Tech
How close are quantum computers to being really useful? Podcast
Quantum computers could revolutionize science by solving complex problems. However, scaling and error correction remain significant challenges before achieving practical applications.
Quantum computers have the potential to solve big scientific problems that are beyond the reach of today’s most powerful supercomputers, such as discovering new antibiotics or developing new materials.
But to achieve these breakthroughs, quantum computers will need to perform better than today’s best classical computers at solving real-world problems. And they’re not quite there yet. So what is still holding quantum computing back from becoming useful?
In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, we speak to quantum computing expert Daniel Lidar at the University of Southern California in the US about what problems scientists are still wrestling with when it comes to scaling up quantum computing, and how close they are to overcoming them.
Quantum computers harness the power of quantum mechanics, the laws that govern subatomic particles. Instead of the classical bits of information used by microchips inside traditional computers, which are either a 0 or a 1, the chips in quantum computers use qubits, which can be both 0 and 1 at the same time or anywhere in between. Daniel Lidar explains:
“Put a lot of these qubits together and all of a sudden you have a computer that can simultaneously represent many, many different possibilities … and that is the starting point for the speed up that we can get from quantum computing.”
Faulty qubits
One of the biggest problems scientist face is how to scale up quantum computing power. Qubits are notoriously prone to errors – which means that they can quickly revert to being either a 0 or a 1, and so lose their advantage over classical computers.
Scientists have focused on trying to solve these errors through the concept of redundancy – linking strings of physical qubits together into what’s called a “logical qubit” to try and maximise the number of steps in a computation. And, little by little, they’re getting there.
In December 2024, Google announced that its new quantum chip, Willow, had demonstrated what’s called “beyond breakeven”, when its logical qubits worked better than the constituent parts and even kept on improving as it scaled up.
Lidar says right now the development of this technology is happening very fast:
“For quantum computing to scale and to take off is going to still take some real science breakthroughs, some real engineering breakthroughs, and probably overcoming some yet unforeseen surprises before we get to the point of true quantum utility. With that caution in mind, I think it’s still very fair to say that we are going to see truly functional, practical quantum computers kicking into gear, helping us solve real-life problems, within the next decade or so.”
Listen to Lidar explain more about how quantum computers and quantum error correction works on The Conversation Weekly podcast.
This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware with assistance from Katie Flood and Mend Mariwany. Sound design was by Michelle Macklem, and theme music by Neeta Sarl.
Clips in this episode from Google Quantum AI and 10 Hours Channel.
You can find us on Instagram at theconversationdotcom or via e-mail. You can also subscribe to The Conversation’s free daily e-mail here.
Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed or find out how else to listen here.
Gemma Ware, Host, The Conversation Weekly Podcast, The Conversation
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
FOX Corporation says it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $160 per share, putting Roku at roughly $22 billion in enterprise value. On paper, it’s a classic “content meets platform” move: FOX brings premium live programming (sports, news, entertainment) and Tubi, while Roku brings the connected TV operating system, The Roku Channel, and a direct relationship with more than 100 million streaming households.
For STM Daily News readers, the big question isn’t the stock math—it’s the practical one: what changes for people who already own a Roku device or use Roku’s service? Here’s what the companies are saying, what’s likely, and what to watch as the deal heads toward a targeted close in the first half of 2027.
The headline: FOX wants the “front door” to streaming
Roku isn’t just a streaming stick. It’s the home screen millions of people see every day—the place where apps are discovered, promoted, and monetized. FOX is betting that pairing its live content (especially sports and news) with Roku’s platform and ad tech creates a scaled media-and-technology business with stronger reach and advertising power.
FOX and Roku also emphasized that Roku will continue operating as an “open, partner-friendly platform,”and that FOX content will remain widely distributed. That’s an important promise—because Roku’s value depends on being a neutral platform that works with everyone.
What this could mean for Roku owners (the consumer view)
1) Your Roku device should keep working—no “sudden shutdown” expected
Nothing in the announcement suggests existing Roku players or Roku TVs will stop functioning. In most acquisitions like this, the priority is stability: keep devices running, keep accounts intact, keep app availability broad. Roku’s installed base is the asset.
What to watch for: changes to software update cadence, account terms, or how the home screen is organized.
2) Expect tighter FOX + Roku integration (and more promotion)
If FOX owns Roku, it can promote FOX properties more aggressively across the Roku interface—think:
- More prominent placement for Tubi and The Roku Channel
- Faster paths to live FOX events (sports, breaking news)
- Bundled sign-ups or simplified authentication
This could be convenient for viewers who already watch FOX content. It could also feel like “more FOX everywhere” if the home screen starts prioritizing FOX-owned services.
What to watch for: whether Roku’s home screen recommendations become noticeably more FOX-heavy.
3) Advertising could get smarter—and more intense
Both companies highlighted reach, engagement, and monetization. Roku’s first-party data and ad platform are a major part of the appeal. FOX’s live sports and news are premium ad environments. Put together, the combined company will likely push for:
- More advanced ad targeting and measurement across streaming
- More ad inventory tied to live events
- Stronger cross-promotion between linear TV and streaming
What to watch for: ad load (how many ads you see), frequency (how often you see the same ad), and new ad formats.
4) The Roku Channel and Tubi could become a bigger “free TV” hub
Roku already operates The Roku Channel, and FOX owns Tubi—two major free, ad-supported streaming services (FAST). A combined strategy could mean:
- More shared content pipelines
- Expanded live channels
- A clearer “free streaming” destination inside the Roku ecosystem
What to watch for: whether the services stay distinct or begin to merge features, libraries, or branding.
5) App availability is the make-or-break issue
Roku’s strength comes from being the platform where all the major services want to be. If partners believe the platform is no longer neutral, negotiations can get tense.
FOX and Roku say they intend to keep Roku open and partner-friendly. That’s a signal to streaming services, device makers, and advertisers: “we’re not closing the ecosystem.”
What to watch for: any public disputes over app placement, revenue share, data access, or carriage terms.
What the deal terms tell us (and why it matters)
FOX says it expects the deal to be accretive to free cash flow per share by the second full year after closing and targets about $400 million in run-rate cost synergies, with additional revenue upside. Translation: there will be pressure to streamline operations and increase monetization.
FOX also plans to fund the cash portion with new debt and cash on hand, with a pro forma net leverage expectation of about 2.8x (including partial credit for synergies). That kind of financing structure typically increases the importance of predictable cash generation—often from advertising and platform economics.
Timeline: nothing changes overnight
The transaction still needs shareholder approvals and U.S. and non-U.S. regulatory approvals, and the companies expect to close in the first half of 2027. That means the Roku experience you have today is likely to remain largely the same in the near term.
Bottom line: convenience vs. control
For consumers, this deal is a tug-of-war between two outcomes:
- Convenience: easier access to FOX content, stronger free streaming options, and a more integrated experience.
- Control: more aggressive promotion, more advertising optimization, and potential shifts in platform neutrality.
If you’re a Roku owner, the best move right now is simple: keep an eye on interface changes and terms-of-service updates as the deal progresses. The “what to watch for” items above will be the early signals of whether this becomes a viewer-friendly upgrade—or a more tightly monetized streaming front door.
What to watch for next
- Regulatory review updates and any conditions attached to approval
- How FOX positions Tubi vs. The Roku Channel
- Any changes to Roku’s partner relationships (major app negotiations)
- New product announcements tied to live sports/news streaming
Source (press release):
Fox Corporation via PRNewswire — “FOX CORPORATION TO ACQUIRE ROKU, INC.” (June 15, 2026)
Related external links (as referenced in the release):
- SEC filings portal: https://www.sec.gov
- FOX Investor Relations: https://investor.foxcorporation.com/
- Roku Investor Relations: https://www.roku.com/investor
- Fox Corporation (company site): https://www.foxcorporation.com/
STM Daily News will continue tracking what this acquisition means for cord-cutters, connected TV users, and the future of streaming discovery.
Automotive
EPA removal of vehicle emissions limits won’t stop the shift to electric vehicles, but will make it harder, slower and more expensive
The EPA’s move to rescind the 2009 “endangerment finding” and roll back vehicle emissions limits won’t stop the shift to electric vehicles—but it will slow adoption, raise costs, and increase climate and public health harms.
Alan Jenn, University of California, Davis
The U.S. government is in full retreat from its efforts to make vehicles more fuel-efficient, which it had been prioritizing, along with state governments, since the 1970s.
The latest move came on Feb. 12, 2026, when President Donald Trump and the Environmental Protection Agency issued a new rule rescinding the landmark “endangerment finding,” and reversing various emissions limits on cars and trucks. The 2009 finding stated that greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. If the new rule stands up in court and is not overruled by Congress, it would undo a key part of the long-standing effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.
As a scholar of how vehicle emissions contribute to climate change, I know that the science behind the endangerment finding hasn’t changed. If anything, the evidence has grown that greenhouse gas emissions are warming the planet and threatening people’s health and safety. Heat waves, flooding, sea-level rise and wildfires have only worsened in the decade and a half since the EPA’s ruling.
Regulations over the years have cut emissions from power generation, leaving transportation as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
The scientific community agrees that vehicle emissions are harmful and should be regulated. The public also agrees, and has indicated strong preferences for cars that pollute less, including both more efficient gas-burning vehicles and electric-powered ones. Consumers have also been drawn to electric vehicles thanks to other benefits such as performance, operation cost and innovative technologies.
That is why I believe the EPA’s move will not stop the public and commercial transition to electric vehicles, but it will make that shift harder, slower and more expensive for everyone.
Putting carmakers in a bind
The most recent EPA rule about vehicle emissions was finalized in 2024. It set emissions limits that can realistically only be met by a large-scale shift to electric vehicles.
Over the past decade and a half, automakers have been building up their capability to produce electric vehicles to meet these fleet requirements, and a combination of regulations such as California’s zero-emission-vehicle requirements have worked together to ensure customers can get their hands on EVs. The zero-emission-vehicle rules require automakers to produce EVs for the California market, which in turn make it easier for the companies to meet their efficiency and emissions targets from the federal government. These collectively pressure automakers to provide a steady supply of electric vehicles to consumers.
The new EPA move would undo the 2024 EPA vehicle-emissions rule and other federal regulations that also limit emissions from vehicles, such as the heavy-duty vehicle emissions rule.
The possibility of a regulatory reversal puts automakers into a state of uncertainty. Legal challenges to the EPA’s shift are all but guaranteed, and the court process could take years.
For companies making decade-long investment decisions, regulatory stability matters more than short-term politics. Disrupting that stability undermines business planning, erodes investor confidence and sends conflicting signals to consumers and suppliers alike.
A slower roll
The Trump administration has taken other steps to make electric vehicles less attractive to carmakers and consumers.
The White House has already suspended key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act that provided tax credits for purchasing EVs and halted a US$5 billion investment in a nationwide network of charging stations. And Congress has retracted the federal waiver that allowed California to set its own, stricter emissions limits. In combination, these policies make it hard to buy and drive electric vehicles: Fewer, or no, financial incentives for consumers make the purchases more expensive, and fewer charging stations make travel planning more challenging.
Overturning the EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding would remove the legal basis for regulating climate pollution from vehicles altogether.
But U.S. consumer interest in electric vehicles has been growing, and automakers have already made massive investments to produce electric vehicles and their associated components in the U.S. – such as Hyundai’s EV factory in Georgia and Volkswagen’s Battery Engineering Lab in Tennessee.
Global markets, especially in Europe and China, are also moving decisively toward electrifying large proportions of the vehicles on the road. This move is helped in no small part due to aggressive regulation by their respective governments. The results speak for themselves: Sales of EVs in both the European Union and China have been growing rapidly.
But the pace of change matters. A slower rollout of clean vehicles means more cumulative emissions, more climate damage and more harm to public health.
The EPA’s move seeks to slow the shift to electric vehicles, removing incentives and raising costs – even though the market has shown that cleaner vehicles are viable, the public has shown interest, and the science has never been clearer. But even such a major policy change can’t stop the momentum of those trends.
This is an updated version of an article originally published Aug. 5, 2025.
Alan Jenn, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Consumer Corner
How agentic AI is changing the way contractors assess storm damage
Hours after a storm, teams of professionals need to move quickly to assess the damage. That work used to take days of site visits and time-consuming analyses. Now, a roofing contractor can pull up a color-coded map of every roof over 15 years old within two miles with agentic tools.
How agentic AI is changing the way contractors assess storm damage
(Tiffany Miller) Hours after a storm, teams of professionals need to move quickly to assess the damage. That work used to take days of site visits and time-consuming analyses.
Now, a roofing contractor can pull up a color-coded map of every roof over 15 years old within two miles with agentic tools. An insurance claims manager can see which homes have the worst damage and need to be inspected first. A government assessor can map which neighborhoods were hit hardest. As hurricane season opens June 1, Eagleview Horizon, an agentic AI engine, shows how predictive AI is giving these professionals a head start.
Why the trades are under pressure
Billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S. have nearly tripled since the 2000s, now averaging 19 per year, according to NOAA. The trades are paying for it. Insurance carriers are required to handle more claims. Contractors race to keep up with demand. And government planners assess wider damage zones due to population increases. For insurers, that pressure is already showing. AM Best reported that the homeowners insurance segment had its toughest first quarter in five years, driven by January wildfires in California and tornado outbreaks across the Midwest, Southern and Plains states. That hit a property and casualty insurance market where U.S. premiums crossed $1.05 trillion in 2024, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.
For the majority of the 100,000-plus contractors in the $25 billion U.S. roofing industry, the work hasn’t changed much. They still spend hours canvassing neighborhoods street by street. Adjusters drive door-to-door. Government planners wait for damage reports to come in. As storm seasons grow more intense and claims volume rises, that model is starting to crack.
A shift across multiple industries
AI can find information faster, but newer systems can also turn a question into a workflow.
For early adopters, that is changing more than storm response. Commercial roofers can use these tools to pinpoint structural changes and complete annual inspections more safely. Infrastructure managers can track changes over time to flag maintenance needs. Property managers can identify which assets in large portfolios are approaching maintenance risk before they fail.
What may matter most is who can do this work. Until recently, sophisticated property analysis required trained specialists and could take weeks. Now any contractor, adjuster, assessor or planner can begin with a plain question and get a clearer view of where to act first.
What this means for storm season
Trades will keep facing issues caused by more storms, and time will tell whether new tools can spread fast enough to meet the overwhelming demands of the industry.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Eagleview
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