Quantum computing has always had a futuristic ring to it. It perpetually sounds like something that’s centuries away. But tech giant Amazon is now offering quantum computing as a service on a new platform called Braket, which begs the question… is accessible quantum computing finally here?

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One company has decided to allow their staff to do anything that they liked every other Friday, as long as it was related to doing something creative or learning a new skill. The end result ended up increasing efficiency, injected new energy into their work and delivering some of their best ideas - what would you choose to do?

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Innovation labs, technology scouting outposts, and accelerator programs to invest in startups have become ubiquitous in large companies, as have regularly-scheduled hackathons or idea challenges that invite employees to develop and pitch new ideas.

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Despite backlash from certain pockets of their population, China’s facial recognition rollout now requires citizens to have their faces scanned when purchasing a new sim card. While the procedure is said to help authorities prevent fraud, the Republic’s ever-growing surveillance is worrying people both in and out of the country.

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From armchairs to iPhones, India’s millennials rent it all. It’s a trend that’s growing in India, with many companies starting to offer rental services for a number of items. It might seem unusual for some, not owning your own furniture - but not for this new group of individuals.

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In a country that’s known to have one of the hardest working society, workers at Microsoft Japan enjoyed an enviable perk this summer: working four days a week, enjoying a three-day weekend — and getting their normal, five-day paycheck. The result, the company says, was a productivity boost of 40%. Microsoft Japan says it became more efficient in several areas, including lower electricity costs, which fell by 23%. And as its workers took five Fridays off in August, they printed nearly 60 percent fewer pages.

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Standard Chartered has used smart technology like voice modulation, artificial imagery (AI) and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to celebrate what would have been legendary Liverpool football club manager Bob Paisley’s 100th birthday in 2019.

The campaign, called ‘Project Stand Red’ and created by Octagon and MediaMonks, aims to highlight Paisley’s achievements to inspire and educate the next generation of Liverpool fans.

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Between 11 million and 55 million meetings are held each day in the United States, costing most organisations between 7% and 15% of their personnel budgets. Every week, employees spend about six hours in meetings, while the average manager meets for a staggering 23 hours.

And though experts agree that traditional meetings are essential for making certain decisions and developing strategy, some employees view them as one of the most unnecessary parts of the workday.

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We’ve all heard the old adage that “money can’t buy you happiness”, but with the cycles of festive sales and the temptation of regular discounts on e-commerce websites, it can be hard to think of an alternative to retail therapy. Here are a few suggestions from happiness scientists on what can bring you true joy - and it’s not your next Black Friday impulse buy.

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“Even if I become number one, there is an entity that cannot be defeated.” Those are ominous, and quite frankly, chilling words from former Go Champion, Lee Se-dol. After mastering one of the most mentally-challenging games in the world, Se-dol admitted that DeepMind, the AI-powered opponent built to learn Alpha Go, cannot be defeated by us humans.

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