Instead of relying on a single, centralized computer to perform a given task, this crowdsourced style of computing draws computational power from a distributed network of volunteers, typically by running special software on home PCs or smartphones. It's not uncommon for research institutions to pay upward of $1,000 for a single hour of supercomputer use, and sometimes more, depending on the hardware that's required.īut lately, rather than relying on big, expensive supercomputers, more and more scientists are turning to a different method for their number-crunching needs: distributed supercomputing. Supercomputer-dependent research is notoriously expensive. But that computing power comes at a price - literally. By crunching numbers and performing calculations that would take eons for us humans to complete by ourselves, they help us do things that would otherwise be impossible, like predicting hurricane flight paths, simulating nuclear disasters, or modeling how experimental drugs might effect human cells. Supercomputers are an essential part of modern science. You might not want to connect it to your garage doors just yet, though, until they’ve worked out some of the kinks. “It’s a replica that acts as your assistant,” he said. The company also releases products through a license with the Smithsonian, such as replica landscapes of the moon and Mars.ĭymszo hopes the updated high-tech focus of the company will appeal to a new generation of collectors, while still maintaining the authenticity they’re famous for. It is also teasing some electronic devices that will “literally change the collecting world forever!” The most well-known are Alexa, Siri, Cortana, and whatever Google Assistant’s name is, but Samsung has its own VA named Bixby, and Mycroft promises to protect your privacy at all costs.Īt its website, Master Replicas Group also promises that a new line of Star Wars and Star Trek collectibles is in the works, but not in the first wave of products. More and more virtual assistants are entering the market, with each one appealing to a different customer base. Production has already begun, and the company hope to begin shipping the devices this fall. A special numbered series will be featured, from 1 to 2001. No price has been revealed, but Master Replicas will begin taking pre-orders in April, and is also launching a Kickstarter campaign. “It’s the first prop replica that can be updated,” he said. At present, the device only responds to wake-up calls with lines from the movie, but CEO Steve Dymszo told The Verge that they hope to get Amazon’s approval to have it answer inquiries with HAL’s voice. The HAL-9000 features a Fire HD tablet as its base, and it uses Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa. The new company, comprised of several former employees, is launching with a line of officially licensed collectibles inspired by the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The original company produced a line of authentic but pricey sci-fi replica props from films such as Star Wars before closing its doors in 2008. Master Replicas is not your typical tech startup.
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