A peer-reviewed Nature critique argues that Microsoft's 2025 Majorana quantum-computing breakthrough -- and its claim that it could enable "a truly meaningful quantum computer not in decades, as some have predicted, but in years" -- is fundamentally flawed. According to Dr Henry Legg, a lecturer at the University of St Andrews, the claims were undermined by omitted data, selective plotting, and basic Python errors that concealed alternative results. Microsoft, for its part, says the bugs were minor and stands by its findings and roadmap. The Register reports: "Last year they claimed to be years, not decades from a 'topological quantum supercomputer,'" Legg told The Register in an email. "My feeling is that they are centuries, not decades away. If it works at all -- and, based on what I have seen, the most likely scenario is that it doesn't work." Based on his analysis of the research Microsoft published in 2025, Legg argues that the company's claims about finding and being able to control the elusive Majorana particle to build a topological superconductor do not withstand scrutiny. "I demonstrate that Microsoft's tune-up software is flawed and that coding errors resulted in incorrect statements to peer reviewers," said Legg. "Raw data, which was omitted from the original paper, also appears to indicate Microsoft's devices contain considerable disorder and are not compatible with the existence of a topological gap. In other words, the prerequisites for Microsoft's claims do not appear to be met, but this was obscured because this data did not appear in the original publication." Essentially, Microsoft has proposed a Topological Gap Protocol (TGP) that can be used to detect the phase transition deemed to be a prerequisite for conducting quantum calculations using Majorana particles. Legg argues that based on his analysis of underlying transport data (measurements of particle change) -- omitted from the original publication -- Microsoft chose to focus on results that supported its thesis and ignored data that could be interpreted as a negative result. As he notes in his critique: "The TGP plotting code was set to highlight only the largest purportedly topological region." "The primary consequence was the omission of other regions that passed their tune-up protocol (the TGP)," said Legg. "When peer reviewers asked if other regions existed, Microsoft inaccurately stated that they had investigated the only region passing the protocol within the explored range. This was not correct." Legg also argues that Microsoft mishandled its code. "The code antisymmetrized bias voltage based on array index rather than physical value," his analysis says. In other words, Microsoft's researchers made a basic programming mistake by evaluating the array index -- the number identifying a value's position in an array -- instead of the value to which the index refers. "There were two pretty basic Python programming errors that hid these alternative regions," Legg explained. "Their plotting software was hardcoded with a filter (zbp_cluster_numbers=[1]) that forced it to display only the single largest region, concealing other successful results from their phase maps. Changing this to zbp_cluster_numbers=[1,2] shows already a second region." Legg added: "The TGP software transformed the data by simply reversing a Python array (x[::-1]) based on its index position, ignoring the actual physical bias voltages." Read more of this story at Slashdot. View the full article

FOX News may be compensated for or earn a commission if you buy through our links. Prime Day is almost over, but this Shark FlexBreeze fan deal is still going strong. It's now $80 off and sitting at its lowest price of the year, according to price-tracking data. It's a versatile pick for keeping cool indoors or outside, but this discount is unlikely to stick around once Prime Day ends. READ MORE: 40+ last-chance Amazon Prime Day deals worth shopping There's no shortage of worthwhile deals available right now. As someone who tracks sales for a living, I've sorted through the discounts to bring you standout last-minute savings on grills and patio furniture, America 250 gear and more. Refresh your outdoor space with Charbroil grills, Adirondack chairs and backyard lighting. Show your patriotic pride with America 250 hats, T-shirts, flags and collectibles. Feed a crowd with Ninja blenders, Chefman pizza ovens and Crock-Pot slow cookers. -- Not shopping Prime Day? No worries — we found the best anti-Prime Day discounts from competing retailers, with several deals matching or beating Amazon's prices. One deal stood out above the rest. Our favorite: Wicker conversation set: $319.99 (72% off) from Wayfair. Find more deals here. -- This week, Commerce Editor, Caitlyn Martyn, shares three products she recently bought and recommends. Q: What deals are you still eyeing for Prime Day? A: Amazon devices are often some of the best Prime Day buys, and this Kindle is on my radar. It lighter than previous models and slips easily into my work bag or carry-on. Q: What's the best deal you've spotted so far? A: An 82% discount makes these Wayfair sheets one of the best deals I've seen this week. The 1,800-thread-count set fits most mattresses, and at $23.99, it's tempting to grab a few. Q: What's a summer staple you'd recommend? A: This $13 no-frills cream helps soften cracked heels and calluses just in time for sandal season. It's made of a blend of tea tree oil, coconut oil, urea and salicylic acid. Check out our "Add to Cart" series to see what our full team is buying for Prime Day. -- LAST-CHANCE PRIME DAY FINDS UNDER $25 READ MORE: These under-$25 Prime Day deals are still live: Carhartt, Neutrogena and more Smart plug ($12.99) — now 48% off: Control lights, fans and more with simple Alexa voice commands. Dove Men + Care body and face soap bars ($6.99) — now 30% off: Cleanse and exfoliate in one step. Essence volumizing mascara ($3.98) — now 20% off: Add dramatic volume with every swipe. Energizer AAA batteries ($14.99) — now 25% off: Refill your stash with this 32-count pack. Medicube toner pads ($14.90) — now 52% off: Simplify your routine with these multitasking toner pads. -- If you're looking for a range of Prime Day deals, all in one place, check out this week’s noteworthy articles. These 10 top-rated products just hit their lowest prices ever for Prime Day America 250 Prime Day deals on Amazon: Up to 40% off hats, tees, garden flags and more 40% off or more: The biggest Prime Day deals from Sony, DeWalt and more Prime Day kitchen deals: Save up to 60% on Ninja, Keurig, Chefman and more -- If you'd rather just shop one retailer, these three have some of the best deals we've found this week. Save for the last time this Prime Day with up to 72% off Apple, Keurig and Neutrogena. Score up to 82% off grills, patio furniture, bed frames and more during Wayfair's Four-Day Flash Sale. Save up to 40% on Samsonite carry-ons, luggage sets, backpacks and more ahead of summer travels. View the full article

UK-based staff at the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia, are pushing forward with their unionization drive. On Wednesday, the staff sent a letter to WMF management requesting the organization voluntarily recognize the union. "The WMF has undergone a period of significant change in recent months, escalating workers' concerns over transparency, trust, and the organisation's future direction," a press release from the Communication Workers Union reads. "The workers are longtime contributors and organisers, and are deeply committed to the Wikimedia movement." WMF staff are based around the world, and the UK cont … Read the full story at The Verge. View the full article

If League of Legends and Valorant players have the right hardware and elect to opt into "pre-boot security mechanisms and Windows' own native protection features," then, starting today, they can switch the Vanguard anti-cheat software from always-on to one that's "on demand." With "Vanguard Pre-Check," the kernel-level driver won't launch when your system does, according to a blog post from Phillip Koskinas, Riot's head of anti-cheat. Riot is able to introduce this new feature now after working with the Xbox OS Security Team at Microsoft on improvements to the Windows kernel that lock out the kind of driver and memory exploits that cheats … Read the full story at The Verge. View the full article

Jessica Alba welcomed summer with new bikini photos. In a recent slideshow on Instagram, the 45-year-old actress shared a number of photos from her beach vacation, including snaps of wildlife, beautiful rock formations in the middle of the ocean and photos of herself in a bikini. "Hi, summer 🌞," she captioned the post. One of the photos featured her posing with her arms around her friend and pursing her lips at the camera. Both she and her friend were dressed in black string bikinis with cover-ups over their bottoms, which they accessorized with large sun hats and sunglasses. JESSICA ALBA STUNS IN REVEALING BIKINI SNAPS FROM LUXURY FAMILY GETAWAY They posed for the photo underneath an archway made of rock, with a picturesque view of the ocean behind them. In another photo, the actress is seen looking up at the sky, seemingly meditating, as she sits on a rock while surrounded by greenery. "Doesn’t get much better then this ❤️," one fan wrote in the comments section, while another added, "You look so tann and beautiful!!🌺🌺🌺🔥🔥🔥." "Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous," another wrote. The actress recently enjoyed some fun in the sun with her boyfriend, Danny Ramirez, during their trip to Miami, Florida. The two were photographed with their arms wrapped around each other as they cooled off in the ocean. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER Ramirez and Alba first sparked dating rumors in July 2025, with sources later confirming their relationship to multiple outlets that month. Soon after, the couple were spotted kissing outside his home, effectively confirming their romance. They have since walked the red carpet together on multiple occasions, including at the Mill Valley Film Festival in October 2025 and at the Baby2Baby Gala in November 2025. Their relationship comes after Alba filed for divorce from her husband of nearly 17 years, Cash Warren, in January 2025. "I’ve been on a journey of self realization and transformation for years – both as an individual and in partnership with Cash," she said in her divorce announcement on Instagram. "I’m proud of how we’ve grown in our marriage over the last 20 years and it’s now time for us to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals." LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS "We are moving forward with love, kindness and respect for each other and will forever be family. Our children remain our highest priority and we request privacy at this time," she concluded. Warren and Alba share three children together: Honor, 18, Haven, 14, and Hayes, 8. View the full article