I’m no scientist, but this news still blows my mind. Researchers at the University of NSW have created the world’s narrowest silicon wires — just four atoms wide and one atom high — and found that it conducts electricity just as well as copper. More »
Silicon is great. Our computers wouldn’t work without it. But it’s nearing the limits of what it can achieve — which is where molybdenite, the new kid on the chip, can take over to provide smaller, more efficient processors. More »
IBM researchers have created the first graphene-based integrated circuit constructed on a wafer of silicon, in a setup that’s smaller than a grain of salt. The circuit is a broadband frequency mixer, which can operate up to a decent 10GHz. More »
Cloud computing is so two days ago. Now that Reebok has teamed up with semiconductor makers MC10, they plan to produce a line of garments with embedded, stretchable silicon processors, I’m only interested in wearable. More »
An artificial kidney powered by the circulatory system could be the first implantable device to replace kidney donation and dialysis, scientists say. More »
The news of Intel’s very expensive McAfee purchase raises one obvious question: Why is security software worth over $US7 billion to a chip maker? Intel has been short on specifics, but it’s becoming clear that virus-killing silicon is the future. More »
A team of MIT researchers has discovered a new silicon compound that – get this – melts as it gets cooler, some 500C lower than silicon’s natural melting point. The researchers think it could eventually yield less expensive electronics. More »
Transfer a song to your phone. Seems pretty fast, right? Now imagine transferring the entire printed catalogue of the Library of Congress in a minute and a half. Intel says they’ve got the technology to make it happen (eventually). More »
