The race to build the fastest supercomputer just sped up

Japan has not been home to the world’s fastest supercomputer in five years, and now its government wants to reclaim the crown. The country’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has allocated the equivalent of $173 million to a project aimed at building a supercomputer capable of processing 130 petaflops, or 130 quadrillion calculations per second, according to Reuters. That kind of processing speed could allow Japan to make strides in emerging areas of technology, such as artificial intelligence and robotics. Companies have until Dec. 8 to bid on the project, which is being called AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure, or ABCI. It could be completed as early as next year, Reuters reported.

Chevy Bolt isn’t stylish, but GM is pushing its practicality

The executive in charge of marketing the new electric Chevrolet Bolt keeps coming back to one word. “Driving an electric vehicle is just now practical,” Darin Gesse says of the Bolt. Gesse isn’t plugging style or promising to awe your neighbors. In fact, the styling of the Bolt is so ordinary the people next door may not even notice the hatchback in your driveway. What Gesse and General Motors want consumers to see is a car that will cater to their everyday needs — commuting, shopping, transporting children and gear — all on one charge of the battery. It’s the first electric to get more than 200 miles per charge (238 to be exact) and fit most buyers’ budgets (around $30,000, after a government tax credit). There are other things to like: gobs of interior space, a near-silent ride, no tailpipe emissions, and a 6.5-second zero-to-60 time that can beat a lot of old V8 muscle cars.

Tallest skyscraper planned for London wins approval

The City of London approved plans for what will be the tallest tower in the financial district. The 73-story building, which will include a public viewing gallery and restaurant at the top, as well as enough workspace for 10,000 people, was approved at a vote on Monday. The tower will be constructed by Aroland Holdings Ltd., a closely held company based in Singapore. Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has discouraged companies from building new office space in the capital because of concerns about a potential drop in demand. New London office construction starts fell 42 percent in the six months through September compared with a year earlier, Deloitte LLP said in a Nov. 15 report.