ZDnet has a series of images from yesterday’s launch of D-Wave’s quantum computer. Just reading the captions gives you instant geek cred.
A dilution fridge cools the chip inside D-Wave Systems’ Orion quantum computer to around 4 millikelvin, barely above absolute zero. It runs on about 20 kilowatts.
ABC also has some coverage about yesterday’s event, as does HPCwire. The best coverage I’ve read of the actual event, though, comes from Ashlee Vance at The Register who actually attended the event:
Have we seen the future? The D-Wave crew sure made it seem that way. The company is the first start-up that we’ve run across to eat up more than two hours with its product launch, which was attended by close to 400 people. That said, the management’s mix of enthusiasm and frank realism made the pitch all the more believable.