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November 21, 2008 3:04:16 PM CST



Sun Banks on Lasers to Make Next Speed Leap

Posted Mar 24, 08 1:49 PM CDT in Technology 

(Newser) – Sun Microsystems is moving toward connecting computer chips using lasers instead of wires, a move that could make computers 1,000 times faster. The company snagged a $44 million Pentagon contract to continue work that could also mean smaller, more energy-efficient machines. It won’t be easy, though: A Sun researcher told the New York Times the chance of success is 50%.

The capacity of the wires connecting chips currently limits the speed of data transmission; replacing wires with lasers would eliminate that bottleneck. Others are also looking to speed up the connections between chips. Last week, Japan’s NEC Corporation said it will use optical connections to make a supercomputer 20 times faster than current models.

Source New York Times

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The Pentagon is seen in this Sept. 11, 2002 photo. Sun won a $44 million Pentagon contract to explore connecting computer chips with lasers.   (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force, Angela Stafford)
Exterior view of Sun Microsystems Inc. offices in Menlo Park, Calif., in this April 23, 2007 file photo.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, file)
An Sun Microsystems Inc. mouse pad, mouse, and keyboard is shown at Sun headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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