Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Engineer Guy shows how a phone accelerometer works, knows what's up and sideways (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/the-engineer-guy-shows-how-a-smartphone-accelerometer-works/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/the-engineer-guy-shows-how-a-smartphone-accelerometer-works/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/the-engineer-guy-shows-how-a-smartphone-accelerometer-works/#comments Image

We love finding out how things work, and arguably one of the most important parts of the smartphones and tablets we thrive on is the accelerometer gauging our device's orientation. Imagine our delight, then, when we see the University of Illinois' Bill Hammack (i.e. The Engineer Guy) giving a visual rundown of how accelerometers work. Although it's certainly the Cliff's Notes version of what's going on in your Android phone or iPhone, the video does a great job of explaining the basic concepts behind three-axis motion sensing and goes on to illustrate how MEMS chips boil the idea down to the silicon form that's needed for our mobile hardware. Hammack contends that it's one of the coolest (and unsung) parts of a smartphone, and we'd definitely agree; you can see why in the clip after the break.

Continue reading Engineer Guy shows how a phone accelerometer works, knows what's up and sideways (video)

Engineer Guy shows how a phone accelerometer works, knows what's up and sideways (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 20:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accelerometeraccelerometerscellphonecellphoneshow it is madehow it workshow its madeHowItIsMadeHowItsMadeHowItWorksmemsmobilepostcrossmotionmotion sensorMotionSensorsciencesensorsiliconsmartphonesmartphonestablettablet pctablet pcsTabletPcTabletPcstabletsuniversity of illinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversityOfIllinoisUniversityOfIllinoisAtUrbana-champaignTue, 22 May 2012 20:06:00 EST<![CDATA[Scientists use metal and silicon to create invisibility cloak (no, you can't wear it)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/metal-and-silicon-invisibility-cloak/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/metal-and-silicon-invisibility-cloak/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/22/metal-and-silicon-invisibility-cloak/#comments Scientists use metal and silicon to create invisibility cloak (no, you can't wear it)

In the quest to achieve that much-desired invisibility cloak, scientists have redirected light, used heat monitoring and even gone underwater -- with varying degrees of success. The latest attempt at this optical illusion is from engineers at Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania, who have developed a device that can detect light without being seen itself. When the ratio of metal to silicon is just right, the light reflected from the two materials is completely canceled out. The process, called plasmonic cloaking, controls the flow of light to create optical and electronic functions while leaving nothing for the eye to see. Scientists envision this tech being used in cameras -- plasmonic cloaking could reduce blur by minimizing the cross-talk between pixels. Other applications include solar cells, sensors and solid-state lighting -- human usage is conspicuously absent on that list.

Scientists use metal and silicon to create invisibility cloak (no, you can't wear it) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 May 2012 15:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>invisibilityinvisibility cloakinvisibility cloaksInvisibilityCloakInvisibilityCloaksplasmonic cloakingPlasmonicCloakingplasmonicsresearchresearcherssiliconstanforduniversity of pennsylvaniaUniversityOfPennsylvaniaTue, 22 May 2012 15:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Samsung pushes graphene one step closer to silicon supremacy]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/18/samsung-graphene-breakthrough/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/18/samsung-graphene-breakthrough/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/18/samsung-graphene-breakthrough/#comments Samsung pushes graphene one step closer to silicon-supremacy

Graphene has long-held notions of grandeur over its current silicon overlord, but a few practical issues have always kept its takeover bid grounded. Samsung, however, thinks it's cracked at least one of those -- graphene's inability to switch off current. Previous attempts to use graphene as a transistor have involved converting it to a semi-conductor, but this also reduces its electron mobility, negating much of the benefit. Samsung's Advanced Institute of Technology has created a graphene-silicon "Schottky barrier" that brings graphene this much-needed current-killing ability, without losing its electron-shuffling potential. The research also explored potential logic device applications based on the same technology. So, does this mean we'll finally get our flea-sized super computer implant? Maybe, not just yet, but the wheels have certainly been oiled.

Continue reading Samsung pushes graphene one step closer to silicon supremacy

Samsung pushes graphene one step closer to silicon supremacy originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 May 2012 04:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>circuitsgraphenegraphene circuitgraphene transistorGrapheneCircuitGrapheneTransistorresearchsamsungSamsung Advanced Institute of TechnologySamsungAdvancedInstituteOfTechnologysciencesemi-conductorsilicontransistorFri, 18 May 2012 04:47:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/amd-trinity-apu-unveiled/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/amd-trinity-apu-unveiled/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/amd-trinity-apu-unveiled/#comments AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming

Itching for the details of AMD's latest Accelerated Processing Units (APUs)? Then get ready to scratch: Trinity has arrived and, as of today, it's ready to start powering the next generation of low-power ultra-portables, laptops and desktops that, erm, don't run Intel. The new architecture boasts up to double the performance-per-watt of last year's immensely popular Llano APUs, with improved "discrete-class" integrated graphics and without adding to the burden on battery life. How is that possible? By how much will Trinity-equipped devices beat Intel on price? And will it play Crysis: Warhead? Read on to find out.

Gallery: AMD reveals Trinity APU

Continue reading AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming

AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100w17w35w65waccelerated processing unitAcceleratedProcessingUnitAceramdAMD APUAMD llanoAMD trinityAmdApuAmdLlanoAmdTrinityAPUAsuschipchip architectureChipArchitecturechipsetcompalcomputecpudesktopdesktopsDirectXDivX Incgpugpu computeGpuComputeintegrated graphicsIntegratedGraphicsJohn TaylorlaptoplaptopsllanoopenclpiledriverprocessorSci/TechsiliconsleekbookToshibatrinityTrinity APUTrinityApuultra-thinultrabookVLC media playerTue, 15 May 2012 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Scientists bend gamma rays, could neuter radioactive waste]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/10/scientists-bend-gamma-rays-in-experiment/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/10/scientists-bend-gamma-rays-in-experiment/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/10/scientists-bend-gamma-rays-in-experiment/#comments Image

Bending most light is easy; bending it in gamma ray form, however, has often been deemed impossible given how hard it is for electrons to react to the extreme frequencies. University of Munich scientist Dietrich Habs and his Institut Laue-Langevin teammate Michael Jentschel have proven that assumption wrong: an experiment in blasting a silicon prism has shown that gamma rays will refract just slightly through the right material. If a lens is made out of a large-atom substance like gold to bend the rays further, the researchers envision focused beams of energy that could either detect radioactive material or even make it inert by wiping off neutrons and protons. In theory, it could turn a nuclear power plant's waste harmless. A practical use of the technology is still some distance off -- but that it's even within sight at all just feels like a breakthrough.

Scientists bend gamma rays, could neuter radioactive waste originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 05:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>experimentgamma rayGamma RaysGammaRayGammaRaysinstitut laue langevininstitut laue-langevinInstitutLaue-langevinInstitutLaueLangevinlensnuclearnuclear powerNuclearPowerprismradiationradioactiveresearchsciencescience and technologyScienceAndTechnologyscientistscientistssiliconsilicon prismSiliconPrismuniversity of munichUniversityOfMunichThu, 10 May 2012 05:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers build optical transistor out of silicon, provide path to all-optical computing]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/01/researchers-build-optical-transistor-out-of-silicon-provide-pat/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/01/researchers-build-optical-transistor-out-of-silicon-provide-pat/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/01/researchers-build-optical-transistor-out-of-silicon-provide-pat/#comments Researchers build optical transistor out of silicon, provide path to all-optical computing

The speed of light is the universal speed limit, so naturally, optical technologies appeal when trying to construct speedy computational devices. Fiber optics let us shoot data to and fro at top speed, but for the time being our CPUs still make their calculations using electronic transistors. Good news is, researchers from Purdue University have built an optical transistor out of silicon that can propagate logic signals -- meaning it can serve as an optical switch and push enough photons to drive two other transistors. It's constructed of a microring resonator situated next to one optical line that transmits the signal, and a second that heats the microring to change its resonant frequency. The microring then resonates at a specific frequency to interact with the light in the signal line in such a way that its output is drastically reduced and essentially shut off. Presto, an optical transistor is born. Before dreams of superfast photonic computers start dancing in your head, however, just know they won't be showing up anytime soon -- the power consumption of such transistors is far beyond their electronic counterparts due to the energy inefficient lasers that power them.

Researchers build optical transistor out of silicon, provide path to all-optical computing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 03:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>optic computeroptic computingoptical transistorOpticalTransistorOpticComputerOpticComputingopticsphotonicphotonic computerphotonic computingphotonic transistorPhotonicComputerPhotonicComputingphotonicsPhotonicTransistorpurduepurdue universityPurdueUniversityresearchsiliconsilicon optical transistorsilicon transistorSiliconOpticalTransistorSiliconTransistortransistorTue, 01 May 2012 03:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel teaches Haswell the core values of teamwork, optimism]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/intel-teaches-haswell-the-core-value-of-teamwork/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/intel-teaches-haswell-the-core-value-of-teamwork/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/09/intel-teaches-haswell-the-core-value-of-teamwork/#comments Sure you can make wild, individualistic boasts about having a 22nm fabrication process and three different GPUs, but that stuff counts for nothing without the magic of cooperation. The Amish know that and so does Intel, which is why its forthcoming Haswell cores will support Transactional Synchronization Extensions (TSX) -- a new instruction set designed to allow cores to work together more closely without hammering each others' fingers. TSX takes greater responsibility for the division of labor between cores at the hardware level, relieving the software programmer of some of this burdensome duty and hopefully allowing for finer-grained threading as a result. The system also relies on inherent optimism, with each core assuming that the others have handled their part of the work successfully. Inevitably, there'll be occasions when this happy belief gets splintered and a bad job has to be started again from scratch, but on average things should get done quicker and leave more energy for the barn dance.

Intel teaches Haswell the core values of teamwork, optimism originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>22nmamishcoarse-grainedcooperationCpuCoolerdivision of laborDivisionOfLaborfine-grainedhaswellinstruction setInstructionSetintelintel haswellIntelHaswellMicroProjectormulti-threadedmulti-threadingmusic+and+musicalsoptimistprocessorsiliconteam-workthread lockthreadingthreading lockThreadingLockThreadLocktransactional synchronization extensionsTransactionalSynchronizationExtensionstsxThu, 09 Feb 2012 10:43:00 EST<![CDATA[IBM builds 9 nanometer carbon nanotube transistor, puts silicon on notice]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/28/ibm-builds-9-nanometer-carbon-nanotube-transistor-puts-silicon/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/28/ibm-builds-9-nanometer-carbon-nanotube-transistor-puts-silicon/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/28/ibm-builds-9-nanometer-carbon-nanotube-transistor-puts-silicon/#comments IBM makes a 9 nanometer carbon nanotube transistor, puts silicon on noticeIt's not the smallest transistor out there, but the boffins at IBM have constructed the tiniest carbon nanotube transistor to date. It's nine nanometers in size, making it one nanometer smaller than the presumed physical limit of silicon transistors. Plus, it consumes less power and is able to carry more current than present-day technology. The researchers accomplished the trick by laying a nanotube on a thin layer of insulation, and using a two-step process -- involving some sort of black magic, no doubt -- to add the electrical gates inside. The catch? (There's always a catch) Manufacturing pure batches of semiconducting nanotubes is difficult, as is aligning them in such a way that the transistors can function. So, it'll be some time before the technology can compete with Intel's 3D silicon, but at least we're one step closer to carbon-based computing.

IBM builds 9 nanometer carbon nanotube transistor, puts silicon on notice originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>9 nanometers9Nanometers9nmcarboncarbon nanotubesCarbonNanotubesibmmoores lawMooresLawresearchsciencesilicontransistorSat, 28 Jan 2012 00:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Samsung looks to borrow $1 billion to expand production capacity in Austin, Texas]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/16/samsung-looks-to-borrow-1-billion-to-expand-production-capacity/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/16/samsung-looks-to-borrow-1-billion-to-expand-production-capacity/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/16/samsung-looks-to-borrow-1-billion-to-expand-production-capacity/#commentsWhen you're producing chips for the iPad and iPhone, you need a serious facility to meet those demands. And evidently, Samsung's not foreseeing its legal battles with Apple to cause any wrinkles in said plans. In fact, Bloomberg is reporting that Sammy has "sent requests for proposals to banks to borrow as much as $1 billion to expand production capacity at its factory in Austin, Texas," with the bonds to be issued by Samsung's US unit. It's bruited that the company -- which has around $19.2 billion in cash -- may sell its first overseas bonds since 1997 due to the impossibly low cost of borrowing money these days, and in a time where positive economic news is tough to come by, it's quite the relief to see a bit of forward progress come from historically low interest rates. Reuters is reporting that the investment will mostly be used to "boost production of mobile chips and next-generation OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display panels," but specific details beyond that remain murky.

Samsung looks to borrow $1 billion to expand production capacity in Austin, Texas originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>austinbusinesschicpudebteconomyexpansionindustrymicroprocessorprocessorproductionsamsungsamsung semiconductorSamsungSemiconductorsemiconductorsilicontexasMon, 16 Jan 2012 20:24:00 EST<![CDATA[Quanta sues AMD, claims it sold defective products]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/04/quanta-sues-amd-sold-defective-products-nec/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/04/quanta-sues-amd-sold-defective-products-nec/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/04/quanta-sues-amd-sold-defective-products-nec/#commentsYikes. Quanta -- also known as the planet's largest contract maker of laptops -- has just slapped a nasty lawsuit on the world's second-largest chipmaker. According to Bloomberg, Quanta is alleging that AMD and ATI sold chips that "didn't meet heat tolerances and were unfit for particular purposes." Those chips were then used in NEC-labeled machines, and caused them to "malfunction" in some regard. No big deal? Hardly. In the complaint, Quanta states that it has "suffered significant injury to prospective revenue and profits," and it's seeking a jury trial and damages for good measure.

As if that weren't harsh enough, the suit also claims "breach of warranty, negligent misrepresentation, civil fraud and interference with a contract." When pinged for comment, AMD's spokesman, Michael Silverman stated: "AMD disputes the allegations in Quanta's complaint and believes they are without merit. AMD is aware of no other customer reports of the alleged issues with the AMD chip that Quanta used, which AMD no longer sells. "In fact, Quanta has itself acknowledged to AMD that it used the identical chip in large volumes in a different computer platform that it manufactured for NEC without such issues." Somewhere, Intel has to be smirking.

Quanta sues AMD, claims it sold defective products originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Advanced Micro DevicesAdvancedMicroDevicesamdapubreach of contractBreachOfContractcomplaintcourtcpuillegalissuelawsuitnecoverheatoverheatingproblemprocessorquantasiliconsuesuittroubleWed, 04 Jan 2012 12:41:00 EST<![CDATA[NTT Docomo, Panasonic, Samsung and more team up to take on Qualcomm over cellphone chips]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/ntt-docomo-panasonic-samsung-and-more-team-up-to-take-on-qualc/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/ntt-docomo-panasonic-samsung-and-more-team-up-to-take-on-qualc/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/27/ntt-docomo-panasonic-samsung-and-more-team-up-to-take-on-qualc/#commentsJapanese mobile operator NTT Docomo just announced (as had been rumored) it's forming a joint venture with five partners -- Samsung, Panasonic, Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Semiconductor and NEC -- to develop and sell chips for mobile devices. According to the press release the fabless JV will get started once all involved finish hammering out the details and focus on creating LTE-connected products for the global market. NTT Docomo is investing $5.8 million to create a subsidiary, Communication Platform Planning Co., in preparation with one of its executives as CEO. Currently Qualcomm makes the majority of chips found in smartphones, but it appears to have some high-powered competition on the way soon.

Continue reading NTT Docomo, Panasonic, Samsung and more team up to take on Qualcomm over cellphone chips

NTT Docomo, Panasonic, Samsung and more team up to take on Qualcomm over cellphone chips originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chipsfablessfujitsujoint ventureJointVentureltemobilepostmininecNTT DOCOMONttDocomopanasonicpartnershipprocessorsqualcommsamsungsiliconTue, 27 Dec 2011 02:02:00 EST<![CDATA[MIT slinks into a cafe, orders a side of photonic chips on silicon]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/25/mit-slinks-into-a-cafe-orders-a-side-of-photonic-chips-on-silic/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/25/mit-slinks-into-a-cafe-orders-a-side-of-photonic-chips-on-silic/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/25/mit-slinks-into-a-cafe-orders-a-side-of-photonic-chips-on-silic/#comments
Whiz-kids the world over have been making significant progress on the development of photonic chips -- devices that "use light beams instead of electrons to carry out their computational tasks." But now, MIT has taken the next major leap, filling in "a crucial piece of the puzzle" that just might allow for the creation of photonic chips on the standard silicon material that underlies most of today's electronics. Today, data can travel via light beams shot over through optical fibers, and once it arrives, it's "converted into electronic form, processed through electronic circuits and then converted back to light using a laser." What a waste. If MIT's research bears fruit, the resulting product could nix those extra steps, allowing the light signal to be processed directly. Caroline Ross, the Toyota Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, calls it a diode for light; to construct it, researchers had to locate a material that was both transparent and magnetic. In other words, a material that only exists in the Chamber of Secrets. Hit the source link for the rest of the tale.

MIT slinks into a cafe, orders a side of photonic chips on silicon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Caroline RossCarolineRosscircuitcircuitsdiodeelectricitylaserlightMITopticaloptical transmissionOpticalTransmissionphotonicprocessorsciencesilicontransmissionuniversityFri, 25 Nov 2011 11:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers increase charging capacity, speed of lithium ion batteries by a factor of ten]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/researchers-increase-charging-capacity-speed-of-lithium-ion-bat/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/researchers-increase-charging-capacity-speed-of-lithium-ion-bat/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/researchers-increase-charging-capacity-speed-of-lithium-ion-bat/#commentsIt's not every day that we get to write about advancements in battery technology -- much less one as potentially groundbreaking as what a group of engineers at Northwestern University claim to have pulled off. In fact, Professor Harold Kung and his team say they've successfully managed to increase both the charging capacity and speed of lithium ion batteries by a factor of ten. The key, according to Kung, is the movement of the lithium ions nestled between layers of graphene. The speed at which these ions move across a battery's graphene sheets is directly related to how fast a device can recharge. To speed up this process, Kung decided to poke millions of tiny, 10-20nm-sized holes into a mobile battery's graphene layers, thereby providing the ions with a "shortcut" to the next level. As a result, Kung's perforated batteries were able to charge ten times faster than traditional cells, going from zero to hero in 15 minutes.

Not satisfied with that achievement alone, Kung and his squad then set about increasing their battery's charging capacity, as well. Here, they increased the density of lithium ions by inserting small clusters of silicon between each graphene slice. This approach allows more ions to gather at the electrode and, by taking advantage of graphene's malleable properties, avoids some of the silicon expansion problems that have plagued previous attempts at capacity enhancement. The result? A battery that can run on a single charge for more than a week. "Now we almost have the best of both worlds," Kung said. "We have much higher energy density because of the silicon, and the sandwiching reduces the capacity loss caused by the silicon expanding and contracting. Even if the silicon clusters break up, the silicon won't be lost." There is, however, a downside, as both charging capacity and speed sharply fell off after 150 charges. But as Kung points out, the increase in charge retention would more than make up for this shortcoming. "Even after 150 charges, which would be one year or more of operation, the battery is still five times more effective than lithium-ion batteries on the market today," he told the BBC. For more technical details, hit up the links below.

Researchers increase charging capacity, speed of lithium ion batteries by a factor of ten originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batterybreakthroughchargecharging capacitycharging speedChargingCapacityChargingSpeedengineeringgrapheneharold kungHaroldKungholelaptoplithium ion batteryLithiumIonBatterymobilenanoclusternorthwestern universityNorthwesternUniversityperforationrechargeresearchsiliconWed, 16 Nov 2011 05:39:00 EST<![CDATA[MIT unveils computer chip that thinks like the human brain, Skynet just around the corner]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/mit-unveils-computer-chip-that-thinks-like-the-human-brain-skyn/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/mit-unveils-computer-chip-that-thinks-like-the-human-brain-skyn/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/mit-unveils-computer-chip-that-thinks-like-the-human-brain-skyn/#commentsIt may be a bit on the Uncanny Valley side of things to have a computer chip that can mimic the human brain's activity, but it's still undeniably cool. Over at MIT, researchers have unveiled a chip that mimics how the brain's neurons adapt to new information (a process known as plasticity) which could help in understanding assorted brain functions, including learning and memory. The silicon chip contains about 400 transistors and can simulate the activity of a single brain synapse -- the space between two neurons that allows information to flow from one to the other. Researchers anticipate this chip will help neuroscientists learn much more about how the brain works, and could also be used in neural prosthetic devices such as artificial retinas. Moving into the realm of "super cool things we could do with the chip," MIT's researchers have outlined plans to model specific neural functions, such as the visual processing system. Such systems could be much faster than digital computers and where it might take hours or days to simulate a simple brain circuit, the chip -- which functions on an analog method -- could be even faster than the biological system itself. In other news, the chip will gladly handle next week's grocery run, since it knows which foods are better for you than you ever could.

MIT unveils computer chip that thinks like the human brain, Skynet just around the corner originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brainchipcircuitlearningmemoryMITneuroscienceprostheticresearchretinassiliconsynapsetransistorsUncanny ValleyUncannyValleyTue, 15 Nov 2011 14:13:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel 4004, world's first commercial microprocessor, celebrates 40th birthday, ages gracefully]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/intel-4004-worlds-first-commercial-microprocessor-celebrates/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/intel-4004-worlds-first-commercial-microprocessor-celebrates/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/intel-4004-worlds-first-commercial-microprocessor-celebrates/#comments
Pull out the candles and champagne, because the Intel 4004 is celebrating a major birthday today -- the big four-oh. That's right, it's been exactly four decades since Intel unveiled the world's first commercially available CPU, with an Electronic News ad that ran on November 15th, 1971. It all began in 1969, when Japan's Nippon Calculating Machine Corporation asked Intel to create 12 chips for its Busicom 141-PF calculator. With that assignment, engineers Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff and Stanley Mazor set about designing what would prove to be a groundbreaking innovation -- a 4-bit, 16-pin microprocessor with a full 2,300 MOS transistors, and about 740kHZ of horsepower. The 4004's ten micron feature size may seem gargantuan by contemporary standards, but at the time, it was rather remarkable -- especially considering that the processor was constructed from a single piece of silicon. In fact, Faggin was so proud of his creation that he decided to initial its design with "FF," in appropriate recognition of a true work of art. Hit up the coverage links below for more background on the Intel 4004, including a graphic history of the microprocessor, from the Inquirer.

Intel 4004, world's first commercial microprocessor, celebrates 40th birthday, ages gracefully originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>40th anniversary40thAnniversaryanniversarybirthdayBusicomcalculatorcomputer scienceComputerSciencecomputingCPUfagginfederico fagginFedericoFagginhistoryintelintel 4004Intel4004micronmicroprocessorMOS transistorMosTransistornippon calculating machine corporationNipponCalculatingMachineCorporationprocessorsiliconten micronTenMicrontransistorTue, 15 Nov 2011 11:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Ferroelectric transistor memory could run on 99 percent less power than flash]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/ferroelectric-transistor-memory-could-run-on-99-less-power-than/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/ferroelectric-transistor-memory-could-run-on-99-less-power-than/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/ferroelectric-transistor-memory-could-run-on-99-less-power-than/#comments We've been keeping an optimistic eye on the progress of Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeRAM) for a few years now, not least because it offers the tantalizing promise of 1.6GB/s read and write speeds and crazy data densities. But researchers at Purdue University reckon we've been looking in the wrong place this whole time: the real action is with their development of FeTRAM, which adds an all-important 'T' for 'Transistor'. Made by combining silicon nanowires with a ferroelectric polymer, Purdue's material holds onto its 0 or 1 polarity even after being read, whereas readouts from capacitor-based FeRAM are destructive. Although still at the experimental stage, this new type of memory could boost speeds while also reducing power consumption by 99 percent. Quick, somebody file a patent. Oh, they already did.

Ferroelectric transistor memory could run on 99 percent less power than flash originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capacitorFeRAMferroelectricFeTRAMmemorynanowirePurduePurdue UniversityPurdueUniversityRAMsiliconsilicon nanowireSiliconNanowiretransistorWed, 28 Sep 2011 07:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Julius Blank, chip-making pioneer and Fairchild co-founder, dies at 86]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/julius-blank-chip-making-pioneer-and-fairchild-co-founder-dies/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/julius-blank-chip-making-pioneer-and-fairchild-co-founder-dies/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/julius-blank-chip-making-pioneer-and-fairchild-co-founder-dies/#comments Somber news coming out of Palo Alto today, where Julius Blank, the man who helped found the groundbreaking chipmaker Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, has passed away at the age of 86. The Manhattan-born Blank (pictured third from left, above) began his engineering career in 1952, when he joined AT&T's Western Electric plant in New Jersey. As a member of the engineering group at the plant, Blank helped create phone technology that allowed users to dial long-distance numbers without going through an operator. It was also at Western Electric where he met fellow engineer Eugene Kleiner. In 1956, Blank and Kleiner left AT&T to work at the lab of Nobel Prize-winning physicist William B. Shockley, but departed just one year later (amid to start Fairchild, alongside a group of six other computer scientists that included future Intel Corporation founders Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. At their new labs, Blank and his peers developed an inexpensive method for manufacturing silicon chips, earning them $1.5 million in capital from a single investor. As the only two with any manufacturing experience, Blank and Kleiner were charged with bringing the dream to fruition -- a task that required them to build the chips from scratch, beginning with the machinery for growing silicon crystals. They succeeded, of course, and in 1969, Blank left Fairchild to start Xicor, a tech firm that Intersil would later buy for $529 million, in 2004. But his legacy will forever be linked to those early days at Fairchild, where, as Blank described in a 2008 interview, he and his colleagues were able to experience the unique thrill of "building something from nothing." Julius Blank is survived by his two sons, Jeffrey and David, and two grandsons.

[Photo courtesy of Joan Seidel / AP 1999]

Julius Blank, chip-making pioneer and Fairchild co-founder, dies at 86 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Sep 2011 06:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attchipchip makerchipmakerchipmakingcomputer chipComputerChipdeathengineereugene kleinerEugeneKleinerfairchildfairchild semiconductorFairchildSemiconductorgary mooreGaryMooreintel corporationIntelCorporationJulius BlankJuliusBlankobitobituarypalo altoPaloAltorobert noyceRobertNoycesiliconsilicon chipsilicon crystalsilicon valleySiliconChipSiliconCrystalSiliconValleystart upStartUpwilliam b shockleywilliam shockleyWilliamBShockleyWilliamShockleyxicorMon, 26 Sep 2011 06:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Hanako 2 robot acts like a human dental patient, makes us say 'aah' (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/hanako-2-robot-acts-like-a-human-dental-patient-makes-us-say-a/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/hanako-2-robot-acts-like-a-human-dental-patient-makes-us-say-a/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/30/hanako-2-robot-acts-like-a-human-dental-patient-makes-us-say-a/#comments
No, she's not in a state of shock, nor is she hunting for plankton -- she's simply waiting for the dentist to polish her pearly whites, just like any other conscientious robot. Known as the Showa Hanako 2, this humanoid was originally developed last year as a tool for dentists looking to practice new procedures. Now, engineers at Japan's Showa University have updated their dental denizen, adding a motorized head and replacing her PVC skin with a more realistic silicon coating. She also boasts speech recognition capabilities and can execute freakishly natural movements, including blinking, sneezing, coughing and, under more unsavory circumstances, even choking. See her in action for yourself, after the break.

Continue reading Hanako 2 robot acts like a human dental patient, makes us say 'aah' (video)

Hanako 2 robot acts like a human dental patient, makes us say 'aah' (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>degrees of freedomDegreesOfFreedomdentaldentistdoctorhanakohanako 2hanako robotHanako2HanakoRobothealthhumanoidjapanlove dollLoveDollmedicinerobotshowa hanakoshowa hanako 2showa universityShowaHanakoShowaHanako2ShowaUniversitysiliconteethtrainingvideoThu, 30 Jun 2011 13:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple's A6 processor may come courtesy of TSMC, Samsung left to wonder why]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/apples-a6-processor-may-come-courtesy-of-tsmc-samsung-left-to/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/apples-a6-processor-may-come-courtesy-of-tsmc-samsung-left-to/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/27/apples-a6-processor-may-come-courtesy-of-tsmc-samsung-left-to/#comments Apple's fondness for anorexic handhelds knows no bounds, and if this alleged deal with the Asian foundry holds water, expect to see its waistband tighten further. Rumoured back before the iPad 2 launch, the house-that-Steve-built's reportedly been eyeing Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp to produce an 'A6' for its upcoming iPhone refresh. While it's easy to dismiss this purported move as a direct diss to Samsung, what's more likely is that Cupertino's engaging in a competitive bit of size does matter -- specifically, the A5's 45nm process. A transition to newer, lower power 28nm ARM chips would give Jonathan Ives' employer a distinct market advantage, dwarfing even TSMC's current 40nm in the process. While it's all still just speculation for now, only time and an iPhone 5 tear-down will tell for sure.

Apple's A6 processor may come courtesy of TSMC, Samsung left to wonder why originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>28 nanometer28Nanometer28nmA6AppleApple A5Apple A6Apple iphone5 A6Apple Samsung lawsuitAppleA5AppleA6AppleIphone5A6AppleSamsungLawsuitARMARM CortexArmCortexGalaxy SGalaxySipad 2ipad2iphone 5Iphone5SamsungSemiconductorsemiconductorssiliconSoCTSMC A6TsmcA6Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Tilera's new 100-core CPU elbows its way to the cloud, face-melt still included]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/tileras-new-100-core-cpu-elbows-its-way-to-the-cloud-face-melt/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/tileras-new-100-core-cpu-elbows-its-way-to-the-cloud-face-melt/http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/21/tileras-new-100-core-cpu-elbows-its-way-to-the-cloud-face-melt/#comments Hundred core chips might not be breaking news -- especially if the company announcing it is Tilera -- but what if that new multi-core CPU drew an insanely lower wattage and set its sights on powering a few cloud server farms? Well, that's exactly what chip maker Tilera has up its silicon sleeve. "Co-developed with the world's leading cloud computing companies" -- take a guess who that might include -- the new 64-bit TileGx-3100 clocks in at up to 1.5GHz while sucking down a lighter 48W. Line that up next to the current cloud favorite, Intel's Xeon, and your power consumption is slashed nearly in half. Of course, the barrier to entry is high for the nascent chip developer since most code written is for the x86 -- requiring a whole new set of instructions for data centers to play nice. Expect to see this face-melting monster sometime early 2012, by which time, you'll probably have your 50,000 strong music library synced to the cloud.

Tilera's new 100-core CPU elbows its way to the cloud, face-melt still included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>100100 core100CoreAMDcloudcloud computingCloudComputingcorecpuIntelIntel XeonIntelXeonparallel processingParallelProcessingprocessorsiliconstartuptile gxTile Gx 3100tile-gxTileGxTileGX 3000 seriesTilegx3000SeriesTileGx3100tileraTue, 21 Jun 2011 22:48:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD ships five million Fusion chips, says it's sold out]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/28/amd-ships-five-million-fusion-chips-says-its-sold-out/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/28/amd-ships-five-million-fusion-chips-says-its-sold-out/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/28/amd-ships-five-million-fusion-chips-says-its-sold-out/#comments Sounds like Notbooks are making a dent: AMD says it's shipped five million Fusion processors since the architecture's debut, according to a report at CNET. In January, the company said the hybrid CPU / GPU chips had momentum, and as of last month it was quoting 3.9 million APUs out in the wild, but this week AMD says that demand has overtaken supply and it's completely sold out of the Atom alternative. Sounds like Intel's more than justified in seeking out hybrid solutions of its own, no matter where it might have to look to get a leg up in the integrated graphics market. Here's hoping AMD's other Fusion chips show just as much pep per penny (and milliampere-hour) as the original processor.

AMD ships five million Fusion chips, says it's sold out originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 May 2011 20:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Advanced Micro DevicesAdvancedMicroDevicesAMDamd fusionAmdFusionAPUATICPUfusionFusion APUFusionApuGPUgraphicsnetbooknotbookprocessorssalessiliconSat, 28 May 2011 20:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel will mass produce 3D transistors for all future CPUs, starting with 22nm Ivy Bridge (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/04/intel-will-mass-produce-22nm-3d-transistors-for-all-future-cpus/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/04/intel-will-mass-produce-22nm-3d-transistors-for-all-future-cpus/http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/04/intel-will-mass-produce-22nm-3d-transistors-for-all-future-cpus/#comments Looks like 3D isn't just a fad, folks, so long as we're talking about silicon -- Intel just announced that it has invented a 3D "Tri-Gate" transistor that will allow the company to keep shrinking chips, Moore's Law naysayers be darned. Intel says the transistors will use 50 percent less power, conduct more current and provide 37 percent more speed than their 2D counterparts thanks to vertical fins of silicon substrate that stick up through the other layers, and that those fancy fins could make for cheaper chips too -- currently, though, the tri-gate tech adds an estimated 2 to 3 percent cost to existing silicon wafers. Intel says we'll see the new technology first in its 22nm Ivy Bridge CPUs, going into mass production in the second half of the year, and it's planning 14nm chips in 2013 and 10nm chips in 2015. Also, 3D transistors won't be limited to the cutting edge -- Intel reps told journalists that they "will extend across the entire range of our product line," including mobile devices. Three videos and a press release await you after the break.

Chris Trout contributed to this report.

Continue reading Intel will mass produce 3D transistors for all future CPUs, starting with 22nm Ivy Bridge (video)

Intel will mass produce 3D transistors for all future CPUs, starting with 22nm Ivy Bridge (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10nm14nm22nm3D3d transistor3dTransistorbreaking newsIntelIvy BridgeIvyBridgemoores lawMooresLawsilicontransistortri-gatevideoWed, 04 May 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel touts 50Gbps interconnect by 2015, will make it work with tablets and smartphones too]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/29/intel-touts-50gbps-interconnect-by-2015-will-make-it-work-with/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/29/intel-touts-50gbps-interconnect-by-2015-will-make-it-work-with/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/29/intel-touts-50gbps-interconnect-by-2015-will-make-it-work-with/#comments Woah there, Mr. Speedy. We've barely caught up with the 10Gbps Thunderbolt interconnect, debuted in the new Macbook Pro, and now Intel's hyperactive researchers are already chattering away about something five times faster. They're promising a new interconnect, ready in four years, that will combine silicon and optical components (a technology called silicon photonics) to pump 50Gbps over distances of up to 100m. That's the sort of speed Intel predicts will be necessary to handle, say, ultra-HD 4k video being streamed between smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes and TVs. Intel insists that poor old Mr. Thunderbolt won't be forced into early retirement, but if we were him we'd be speaking to an employment lawyer right about now.

Intel touts 50Gbps interconnect by 2015, will make it work with tablets and smartphones too originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10Gbps4k50Gbpsbandwidthbeyond-HDcablefastHDIntelinterconnectnetworkingopticsphotonicsSet-topBoxsiliconsilicon photonicsSiliconPhotonicsspeedstreamingthunderboltTVultra HDultra-HDUltraHdFri, 29 Apr 2011 06:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Today marks 50th anniversary of first silicon integrated circuit patent (and the entire computing industry)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/today-marks-50th-anniversary-of-first-silicon-integrated-circuit/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/today-marks-50th-anniversary-of-first-silicon-integrated-circuit/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/25/today-marks-50th-anniversary-of-first-silicon-integrated-circuit/#comments
There's little question that the last 50 years have represented the most innovative half-century in human history, and today marks the anniversary of the invention that started it all: the silicon-based integrated circuit. Robert Noyce received the landmark US patent on April 25, 1961, going on to found Intel Corporation with Gordon E. Moore (of Moore's Law fame) in 1968. He wasn't the first to invent the integrated circuit -- the inventor of the pocket calculator Jack Kilby patented a similar technology on a germanium wafer for Texas Instruments a few months prior. Noyce's silicon version stuck, however, and is responsible for Moore's estimated $3.7 billion net worth, not to mention the success of the entire computing industry. Holding 16 other patents and credited as a mentor of Steve Jobs, Noyce was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1987, and continued to shape the computing industry until his death in 1990. If Moore's Law continues to hold true, as we anticipate it will, we expect the next 50 years to be even more exciting than the last. Let's meet back here in 2061.

Today marks 50th anniversary of first silicon integrated circuit patent (and the entire computing industry) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>computerscomputinggordon e mooregordon mooreGordonEMooreGordonMooreintegrated circuitintegrated circuit patentIntegratedCircuitIntegratedCircuitPatentintelintel corporationIntelCorporationjack kilbyJackKilbymoores lawMooresLawnoycepatentrobert noyceRobertNoycesiliconsilicon integrated circuitSiliconIntegratedCircuittexas instrumentsTexasInstrumentsMon, 25 Apr 2011 16:23:00 EST<![CDATA[Silicine might be the new graphene, now that it's been physically constructed]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/silicine-might-be-the-new-graphene-now-that-its-been-physicall/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/silicine-might-be-the-new-graphene-now-that-its-been-physicall/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/28/silicine-might-be-the-new-graphene-now-that-its-been-physicall/#comments Surely you've heard of graphene, the one-atom-thick layer of pencil lead that has the potential to change the world of computers, batteries and screens? You might want to familiarize yourself with the term "silicine," too. It's basically a version of graphene constructed out of silicon, which doesn't naturally align itself into the same eminently useful honeycomb shape -- but, given a little prod here and a layer of silver or ceramic compound there, can do much the same thing, and with better computing compatibility. First proposed around 2007, it's reportedly been produced twice now by two different teams, which gives physicists hope that it could actually be useful some day. For now, researchers need to figure out a way to easily produce it so detailed experiments can be performed -- from what we understand, the good ol' scotch tape method just won't do the job.

Silicine might be the new graphene, now that it's been physically constructed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>graphenenanonanotechnanotechnologysciencesilicinesilicontechnologyMon, 28 Mar 2011 06:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Samsung starts baking 30nm 4Gb LPDDR2 chips, packaging 2GB mobile RAM in April]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/25/samsung-starts-baking-30nm-4gb-lpddr2-chips-packaging-2gb-mobil/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/25/samsung-starts-baking-30nm-4gb-lpddr2-chips-packaging-2gb-mobil/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/25/samsung-starts-baking-30nm-4gb-lpddr2-chips-packaging-2gb-mobil/#comments When it comes to mobile RAM, capacity is often what pops to mind first while we overlook speed and power consumption, but Samsung's latest delivery is worth the extra attention. Earlier this month, said Korean giant started producing 30nm 4Gb 1066Mbps LPDDR2 (or simply Mobile DDR2) chips, in order to phase out its 40nm ones that topped 2Gb at a 800Mbps transmission rate. To put it in perspective, a 40nm 1GB package consists of four 2Gb chips, whereas the new 30nm one will only need two 4Gb chips, thus reducing the package thickness by 20 percent (down to 0.8mm) and power consumption by 25 percent. It's hard to tell when we'll start seeing these bits of silicon entering the consumer market, but Samsung's already stamping out 1GB modules this month, with a 2GB version to follow next month. Oh yes, we're definitely liking the sound of 2GB RAM for mobile phones.

Samsung starts baking 30nm 4Gb LPDDR2 chips, packaging 2GB mobile RAM in April originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>30nm4Gbdramfabricationlow powerlow power ddr2LowPowerLowPowerDdr2lpddr2memorymemory fabricationMemoryFabricationmobile ddr2mobile ramMobileDdr2MobileRamramram fabricationram productionRamFabricationRamProductionsamsungsiliconFri, 25 Mar 2011 11:57:00 EST<![CDATA[iPad 2 specs discerned, 900MHz dual-core ARM CPU and PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU blow away graphical benchmarks]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/12/ipad-2-specs-discerned-900mhz-arm-cortex-a9-and-powervr-sgx543m/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/12/ipad-2-specs-discerned-900mhz-arm-cortex-a9-and-powervr-sgx543m/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/12/ipad-2-specs-discerned-900mhz-arm-cortex-a9-and-powervr-sgx543m/#comments iFixit may have physically uncovered Apple's latest silicon, but it's the processor gurus that have discovered what's truly inside -- using software benchmarks, they've unearthed the speeds and feeds of the Apple A5. As you'll no doubt be aware having read our headline above, there actually isn't a 1GHz CPU at the helm, as AnandTech and IOSnoops report the dual-core ARM chip is dynamically clocked around 900MHz, likely in search of reduced power consumption. Perhaps more interestingly for all you gamers in the audience, the iPad 2 reports that it has a dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU on the die as originally foretold -- and, spoiler alert -- it mops the floor with both the original iPad and the Motorola Xoom. Though the new chip didn't quite demonstrate 9X the graphical prowess of its predecessor, it rendered 57.6 frames per second in a GLBenchmark test where the (admittedly higher-res) Tegra 2 tablet managed only 26.7fps, and last year's iPad pulled only 17.6fps. That's some serious Tai Chi. Hit up our source links to see the difference it can make in games like Infinity Blade.

Update: Though it sure sounds like there's a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 in there, that's not yet a proven fact -- we only know that it's a dual-core ARM v7 chip which performs relatively similarly in non-graphical tests. [Thanks, Jim]

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

iPad 2 specs discerned, 900MHz dual-core ARM CPU and PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU blow away graphical benchmarks originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>900MHzA5AppleApple A5AppleA5ARM Cortex A9ArmCortexA9benchmarkbenchmarkedbenchmarksCortex A9CortexA9CPUdual-coreglbenchmarkGPUImagination TechnologiesImaginationTechnologiesiPadiPad 2Ipad2Motorola XoomMotorolaXoomPowerVRPowerVR SGX543MP2PowervrSgx543mp2processorSGX543siliconXoomSat, 12 Mar 2011 20:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Bridgelux silicon LED could mean bright future for solid state lighting]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/11/bridgelux-silicon-led-could-mean-bright-future-for-solid-state-l/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/11/bridgelux-silicon-led-could-mean-bright-future-for-solid-state-l/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/11/bridgelux-silicon-led-could-mean-bright-future-for-solid-state-l/#comments While Democrats and Republicans squabble over the future of the incandescent light bulb, a Livermore-based company has produced an LED that they claim could lead to brighter, more affordable solid state lighting. By growing gallium nitride on low-cost silicon wafers, as opposed to the typical sapphire and silicon carbide substrates, the company has achieved an output of 135lm/W (lumens per watt) with a color correlated temperature of 4730K-- brighter than any affordable LED lighting solution we've ever seen. Of course, this isn't the first time efficacy of this level has been achieved, and we've yet to see a practical application, but if Bridgelux's numbers are right, this could mean a 75 percent cut in LED production costs. The company expects the technology to make its way to real world lights in the next two to three years -- perhaps by then the furor over pigtail light bulbs will have settled a bit. Enlightening PR after the break.

Continue reading Bridgelux silicon LED could mean bright future for solid state lighting

Bridgelux silicon LED could mean bright future for solid state lighting originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>135lmWalternative lightalternative livingAlternativeLightAlternativeLivingbridgeluxgallium nitridegallium nitride on siliconGalliumNitrideGalliumNitrideOnSiliconGan-on-SiliconLEDLEDslightlight bulblight bulbslight emitting diodelight emitting diodesLightBulbLightBulbsLightEmittingDiodeLightEmittingDiodeslightinglivermoresiliconsoild state lightingSoildStateLightingsolid statesolid state driveSolidStateSolidStateDriveState of the UnionStateOfTheUnionFri, 11 Mar 2011 00:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Scientists grow nanolasers on silicon chips, prove microscopic blinkenlights are the future]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/scientists-grow-nanolasers-on-silicon-chips-prove-microscopic-b/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/scientists-grow-nanolasers-on-silicon-chips-prove-microscopic-b/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/scientists-grow-nanolasers-on-silicon-chips-prove-microscopic-b/#commentsScientists grow nanolasers on silicon chips, prove microscopic blinkenlights are the future What you see above may look like a nanoscale Obelisk of Light, ready to protect the tiny forces of Nod, but that's not it at all. It's a nanolaser, grown directly on a field of silicon by scientists at Berkeley. The idea is to rely on light to transmit data inside of computers, rather than physical connections, but until now finding a way to generate that light on a small enough scale to work inside circuitry without damaging it has been impossible. These indium gallium arsenide nanopillars could solve that, grown on and integrated within silicon without doing harm. Once embedded they emit light at a wavelength of 950nm, as shown in the video below.

[Thanks, Paul]

Continue reading Scientists grow nanolasers on silicon chips, prove microscopic blinkenlights are the future

Scientists grow nanolasers on silicon chips, prove microscopic blinkenlights are the future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>berkeleylaserlaser interfaceLaserInterfacelight interfaceLightInterfacenanonanolasernanoscalesemiconductorsiliconuc berkeleyUcBerkeleyvideoMon, 07 Feb 2011 08:53:00 EST<![CDATA[IBM says graphene won't fully replace silicon in CPUs]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/ibm-says-graphene-wont-fully-replace-silicon-in-cpus/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/ibm-says-graphene-wont-fully-replace-silicon-in-cpus/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/ibm-says-graphene-wont-fully-replace-silicon-in-cpus/#commentsAs you may have been able to tell from the flurry of research that's occurred over the past few years (which has even resulted in a Nobel Prize), there's plenty of folks betting on graphene as the next big thing for computing. One of the big players in that respect has been IBM, which first opened up the so-called graphene bandgap and has created some of the fastest graphene transistors around, but is now sounding a slightly more cautious tone when it comes to the would-be demise of silicon-based CPUs. Speaking with Custom PC, IBM researcher Yu-Ming Lin said that "graphene as it is will not replace the role of silicon in the digital computing regime," and further explained that "there is an important distinction between the graphene transistors that we demonstrated, and the transistors used in a CPU." To that end, he notes that unlike silicon, "graphene does not have an energy gap," and that it therefore cannot be completely "switched off," which puts it at quite a disadvantage compared to silicon. Intel's director of components research, Mike Mayberry, also chimed in on the matter, and noted that "the industry has so much experience with it that there are no plans to move away from silicon as the substrate for chips." That doesn't mean that there still isn't a bright future for graphene, though -- Lin gives the example of hybrid circuit, for instance, which could use graphene as a complement to silicon in order to "enrich the functionality of computer chips."

IBM says graphene won't fully replace silicon in CPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 01:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>circuitcpucpusgraphenehybrid circuitHybridCircuitibmibm researchIbmResearchMike MayberryMikeMayberrysilicontransistortransistorsYu-Ming LinYu-mingLinTue, 25 Jan 2011 01:37:00 EST<![CDATA[IBM forms new partnership with ARM in hopes of developing ludicrously small chip processing technology]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/19/ibm-forms-new-partnership-with-arm-in-hopes-of-developing-ludicr/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/19/ibm-forms-new-partnership-with-arm-in-hopes-of-developing-ludicr/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/19/ibm-forms-new-partnership-with-arm-in-hopes-of-developing-ludicr/#comments We've seen IBM and ARM team up before, but this week both companies announced a new joint initiative to develop 14nm chip processing technology. That's significantly smaller than the 20nm SoC technology ARM hopes to create in partnership with TSMC, and makes the company's previous work with IBM on 32nm semiconductors look like a cake walk. The potential benefits, though, are faster processors that require less power, and feature lower per unit manufacturing costs Who knows if or when we'll see tangible results from the tag team, but if IBM's Watson can beat Jeopardy champions, further reducing the average size of a feature that can be created on a chip should be elementary, right? To read over the full announcement check out the press release after the break.

Continue reading IBM forms new partnership with ARM in hopes of developing ludicrously small chip processing technology

IBM forms new partnership with ARM in hopes of developing ludicrously small chip processing technology originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>14nanometer14nm20nm32nmARMARM processorArmProcessorchipsibmIBM Corp.ibm watsonIbmCorp.IbmWatsonmicroprocessormicroprocessorsmobile processorMobileProcessorpartnershippower consumptionPowerConsumptionprocessorsSemiconductorsemiconductorssiliconSoCsystem on a chipSystemOnAChipWed, 19 Jan 2011 18:11:00 EST<![CDATA[Sculpted Eers fills ears with silicon, molds custom-molded headphones in four minutes flat (ears-on)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/sculpted-eers-fills-ears-with-silicon-molds-custom-molded-headp/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/sculpted-eers-fills-ears-with-silicon-molds-custom-molded-headp/http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/sculpted-eers-fills-ears-with-silicon-molds-custom-molded-headp/#comments
We've actually seen custom fit headphones before, but we figured something cheaper would rise up in the future. Here at CES, we stumbled upon what Sonomax is calling Sculpted Eers. Starting at $199, this one-time-use, do-it-yourself molding kit will create custom fit in-ear headphones -- and the best part, it only takes four minutes. We actually got the chance to get a pair of our own molded for us. Head past the break for some hands, er, ears-on video action!

Gallery: Sculpted Eers custom-molded headphones at CES 2011

Continue reading Sculpted Eers fills ears with silicon, molds custom-molded headphones in four minutes flat (ears-on)

Sculpted Eers fills ears with silicon, molds custom-molded headphones in four minutes flat (ears-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cesces 2011Ces2011customcustom earbudscustom earphonesCustomEarbudsCustomEarphonesearbudseersheadphonesmoldpcs 100pcs 200pcs-100pcs-200Pcs100Pcs200sculpted eersSculptedEerssiliconsonomaxvideoThu, 06 Jan 2011 01:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Reebok sets sights on flexible computing sportswear, partners with startup team]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/reebok-sets-sights-on-flexible-computing-sportswear-partners-wi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/reebok-sets-sights-on-flexible-computing-sportswear-partners-wi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/10/reebok-sets-sights-on-flexible-computing-sportswear-partners-wi/#comments Science has prototyped flexible versions of just about everything a ever-loving geek needs: displays, memory, batteries, LEDs, speakers and an input device or three. Now, Reebok's looking to put some of that computing power up our sleeves. The apparel manufacturer's teamed up with MC10 -- a startup founded by our old friend John Rogers, who helped pioneer the field -- with the intent to build "conformable electronics" into high-performance clothing for athletes over the next couple of years. Though the company told MIT Technology Review the devices typically consist of thin silicon strips printed onto flexible materials, and that they might they might measure metabolism and performance using embedded sensors, hard details are few -- the only thing we know for sure is that a flexible tech scientist just scored a partnership with a major company, and we're hopeful they'll make something neat. PR after the break.

Continue reading Reebok sets sights on flexible computing sportswear, partners with startup team

Reebok sets sights on flexible computing sportswear, partners with startup team originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apparelclothesclothingflexibleflexible siliconFlexibleSiliconJohn RogersJohnRogersMC10nanotechnologyreeboksiliconwearablewearable computingWearableComputingwearablesFri, 10 Dec 2010 13:05:00 EST<![CDATA[IBM breakthrough brings us one step closer to exascale computing, even more intense chess opponents]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/ibm-breakthrough-brings-us-one-step-closer-to-exascale-computing/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/ibm-breakthrough-brings-us-one-step-closer-to-exascale-computing/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/01/ibm-breakthrough-brings-us-one-step-closer-to-exascale-computing/#commentsThe path to exascale computing is a long and windy one, and it's dangerously close to slipping into our shunned bucket of "awesome things that'll never happen." But we'll hand it to IBM -- those guys and gals are working to create a smarter planet, and against our better judgment, we actually think they're onto something here. Scientists at the outfit recently revealed "a new chip technology that integrates electrical and optical devices on the same piece of silicon, enabling computer chips to communicate using pulses of light (instead of electrical signals), resulting in smaller, faster and more power-efficient chips than is possible with conventional technologies." The new tech is labeled CMOS Integrated Silicon Nanophotonics, and if executed properly, it could lead to exaflop-level computing, or computers that could handle one million trillion calculations per second. In other words, your average exascale computer would operate around one thousand times faster than the fastest machine today, and would almost certainly give Garry Kasparov all he could stand. When asked to comment on the advancement, Dr. Yurii A. Vlasov, Manager of the Silicon Nanophotonics Department at IBM Research, nodded and uttered the following quip: "I'm am IBMer, and exascale tomfoolery is what I'm working on."*

*Not really, but you believed it, didn't you?

IBM breakthrough brings us one step closer to exascale computing, even more intense chess opponents originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CMOSCMOS Integrated Silicon NanophotonicsCmosIntegratedSiliconNanophotonicscomputingExascaleIBMlightNanophotonicsnanotechnanotechnologyprocessorsiliconsupercomputersupercomputingWed, 01 Dec 2010 22:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Qualcomm teases 28nm dual-core Snapdragons, pixel-punching Adreno 300 GPU]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/qualcomm-teases-28nm-dual-core-snapdragons-pixel-punching-adren/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/qualcomm-teases-28nm-dual-core-snapdragons-pixel-punching-adren/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/18/qualcomm-teases-28nm-dual-core-snapdragons-pixel-punching-adren/#comments By the time Qualcomm's 1.5GHz QSD8672 Snapdragon finally makes it to market, it might be obsolete -- the company just announced that the new 28nm dual-core MSM8960 system-on-a-chip will have five times the performance and consume 75 percent less power than the original Snapdragon when it arrives in 2011. It's got the usual WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and FM radio modules but also a multi-mode LTE / 3G modem too, and reportedly four times the graphical muscle on board. Speaking of graphics, Qualcomm separately took the time to detail a new GPU: the Qualcomm Adreno 300 series, which will allegedly offer the gaming performance of an Xbox 360 or PS3. We'd say "We'll believe it when we see it," but that would imply doubt -- the reality is that we just want to feast our eyes on mobile gaming bliss as soon as humanly possible.

[Thanks, PhineasJW]

Qualcomm teases 28nm dual-core Snapdragons, pixel-punching Adreno 300 GPU originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 02:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>28nmadrenoadreno 300adreno 3xxAdreno300Adreno3xxCPUdual-coreGPUMSM8960processorQualcommqualcomm adrenoqualcomm snapdragonQualcommAdrenoQualcommSnapdragonsiliconsnapdragonSocialNetworkingsystem-on-a-chipsystem-on-chipThu, 18 Nov 2010 02:15:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD sees a tablet chip in its future, and an end to the core-count wars]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/14/amd-sees-a-tablet-chip-in-its-future-and-an-end-to-the-core-cou/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/14/amd-sees-a-tablet-chip-in-its-future-and-an-end-to-the-core-cou/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/14/amd-sees-a-tablet-chip-in-its-future-and-an-end-to-the-core-cou/#comments AMD told us that it wasn't terribly interested in the iPad market, and would wait and see if touchscreen slates took off, but CEO Dirk Meyer changed the company's tone on tablets slightly after reporting a $118 million net loss (on $1.62 billion in revenue) in a Q3 2010 earnings call this afternoon. First revealing his belief that tablets will indeed cannibalize the notebook and netbook markets, he later told investors that he actually expects AMD's netbook parts to start appearing in OEM slates in the next couple of years, and that AMD itself would "show up with a differentiated offering with great graphics and video technology" when the market becomes large enough to justify an R&D investment.

Elsewhere, AMD CTO of servers Donald Newell prognosticated that the number of individual CPUs on a chip won't go up forever: "There will come an end to the core-count wars," he told IDG News. Just as the megahertz race was eventually defeated by thermal restrictions, so too will the number of cores on a chip cease to increase. " I won't put an exact date on it, but I don't myself expect to see 128 cores on a full-sized server die by the end of this decade," he said. So much for our Crysis-squashing terascale superchip dreams, we suppose.

AMD sees a tablet chip in its future, and an end to the core-count wars originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Advanced Micro DevicesAdvancedMicroDevicesAMDCPUCPUsDirk MeyerDirkMeyerDonald NewellDonaldNewellearningsearnings callEarnings reportsEarningsCallEarningsReportsFinancial Reportfinancial reportsFinancialReportFinancialReportsfinancialsfinanicallossprocessorprocessorsprofitQ3 2010Q32010quarterly earningsquarterly resultsQuarterlyEarningsQuarterlyResultsrevenuesilicontablettabletsThu, 14 Oct 2010 23:03:00 EST<![CDATA[NC State patents multifunctional smart sensors, looks to 'revolutionize energy and communications infrastructure']]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/04/nc-state-patents-multifunctional-smart-sensors-looks-to-revolu/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/04/nc-state-patents-multifunctional-smart-sensors-looks-to-revolu/http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/04/nc-state-patents-multifunctional-smart-sensors-looks-to-revolu/#commentsBold words coming from a program that choked in epic fashion this past Saturday in front of 58,000+, don't you think? Thankfully for those who are actually involved in the global energy and communications infrastructure (not to mention depressed alumni), NC State's athletics department is far removed from its research labs, and the university's latest development was born and bred in the latter. A team of researchers have managed to patent a new technology that is expected to enable the development of "high-power, high-voltage and high-current devices that are critical for the development of energy distribution devices, such as smart grid technology and high-frequency military communications." The secret? Integrating gallium nitride (GaN) sensors and devices directly into silicon-based computer chips, a feat that hasn't been accomplished by any team prior. According to Dr. Jay Narayan, this newfangled integration has "enabled the creation of multifunctional smart sensors, high-electron mobility transistors, high-power devices, and high-voltage switches for smart grids," and it also makes a broader range of radio frequencies available -- something that'll obviously be beneficial in the advancement of communications. Best of all, a US-based corporation is already in the process of licensing the technology, so it's likely that we'll see this in use in the not-too-distant future. An ACC championship, however, remains far more elusive.

NC State patents multifunctional smart sensors, looks to 'revolutionize energy and communications infrastructure' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cpueco-friendlyenergyenvironmentGaNgreenNC StateNC State universityNcStateNcStateUniversitypatentprocessorresearchsciencesemiconductorsemiconductorssensorsensorssiliconsmart gridSmartGridtransistortransistorsuniversityMon, 04 Oct 2010 12:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Researchers develop means to reliably read an electron's spin, take us one step closer to the quantum zone]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/researchers-develop-means-to-reliably-read-an-electrons-spin-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/researchers-develop-means-to-reliably-read-an-electrons-spin-t/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/30/researchers-develop-means-to-reliably-read-an-electrons-spin-t/#commentsResearchers develop means to reliably read an electron's spin, take us one step closer to the quantum zone Another day, another step bringing us closer to the next big revolution in the world of computing: replacing your transistory bits with qubits. Researchers at Australia's Universities of New South Wales and of Melbourne, along with Finland's Aalto University, have achieved the impossibly tiny goal of reliably reading the spin of a single electron. That may not sound like much, but let's just see you do it quickly without affecting said spin. This particular implementation relies on single atoms of phosphorus embedded in silicon. Yes, silicon, meaning this type of qubit is rather more conventional than others we've read about. Of course, proper quantum computers depend on reading and writing the spin of individual electrons, so as of now we effectively have quantum ROM. When will that be quantum RAM? They're still working on that bit.

Researchers develop means to reliably read an electron's spin, take us one step closer to the quantum zone originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aalto universityAaltoUniversityaustraliaelectron readerElectronReaderfinlandquantumquantum computerquantum computingQuantumComputerQuantumComputingqubitsiliconuniversity of melbourneuniversity of New South WalesUniversityOfMelbourneUniversityOfNewSouthWalesThu, 30 Sep 2010 13:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Silicon carbide sensors developed for transmitting inside volcanos]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/silicon-carbide-sensors-developed-for-transmitting-inside-volcan/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/silicon-carbide-sensors-developed-for-transmitting-inside-volcan/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/21/silicon-carbide-sensors-developed-for-transmitting-inside-volcan/#comments
There's one serious obstacle to volcano research: volcanos, like, shoot lava. Sure, you could aim a thermal camera at one from a safe distance, but where's the fun in that? On the other hand, researchers at Newcastle University are developing silicon carbide-based components for a device that they say will be able to withstand 900° Celsius temperatures -- just the thing to sense what's going on inside a volcano and transmit the info in real-time. Not only will this allow researchers to better understand conditions leading up to an eruption, it might also someday signal an eruption before it occurs. "At the moment we have no way of accurately monitoring the situation inside a volcano," says NU's Dr. Alton Horsfall. "With an estimated 500 million people living in the shadow of a volcano this is clearly not ideal." Since silicon carbide is more resistant to radiation than plain ol' silicon, the tech can also be used inside nuclear power plants or even as radiation sniffers in places that might face a terror attack.

Silicon carbide sensors developed for transmitting inside volcanos originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Dr. Alton HorsfallDr.AltonHorsfallnewcastlenewcastle universityNewcastleUniversitysciencesensorsiliconsilicon carbideSiliconCarbideterrorismtransmittervolcanoTue, 21 Sep 2010 05:58:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD throws down gauntlet, pits Zacate netbook chip against Intel's Core i5 in City of Heroes duel (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/amd-throws-down-gauntlet-pits-zacate-netbook-chip-against-intel/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/amd-throws-down-gauntlet-pits-zacate-netbook-chip-against-intel/http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/14/amd-throws-down-gauntlet-pits-zacate-netbook-chip-against-intel/#comments We knew AMD planned to upstage Intel in San Francisco this week, but we didn't realize just how far Chipzilla's rival would go -- the company's demonstrating the power of its new Zacate APU by having it trounce an Intel Core i5-520M in a graphical superhero showdown. Though we've never really thought much of Intel's integrated graphics anyhow (though we're giving Sandy Bridge's technique the benefit of the doubt), watching a netbook part beat a 2.4GHz Core i5 at anything is truly something else. While AMD won't speak to the clockspeed or price of its new dual-core chips, it says the 18W Zacate and 9W Ontario should appear in devices with over 8 and 10 hours of battery life respectively when they likely ship to consumers early next year. Video after the break.

Gallery: AMD Zacate and Ontario, eyes-on

Continue reading AMD throws down gauntlet, pits Zacate netbook chip against Intel's Core i5 in City of Heroes duel (video)

AMD throws down gauntlet, pits Zacate netbook chip against Intel's Core i5 in City of Heroes duel (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AMDAPUBobcatCity of HeroesCityOfHeroesCore i5Core i5-520mCoreI5CoreI5-520mCPUGPUgraphicsIDFIDF 2010Idf2010integrated graphicsIntegratedGraphicsIntelNetBooksOntarioprocessorsiliconvideoZacateTue, 14 Sep 2010 19:57:00 EST