Sometimes your computer’s CPU uses a lot of electricity—like when you’re encoding an HD video, or playing a game. Sometimes it doesn’t use much, like when you’re writing a college essay on some dead guy or browsing Craigslist. Modern processors are able to down-shift when less power is needed—but it’s slow. Faster throttling would mean less wasted power.
Harvard student Wonyoung Kim got a silicon innovation that does just that, constantly tweaking processor power-usage on the fly. HD YouTube? More power. Close the tab? Less power. Constant, precise voltage adjustments not only mean curbed waste, but a much longer life for batteries. Please, please—someone licence this stuff from Wonyoung. [PhysOrg via Engadget]