Technology News

Networking for women – L'Hebdo Journal

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

The second edition of the Mauricie Women's Entrepreneurial Fair will take place on Friday March 8th at Complexe Laviolette.

From 6 to 9 p.m., more than 25 exhibitors will come together to highlight the entrepreneurial excellence of women in the region. These include regional organizations and companies dedicated to the development of entrepreneurs, covering all stages of their journey, from development to retirement. A photographer will also be on site to refresh the professional portraits of the local people.

“For example, we will have companies that can support women entrepreneurs throughout their careers, such as accountants, marketing agencies, etc. It is an opportunity to involve women in business relationships and networks in a different way,” emphasizes Véronique Godin, president of the Regroupement des women de recherche de la Mauricie (RFCM), which organizes the event.

“We didn’t want it to be a show that was just about selling products,” she explains. There are already many trade fairs for selling products. We also see at RFCM that women need to network differently. For example, we have members who don't go to mixed professional groups in the region because they then feel the need to talk about money. I think there is a need for women entrepreneurs to come together. »

In addition, the Mauricie Women's Entrepreneurial Fair will feature a new section for young entrepreneurs aged 13 to 17. The organizers want to inspire the next generation of tomorrow and support them in their entrepreneurial initiatives.

In this first presence at the fair, six small companies will be created by teenage girls from the Académie les Estacades.

The first edition of the event brought together around fifteen exhibitors and welcomed around sixty visitors. “The exhibitors had great discussions. Some have done new business with each other. The participants also had economic benefits,” explains Véronique Godin.

Admission to the Mauricie Women's Entrepreneurial Fair is free.

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Two dwarf planets could offer suitable conditions for life, scientists explain why

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

Suitable conditions for life have been discovered on Eris and Makemake, two dwarf planets beyond Neptune. Natacha Payà Meteored Spain 03/04/2024 2:00 p.m. 6 min

The solar system is home the eight planets that we all know and our star that can give us life. But there are also dwarf planets like Pluto. The International Astronomical Union, which sets the criteria for classifying a celestial body as a planet, has included Ceres, Haumea, Eris and Makemake in the “dwarf” category. Well, the latter two could support life.

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Where are Eris and Makemake?

With the exception of Ceres, the rest of the dwarf planets lie beyond the orbit of Neptune, that is, in the outer zone of our system. This place is known as Kuiper belt. This place is populated by millions and millions of rock bodies which could hide habitable worlds yet to be discovered. Here are Eris and Makemake.

According to observations of the @NASAWebb The space telescope has discovered traces of monodeuterated methane (CHD) on the surfaces of two dwarf planets called Eris and Makemake, which are comparable in size to Pluto and its moon Charon. The duo drifting in the Kuiper Belt reveals themselves pic.twitter.com/1cQRzKzZbQ
— Maurizio Iβλἄ (@Dragonmaurizio) February 22, 2024

Eris is only 44 kilometers smaller than Pluto. However, it is 25% more massive due to the higher concentration of rock in its core. On the other hand, Makemake was discovered two months after Eris and turns out to be smaller. with a radius of 1163 kilometers.

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The new here, is that both Eris and Makemake could be geologically active, just like Pluto. This means they could host subsurface oceans And of course: if there is water, there could be life. This is the conclusion reached by scientists from the Space Science Division of the Southwest Research Institute in Texas.

Methane is the key

After it was discovered in 2015 that Pluto had huge ice volcanoes and therefore volcanic activity, a similar study was carried out on Eris and Makemake. James Webb Space Telescope data for the proposed study that these two planets were also geologically active and contained gases on their icy surfaces.

A new discovery by researchers at the Southwest Research Institute found that the Kuiper Belt planets Eris and Makemake may be geologically active… They're not cold! pic.twitter.com/GSpVzo5sRd
A geologo on Apuros (@geologoenapuros) February 19, 2024

The James Webb Telescope is capable of taking images of previously inaccessible places and its instruments are even capable of detecting the different isotopes of the atoms that make up any chemical substance. Thanks to him, they discovered that the most notable gas was methane. Within this group of gases, they distinguished two types: the abiotic and the thermogenic.

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The main difference between the two is the amount of hydrogen and deuterium present in their molecules. According to Christopher Glein, geochemist and research coordinator, the hydrogen/deuterium ratio opens a window into the subsurface of these two planets. In total, Beneath their icy surfaces, Eris and Makemake may have potential sources of liquid water.

Is there life far away from the sun?

These discoveries increase the possibility of finding life far from the Sun. It is important to recognize that this work is based on a number of assumptions and approximations and cannot be considered definitive fact. The possibility that there is water in Eris and Makemake will be investigated in the coming years. A promising new trend that leads us to believe that planets far from our star could harbor life.

Size of dwarf planets. Eris and Makemake could hide oceans of liquid water, suggests the James Webb Telescope.

The Kuiper Belt turns out to be much more “alive” in terms of accommodating more dynamic worlds than was first thought. It's not too early to think about flying a spacecraft past one of these celestial bodies and putting the James Webb Telescope data into a specific geological context.

Item reference:

Christopher R Glenn. et al. Moderate D/H ratios in methane ice on Eris and Makemake as evidence for hydrothermal or metamorphic processes within them: Geochemical analysis. Icarus (2024).

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soon share a family

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

You'll soon be able to share your account logins and passwords with loved ones thanks to a new feature in Google Manager. A convenient option for accounts shared by multiple people.

We can't repeat it enough: to prevent your accounts from being hacked, it is imperative to use strong and unique passwords. A security measure that, however, remains somewhat complicated to comply with when you have to remember multiple passwords… This is where password managers come into play. These tools allow you to securely store and manage numerous passwords by locking everything with a single password, making everything easier to remember. Even if they're not as good as dedicated apps, password managers built into web browsers at least have the advantage of being quick and easy to use. This is the case of the Google Chrome password manager (Password Manager), which saves them with the Google account to which they are linked to enter them automatically as soon as you connect to a specific account (email, bank , administration, etc.). online shop etc.).

However, it happens that some accounts are shared among multiple users. This could be a family sharing a streaming service, relatives sharing a common email address for administrative matters, etc. But what do you do when you have a small memory lapse? Google is coming to the rescue of its head-in-the-air users by working on a new feature that will allow them to securely share a login ID and password with a family member. You no longer have to copy and paste this confidential information into a message in plain text! This feature, which has already been developed for Chrome on PC, will soon be available for Android devices as well.

Chrome Password Sharing: a feature for family groups

The first tests to integrate this feature began in the browser in June 2023. Last November, password sharing finally appeared in the Canary build – the beta version – of Chrome. However, it is not yet available to the general public. However, it should be available soon, including on the Android version of the browser. According to TheSpAndroid, Google Play Services version 24.09.12 actually contains flags that indicate the presence of a password sharing feature, even if it is not yet operational. However, Google only allows this for users whose Google accounts belong to the same family group.

As a reminder, the Family Groups feature allows you to create a group to which you can add members of your immediate family who have a Google Account. This allows you to share with them the benefits of the products and services you subscribe to and use. With this new feature, it is possible to share passwords with family members via the password management application on your Android device. A new Share button will appear next to each registered account, and you can select the family member you want to share it with. When the recipient visits the website, they will then see a tooltip on their device informing them that they have access to the password. This should make things a lot easier! It remains to be seen how Google will handle this, as sharing passwords could pose security issues and expose users to potential risks.

To use the feature in the web version of Chrome, it is necessary to create a family group with all members in your Google account. To do this, you need to go to the Play Store settings, go to the “Family” section and then click “Create Family Library”. All you need to do is register, configure your payment method, and add your family members' Google accounts. Everyone must use the Canary version of Chrome. To enable the feature, type chrome://flags/#password-sharing in the address bar, then click Default and then Enabled. All that remains is to restart the web browser!

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Performance at an affordable price

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

The Poco models are ideal for anyone looking for a powerful smartphone without aiming for high-end. This X6 Pro 5G continues the brand's tradition, but with some compromises.

Summary

The Poco brand doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone. It comes from the extensive catalog of the Chinese giant Xiaomi. Launched in 2018 with the Pocophone, then simply renamed Poco, the company has since followed the same strategy: offering high-performance smartphones at affordable prices aimed at a more young audience.

For the 2024 class, the policy remains the same. And the new model in the series, the Poco Asus with its ROG Phone or Nubia with its RedMagic. He even introduced Xiaomi's new HyperOS software overlay, which has since been used on the Xiaomi 14, which was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. But for the asking price, which officially starts at 349 euros, the Poco X6 Pro 5G cannot be good in all areas. The brand had to make compromises in other technical aspects, which somewhat limits its versatility. We were able to test this X6 Pro 5G in its most advanced version, 12-512 GB (419 euros), for several weeks. Here is our verdict.

Poco X6 Pro 5G: CCM's opinion

Very solid performance
Excellent Amoled screen
A good companion for playing
Very satisfactory battery life
Efficient charging and charger included
Competitive price

Number of pre-installed unwanted apps
Number of advertising requests
Photo section at the back

Poco X6 Pro 5G: a fingerprint magnet

Poco has remained quite clever when it comes to the design of its device. At least for the version we had in our hands. The black plastic used for the back is very shiny, slippery and, above all, catches all sorts of fingerprints. After just a few minutes of use – and it must be stressed – with clean hands – the back of the device had lost its shiny and flattering appearance. Luckily, the brand offers a transparent and flexible plastic case in the box that allows you to quickly cover the device. Even if a little comfort and visual pleasure are lost as a result, the workmanship proves to be exemplary.

Still on the back we find a fairly classic rectangular photo island that houses the three available lenses together with the LED flash to perfect the symmetry of the whole thing.

The Poco X6 Pro has very flat edges, also made of plastic. They are very comfortable to hold, even when used for long periods of time. The keys are well positioned on the right edge and fit perfectly under the fingers. The jack socket has disappeared on the top (it remains in place on the cheaper X6 version). At the bottom of the device there is a speaker, the tray for two SIM cards and the inevitable USB-C port.

The device is IP68 certified and can withstand immersion in water and dust. Good to see for this price. Note that the X6 Pro is available in two plastic colors (black and gray), but also in yellow vegan leather, which is synonymous with the brand.

Poco X6 Pro 5G: a convincing screen

Even if Poco maintains a relatively low price on this model, the brand has not given up on the screen. Phew! We therefore benefit from a beautiful 6.67-inch Amoled panel with a resolution of 2712 x 1200 pixels at a resolution of 446 ppi, which is astonishing in this price range. Aimed at a gaming audience, this screen also offers a dynamic refresh rate of 60 to 120 Hz.

Poco doesn't strive for extremes when it comes to brightness. The panel climbs to 1200 nits and peaks at 1800 nits, which is more than enough for everyday use. Even in bright sunlight, we had no trouble reading the display on the screen. What's even more annoying, however, is the panel's anti-reflective treatment. If he does his job well, he'll be happy about all the fingerprints. Gosh, Poco should provide a wipe in the box.

Poco X6 Pro 5G: Peak performance

Technical worksheet

Screen size	6.67 inches
Screen definition	1220×2712 pixels
Screen technology	Oled
Refresh rate	60-120Hz
SoC	MediaTek Dimensity 8300 Ultra
R.A.M.	12GB
storage	512GB
Photo sensors (back)	64 + 8 + 2 Mpx
Photo sensor (selfie)	16MP
Video	Up to 4K at 30 fps
WiFi/Bluetooth	6 / 5.4
5G	Yes
Fingerprint sensor	Under the screen
face recognition	Yes
battery	5000mAh
system	Android 14
Dimensions	160.4 x 74.3 x 8.25mm
Weight	186g

To animate its device, Poco turned not to Qualcomm (at least for this model, since the Poco X6 has an American Snapdragon 7 Gen 2), but to MediaTek. With the X6 Pro we benefit from a particularly efficient Dimensity 8300-Ultra SoC, as we were able to determine from the various benchmarks we subjected the device to. Combined with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, this SoC delivers results close to those of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the flagship processor for high-end smartphones of 2023. The result is very good performance with resource-saving operation. intensive apps, exemplary fluidity of the HyperOS interface and of course very good in-game performance.

With our reference title Genshin Impact, we had no problems playing with a high level of detail and a frequency of 60 frames per second.

By the way, note that Poco provides a software environment for gaming with the Game Turbo application in HyperOS. Here it is possible to apply certain parameters to optimize gaming conditions (free up memory, increase WiFi flow with Xiaomi routers, etc.).

Real comfort served by a good screen. Asphalt 9 also has liquid. A real treat for the eyes and fingers. Gamers will be thrilled. Finally, please note that the heating on this device can be controlled very well. Poco has refined heat dissipation.

Poco X6 Pro 5G: Bloatware galore

In this Poco It applies in addition to Android 14. Poco promises three years of software updates (enough to see a priori up to Android 17) and four years of security updates.

MIUI regulars won't be disoriented. With a top section divided into two parts, for example showing notifications on one side and quick actions on the other, we quickly regain our reflexes. HyperOS seemed a little smoother but less confusing than MIUI. We also appreciated the ease of the unit's storage space.

Less regrettably, however, we lament the plethora of third-party applications that come installed with the system by default. A mess of games, but also apps that are not always desirable for shopping, streaming, etc. In the end, more than twenty applications occupy the device… The result of this abundance is regular annoyance with notifications and advertising. Therefore, before using the smartphone, you should think about uninstalling everything that seems unnecessary to you, otherwise you risk flooding the notification area with all kinds of alerts.

Poco X6 Pro 5G: barely passable photos

If Poco has focused on the processor and screen in the model, other elements of the smartphone suffer from this investment. This particularly applies to the photography sector. The brand has opted for a trio of relatively simple sensors. So we find a wide angle of 64 Mpx (f/1.7), an ultra wide angle of 8 Mpx (f/2.2) and an anecdotal macro sensor of 2 Mpx (f/2.4). There is a 16 Mpx (f/2.4) selfie camera in the cutout at the top of the screen.

During the day, the wide-angle module delivers suitable shots, as long as they are not displayed on a very large screen. The images lack sharpness and details. The colors are not always true to the original, with a slight tendency towards yellow. The exposure is also not particularly good and can vary greatly from shot to shot under the same lighting conditions.

The camera interface offers direct access to an x2 zoom (not an optical telephoto lens here, but a simple digital zoom), which delivers slightly more correct images. We benefit from a little more detail and the colors appear more natural. At 2x magnification, details fade and smoothing becomes more apparent. The device offers an expansion to x10, but then nothing is usable.

The ultra wide angle with its 8 Mpx sensor couldn't be more comfortable. We regret the lack of details and the very random colorimetry. The image can be misleading on a small screen, but when enlarged, all the imperfections are cruelly revealed.

The Poco X6 Pro is unruly in portrait mode. Sometimes it is difficult to manage cropping and apply a correct bokeh effect. Often you have to try it several times to achieve a usable result.

As expected, things don't improve at night. Regardless of whether you activate night mode (with longer exposure time) or not, the camera really struggles. The image usually appears blurry. In fact, details are easily lost. Light sources no longer look like blocks of pixels. The ultra wide angle is completely in the dark.

As we can see, the Poco X6 Pro 5G is not equipped at all well enough to produce good photos. However, if you want to post pictures on social media or occasionally use it to capture a scene, this may be sufficient.

Finally, on the video side, the Poco X6 Pro can produce 4K sequences at 30 frames per second. If you want more precision (up to 60 frames per second), you have to make do with Full HD (1080p). The optical stabilization seems to be quite effective.

Poco X6 Pro 5G: autonomy and fast charging available

This is one of the good surprises that this Poco X6 Pro has in store for us. It comes with a 5000mAh battery as standard, but expect the MediaTek Dimensity 8300-Ultra and HyperOS duo to work well together. The device keeps the length. In our PC Mark test (which simulates multiple uses with the screen on), this Poco lasted just over 12 hours. It is very pleasant. In other words, under normal use, it can last more than a day and a half without using the charging case. Hardcore players who draw on reserves a little quicker can expect just over a day of autonomy.

As for charging, it is pleasing to see that the Poco X6 Pro comes with a charger, bucking the trend that prevails among high-end models. And not just any model, because we still benefit from a 67 W model. Thanks to this, fast charging is possible. Wait a little less than an hour for the battery to fully charge. In half an hour we regenerate a little more than 50% of the battery, more than enough for a day.

Poco X6 Pro 5G: Should you choose Poco's powerful, affordable smartphone?

Poco X6 Pro 5G 12-512GB

Without a doubt, this Poco X6 Pro meets the needs of users looking for performance to perform complex tasks on their smartphone and especially to play. In this respect, the configuration chosen by the manufacturer does not disappoint at all. Especially since this powerful engine is supported by a very pleasant screen and a design that, although not the most original, has the advantage of being comfortable and relatively discreet. However, we can point out some shadows on the board. First, the proliferation of third-party applications that are very invasive if you are not careful. Then a disappointing photo section that spoils the fun a little. If you pay attention to the photo, you will inevitably be disappointed. However, if the device's main purpose is to satisfy your passion for gaming in all circumstances, this Poco is an excellent offer.

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The OnePlus Watch 2 is already available at a reduced price on Amazon

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

OnePlus recently announced new smartwatches. They are already available at a discount on Amazon.

The price of the question

This is the OnePlus Watch 2. The model costs $299.99. However, with a coupon, the novelty can be purchased for $50 less. Two colors are available: Black Steel and Radiant Steel.

The OnePlus Watch 2 is already available at a reduced

For those who don't know

The OnePlus Watch 2 features a 47mm body and a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with up to 1000 nits brightness. The new product is protected against water (5ATM) and shocks (MIL-STD-810H). It is also equipped with dual frequency GPS, NFC, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer and light sensor to adjust screen brightness.

The watch can track more than 100 sports, as well as monitor sleep and track your health. The OnePlus Watch 2 comes with two operating systems: Google's Wear OS and RTOS. The Snapdragon W5 chip is responsible for the former and the BES2700 for the latter. When using Wear OS, the watch can run up to 100 hours on a single charge. With RTOS enabled, battery life is up to 12 days.

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Apple is backing down on PWAs

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

The coming weeks promise to be exciting: The entry into force of the Digital Market Act is forcing the technology giants to rethink some of their policies. In this context, Apple recently changed its mind regarding the removal of PWAs in Europe.

Source: Unsplash

The Digital Market Act passed by the European Union forced Apple to review its strategy for its iPhone. Among the notable changes is that the Apple company had to accept the introduction of third-party app stores on its devices, putting an end to its monopoly in this field. In the list of changes introduced with iOS 17.4, the end of PWAs in Europe has caused a lot of excitement.

What are PWAs?

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) are web applications that run directly in a browser without requiring any prior download or installation.

They offer many advantages, such as: E.g. improved accessibility, reduced storage space usage and automatic updates. In short, these are mobile applications without the need to install them like native applications.

Apple is backing down

Apple originally planned to remove PWAs in Europe with the iOS 17.4 update. In the face of pressure from the European Union The American company changed course and decided to keep the PWAsassuming they must use the WebKit rendering engine.

Despite Apple's concessions regarding app stores and third-party PWAs, the European Union does not want to stop there. Starting Thursday, European authorities will closely examine the changes the company made to Apple to ensure they comply with the requirements of the Digital Market Act.

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SpaceX is sending a new crew to the International Space Station

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

Three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut took off from Florida on Sunday evening to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will stay for about six months.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 10:53 p.m. local time, lighting up the night sky with a long, glowing orange plume of flames.

A few minutes after firing, the launch vehicle flew across the Atlantic at a speed of around 6,000 mph (9,700 km/h), NASA commentators described.

The ship, which has three men and one woman on board, took about nine minutes to get into orbit. It has to dock with the ISS to relieve four crew members from the space laboratory.

The start, originally planned for Saturday, was postponed by 24 hours due to unfavorable weather.

The capsule attached to the tip of the rocket, called Endeavor, has been used by Elon Musk's company on four previous manned missions.

Alexander Grebenkin, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps pose for the camera at the Kennedy Space Center.

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Alexander Grebenkin, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps at the Kennedy Space Center before launch to the International Space Station

Photo: Getty Images / GREGG NEWTON / AFP

This time the four passengers are members of Crew-8, the eighth regular rotational mission of the American crew on the ISS, which SpaceX carried out for NASA.

The American Michael Barratt is the only Crew 8 astronaut who has already visited the flying laboratory.

However, for the other two Americans, Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps, as well as the Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebionkin, it is the first space flight.

Rare cooperation between Washington and Moscow

NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, which jointly operate the ISS, have launched an astronaut exchange program in which each takes turns bringing a crew member from the other country.

This program was maintained despite the war in Ukraine and the ISS is now one of the very few cooperation partners between Washington and Moscow.

The Crew-8 members will join the seven people already present on the ISS.

After a handover period of a few days with the four members of Crew-7 – an American, a Dane, a Japanese and a Russian – they return to Earth aboard their own Dragon capsule.

Numerous scientific studies

More than 200 scientific experiments must be carried out during the six months that Crew-8 spends in the flying laboratory, which has been permanently inhabited for 23 years.

While the first years of the station's life were devoted to construction, astronauts can now devote more time to science.

The International Space Station orbits in space above Earth's horizon.

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At the end of its decommissioning, the International Space Station must be deorbited.

Photo: Portal / Handout

“Many of the things we dreamed of a long time ago are becoming reality today,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said this week, citing stem cell research as an example.

But the station's age also has a downside: NASA and Roscomos are monitoring a leak at the end of a Russian module whose flow has increased recently, Joel Montalbano, program manager, said this week. from the ISS to NASA.

A hatch is currently permanently closed to isolate the leak from the rest of the station.

For reading and listening:

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💥 This innovative technology promises to revolutionize processors

Technology News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected]

At a time when the miniaturization of electronic components seems to be reaching its limits, a team of researchers from the City University of Hong Kong is opening up a promising new path. They have developed an innovative transistor technology that could revolutionize the design of electronic circuits and make future devices more flexible and less power hungry.

Today, the relentless drive to make electronic components ever smaller is encountering physical and economic barriers that are difficult to overcome. Extreme miniaturization leads to problems such as increased leakage current and therefore higher power consumption. To get around these obstacles, researchers have turned to an innovative approach: using multivalued logic (MVL). This concept makes it possible to reduce the number of components required in a circuit, thus providing a solution to the problem of energy consumption.

The heart of this innovation is based on the development of antiambipolar transistors, a type of transistor that allows the simultaneous transport of positive and negative charges thanks to a unique combination of nanowires and nanosheets. This combination, carried out using an advanced chemical vapor deposition technique, enables the creation of devices with exceptional performance.

Schematic of a ternary inverter based on the GaAsSb/MoS2 heterojunction.
Photo credit: Research group of Professor Johnny Ho / City University of Hong Kong

The special feature of these new transistors is that they offer remarkable antiambipolar transmission properties, including the ability to double the frequency of input signals. This feature reduces the need for additional devices and significantly simplifies the circuit design, which contributes to a significant reduction in energy consumption.

This advance represents a turning point in semiconductor research and offers a viable alternative to traditional miniaturization. It perfectly illustrates how innovations in materials can lead to sustainable and efficient technological solutions that meet the challenges of modern electronics.

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