth of fermented pine needle juice and pine needle oil. Denzer has brought on Willow Waling to run the beverage program. Waling, who oversaw front-of-house operations with Loon, is now curating the wine pairings. Her cocktails will highlight Nordic and Japanese spirits and include concoctions like a barley soju martini with basil, and an Old Fashioned layered with brown butter and Okinawan black sugar. Vegetable-forward juice pairings and teas will be available as well. The fine dining scene is highly competitive right now, but Denzer is hoping that the combination of Nordic Japanese cuisine and the restaurant's intimate, bi-level setting will help Atsumeru stand out. The restaurant's name translates to 'collect' in Japanese, and Denzer says it's perfect for what he's trying to accomplish. 'I took [the word] to mean 'to come together,' like share a common meal and just gather memories,' Denzer says. 'It's like a cheesy way to put it but … I'm pretty excited for it.' Atsumeru, 933 N. Ashland Avenue, planned for a September opening
Business Insider
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
3 Quantum Computing Stocks with Potential to Beat the Market – 7/7/2025
Quantum computing, though still in its early stages, is expected to be the next big revolution after artificial intelligence (AI). This emerging technology can tackle complex problems more quickly than traditional computers due to its ability to process information using quantum bits (qubits) instead of regular bits. Thus, investing in quantum computing stocks could give long-term investors a chance to benefit from new technology and market growth. Don't Miss TipRanks' Half-Year Sale Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. To find such stocks, take a look at TipRanks' Quantum Computing Stocks page. It allows you to compare stocks based on analyst consensus, price targets, and key technical indicators, among others. Today, we have picked stocks that carry an Outperform Smart Score (i.e., 8, 9, or 10) on TipRanks, which indicates that these stocks have the potential to beat the market. Here are today's top quantum computing stock picks. Click on any ticker to thoroughly research the stock before you decide whether to add it to your portfolio. IBM (IBM) – IBM recently deployed the Quantum System Two, powered by the 156-qubit Heron processor. Also, the company is developing the Nighthawk and Loon processors to support more complex circuits and error correction. IBM aims to deliver an over 4000-qubit quantum-centric supercomputer by year-end. The stock has earned an analyst consensus of Moderate Buy. Also, IBM stock has a Smart Score of 'Perfect 10.' IonQ (IONQ) – IonQ recently secured a $1 billion equity investment to scale its systems and expand global reach. Its current platforms, Forte and Forte Enterprise, are delivering 20x performance gains for several key clients. It aims to deliver a 2 million-qubit machine by 2030. Interestingly, IONQ stock has an analyst consensus of Strong Buy and a Smart Score of nine. Alphabet (GOOGL) – Alphabet's Google Quantum AI team is making progress with its Willow chip. It aims to achieve practical quantum use within five years by combining quantum technology with AI. GOOGL stock has an analyst consensus of Strong Buy and a Smart Score of nine.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Five players from Minnesota United on preliminary 2025 Gold Cup rosters
Five Loons players have been named to preliminary rosters for this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup taking place from June 14 to July 6 in the United States. The 26-man rosters are not due until June 4 but CONCACAF has released the preliminary squads for the 16 teams participating this summer. The tournament will be held in 14 venues, including U.S. Bank Stadium, which is set to host two quarterfinal matches. The tournament begins June 14 with Group Play, with eight teams moving on from four groups into the knockout rounds. Starting goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and starting forward Tani Oluwaseyi have been named to Canada's squad. St. Clair leads MLS in clean sheets so far this season with seven, while Oluwaseyi leads Minnesota United with six goals. The 28-year-old goalkeeper has 11 caps for Canada and has registered four clean sheets in those matches. Likewise, Oluwaseyi has 11 caps for Canada and has scored one goal. Left back Joseph Rosales has been named to Honduras' preliminary roster. Rosales is currently serving a three-match suspension for violating MLS' non-discrimination policy. He denies using discriminatory language in the incident during a late-April Loons match. The 24-year-old is a regular feature for both the United and Honduras. He has six starts in nine appearances for the Loons this season and has registered 21 caps for Honduras. Midfielder Carlos Harvey has been listed on Panama's preliminary roster. Harvey, 25, has scored one goal and registered 13 caps for Panama. He is a regular starter for MNUFC, where he has registered one assist across 657 minutes of play this season while lining up as both a midfielder and center back. Finally, new Loon Owen Gene has been named to the Guadeloupe preliminary roster. The 22-year-old joined Minnesota this past winter after several seasons with French club Amiens. He has played for the French U-20 team, making his debut in an international friendly against the Netherlands in March 2023. Minnesota is currently scheduled for four games during the Gold Cup tournament. There will likely be more Loons players departing for international duty around that same time. Robin Lod, a regular for Finland, is likely to earn a call up when Finland takes on the Netherlands (June 7) and Poland (June 10) in UEFA World Cup qualifying matches. And captain Michael Boxall could miss time with New Zealand, who have fixtures schedule against the Ivory Coast (June 7) and Ukraine (June 10). Last season, the Loons were hit hard in the months of June and July due to international call-ups and injuries. The result was Minnesota going on a nine-match winless run, including six straight losses, last summer. Coming off a resounding 3-0 win over St. Louis City SC on Saturday, Minnesota is in second place in the Western Conference with 25 points from 14 games played this season. MNUFC and St. Louis City are back at it Wednesday at Allainz Field for a Round of 16 matchup in the U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alphabet's Taara chip uses light beams to provide high-speed internet
Alphabet has announced a new development for Taara's technology that could lead to low-cost, high-speed internet connectivity, even in far-flung locations. Taara's general manager, Mahesh Krishnaswamy, has introduced the Taara chip, a silicon photonic chip that uses light to transmit high-speed data through the air. The Taara chip is abut the size of a fingernail, far smaller than the technology the Alphabet division has been using. Taara Lightbridge, which is what its first-generation technology is called, is the size of a traffic light and uses a system of mirrors and sensors to physically steer light to where it needs to go. The new chip uses software instead. Taara is a project under X, Alphabet's moonshot factory. The high speed wireless optical link technology underpinning the project was originally developed for X's Project Loon internet broadcasting balloons. Alphabet pulled the plug on Loon in 2021 and focused on Taara instead, using its technology to beam broadband across the Congo River and the streets of Nairobi. Even years before Loon shut down, Alphabet's X was already toying with the idea of using light to beam internet and tested the technology in India. Taara's technology works by using a "very narrow, invisible light beam to transmit data at speeds as high as 20 gigabits per second, up to distances of 20 kilometers (12.1 miles)." It's like traditional fiber, in the sense that it uses light to carry data, except that light doesn't travel through cables. Instead, Taara's hardware emits beams of light. The beams from two units must be aligned with each other to be able to form a secure link that can transmit data, which is why Lightbridge was fitted with the parts needed to be able to physically steer the light. Taara's new chip doesn't need those components: It contains hundreds of tiny light emitters controlled by software with automatic steering Krishnaswamy said Taara's light-beaming units will only take days to install instead of the months or years it can take to lay fiber. During tests in the lab, the Taara team was able to transmit data at speeds of 10 Gbps over a distance of one kilometer (0.62 miles) using two of the new chips. They're now looking to improve the chip's capacity and range by creating an "iteration with thousands of [light] emitters." The team expects the chip to be available in 2026.
WIRED
28-02-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Google's Taara Hopes to Usher in a New Era of Internet Powered by Light
Feb 28, 2025 10:00 AM The Alphabet 'moonshot' project is launching a new chip to deliver high-speed internet with light instead of radio waves. Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Photograph:Nathan Frandino/Redux Alphabet's 'moonshot factory,' known as X, has long cultivated craziness in its edgy projects. Perhaps the most outlandish was Loon, which aimed to deliver internet via hundreds of high-flying balloons. Loon eventually 'graduated' from X as a separate Alphabet division, before its parent company determined that the business model simply didn't work. By the time that balloon popped in 2021, one of the Loon engineers had already left the project to form a team specifically working on the data transmission part of connectivity—namely, delivering high-bandwidth internet via laser beams. Think fiber optics without the cables. It's not a new idea, but over the past few years, Taara, as the X project is called, has been quietly perfecting real-world implementations. Now, Alphabet is launching a new generation of its technology—a chip—that it says will not only make Taara a viable option to deliver high-speed internet, but potentially usher in a new era where light does much of the work that radio waves do today, only faster. Taara Chip 1. Courtesy of X, the Moonshot Company. Taara chip close-up. Courtesy of Kristen Sard/ X, the Moonshot Company The former Loon engineer who leads Taara is Mahesh Krishnaswamy. Ever since he first went online as a student in his hometown of Chennai, India—he had to go to the US embassy to get access to a computer—he has been obsessed with connectivity. 'Since then, I made it my life's mission to find ways to bring people like me online,' he tells me at X's headquarters in Mountain View, California. He found his way to America and worked at Apple before joining Google in 2013. That's where he first got motivated to use light for internet connectivity—not for transmissions to ground stations, but for high-speed data transfer between balloons. Krishnaswamy left Loon in 2016 to form a team to develop that technology, called Taara. This is an essay from the latest edition of Steven Levy's Plaintext newsletter. SIGN UP for Plaintext to read the whole thing, and tap Steven's unique insights and unmatched contacts for the long view on tech. My big question to Krishnaswamy was, who needs it? In the 2010s, companies like Google and Facebook made a big deal of trying to connect 'the next billion users' with wild projects like Loon and high-flying drones. (Facebook even worked on the idea that's at the core of Taara—'invisible beams of light … that transmit data 10 times faster than current versions,' as my former colleague Jessi Hempel wrote in 2016. Mark Zuckerberg quietly shut the project down in 2018.) But now, through a variety of approaches, more of the world can get connected. That's one reason X cited for ending Loon. Most conspicuously, Elon Musk's Starlink can provide internet anywhere in the world, and Amazon is planning a competitor named Kuiper. But Krishnaswamy says the global connectivity problem is far from solved. 'Today there are like 3 billion people still unconnected, and there is a dire need to bring them online,' he says. In addition, many more people, including in the US, have internet speeds that can't even support streaming. As for Starlink, he says that in denser areas, a lot of people have to share the transmission, and each of them gets less bandwidth and slower speeds. 'We can offer 10, if not 100 times more bandwidth to an end user than a typical Starlink antenna, and do it for a fraction of the cost,' he claims, though he seems to be referring to Taara's future capabilities and not its current status. Over the past few years, Taara has made advances in implementing its technology in the real world. Instead of beaming from space, Taara's 'light bridges'—which are about the size of a traffic light—are earthbound. As X's 'captain of moonshots' Astro Teller puts it, 'As long as these two boxes can see each other, you get 20 gigabits per second, the equivalent of a fiber-optic cable, without having to trench the fiber-optic cable.' Light bridges have complicated gimbals, mirrors, and lenses to zero in on the right spot to establish and hold the connection. The team has figured out how to compensate for potential line-of-sight interruptions like bird flights, rain, and wind. (Fog is the biggest impediment.) Once the high-speed transmission is completed from light bridge to light bridge, providers still have to use traditional means to get the bits from the bridge to the phone or computer. Sanam Mozaffari and Devin Brinkley in the Taara lab. Courtesy of Peter Prato/ X, the Moonshot Company Taara's unit in the field. Courtesy of X, the Moonshot Company Taara is now a commercial operation, working in more than a dozen countries. One of its successes came in crossing the Congo River. On one side was Brazzaville, which had a direct fiber connection. On the other, Kinshasa, where internet used to cost five times more. A Taara light bridge spanning the 5-kilometer waterway provided Kinshasha with nearly equally cheap internet. Taara was also used at the 2024 Coachella music festival, augmenting what would have been an overwhelmed cellular network. Google itself is using a light bridge to provide high-speed bandwidth to a building on its new Bayview campus where it would have been difficult to extend a fiber cable. Mohamed-Slim Alouini, a professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology who has worked in optics for a decade, describes Taara as 'a Ferrari' of fiber-free optical. 'It's fast and reliable but quite expensive.' He says he spent around $30,000 for the last light bridge setup he bought from Alphabet for testing. That could change with Taara's second-generation offering. Taara's engineers have used innovative light-augmenting solutions to create a silicon photonic chip that not only will shrink the gadgetry in its light bridges to the size of a fingernail—replacing the mechanical gimbals and costly mirrors with solid-state circuitry—but will eventually allow a single laser transmitter to pair with multiple receptors. Teller says that Taara's technology could trigger the same kind of transformation that we saw when data storage moved from tape drives to disk drives to our current solid-state devices. Taara lightbridge alignment. In the shorter term, Teller and Krishnaswamy hope to see Taara technology used to provide high-bandwidth internet when fiber is unavailable. One use case would be delivering elite connectivity to an island community just offshore. Or providing high-speed internet after a natural disaster. But they also have more ambitious dreams. Teller and Krishnaswamy believe that 6G might be the final iteration to use radio waves. We're hitting a wall on the electromagnetic spectrum, they say. Traditional radio frequency bands are congested and running out of available bandwidth, making it harder to meet our growing demand for fast, reliable connectivity. 'We have an enormous worldwide industry that's about to go through a very complex change,' says Teller. The answer, as he sees it, is light—which he thinks might be the key element in 7G. (You think the hype for 5G was bad? Just wait.) Professor Alouini agrees. 'Those of us who are working in the field fully believe that at some point we will need to rely on optics, because the spectrum is getting congested,' he says. Teller envisions thousands of Taara chips in mesh networks, throwing beams of light, in everything from phones to data centers to autonomous vehicles. 'So to the extent that you buy this, it's going to be a very big deal,' he says. If Teller's predictions of ubiquitous light come to pass, Taara will be in a very good place to capitalize on the explosion. But it won't happen within X, or even Alphabet. When I pressed Krishnaswamy, he acknowledged that Taara will 'graduate' from X 'very soon.' It will not become a separate 'bet' within Alphabet like former X grad Waymo. Instead, it will be funded by outsiders, with Alphabet retaining a significant stake. I've covered a number of projects at X, and I have learned that ecstatic noises about a product's potential in one moment can be followed by a quiet shutdown several years hence. That's part of the X business model, which has failure built into its calculations. But with Taara, and especially its second-generation product, Teller says success is the floor, while the ceiling is higher than one of those now-discarded Loon balloons. 'There's a ton of unknowns, but I would be flabbergasted if it doesn't become a successful business,' he says. The only question, he says, is how big it could be. Spoken like a true moonshot captain. Don't miss future subscriber-only editions of this column. Subscribe to WIRED (50% off for Plaintext readers) today.
