Cell processor expands beyond gaming to medical, military apps

Though IBM isn't feeling any love from longtime — and
soon to be ex — customer Apple, the company isn't
facing any shortage of buyers for its high-speed Cell
processor. Though the initial customers for the Cell are consumer electronics companies — Sony has received
the most buzz for plans to use it in the PS3 — the low-power, number-crunching chip is starting to get some
attention from companies that need just those features, especially for embedded computing apps. The latest
customer is Mercury Computer Systems, which plans to use the Cell in medical and military systems, including MRI
scanners and radar and sonar systems. "I think this is just the first of a half-dozen announcements IBM will make
over the next year to push Cell into markets like medicine or automotive," one analyst told Reuters.