Moore's Law

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Gordon E. Moore Saw the Future of Computing
Moore's Law
Saw the Future
of Computing
obituary

Moore's Law Saw the Future of Computing

Gordon Moore's vision led to laptops, microprocessors everywhere

(Newser) - Gordon E. Moore, an Intel Corp. co-founder whose vision helped lead to the rise of Silicon Valley and put laptop computers and microprocessors everywhere, died Friday. He was 94. Moore called himself an "accidental entrepreneur" who became a billionaire and philanthropist after—having failed to be hired as a...

Scientists Build Computer Out of Atom-Thick Material

It's an important step forward in nanotube development

(Newser) - A team of Stanford scientists has built a working computer out of carbon nanotubes, a nigh-impossible feat that could herald silicon's eventual replacement. Granted, the device (which is named "Cedric," the BBC notes) isn't terribly useful, containing as many transistors as the earliest 1950s computers. But...

Computers Will Stop Getting Faster —in 75 Years

(Newser) - Even Moore's Law has its limit. That's the much-cited dictum from Intel co-founder Gordon Moore that computer speed doubles every two years with ever-smaller and more powerful transistors. Two physicists crunched some numbers and found that the theory—which has held true for 40 years now—must eventually reach a...

Chip Trades Precision for Power Usage

Sometimes, argues one engineer, close really is good enough

(Newser) - Smaller, faster and more precise are the goals of engineers who design microchips, those tiny, power-hungry processors at the core of modern electronics. But a Rice University professor is going against the grain, trading a little bit of precision for a major savings in power, and potentially leading a revolution...

10 Life-Changing Innovations
10 Life-Changing Innovations

10 Life-Changing Innovations

These technologies may ultimately transform human existence

(Newser) - From omnipresent Internet to cloned donor organs, LiveScience picks 10 new technologies that, when fully developed, will transform our lives.
  1. Digital libraries: When all of humanity's texts are digitized, any factual question will be answerable online.
  2. Gene therapy/stem cells: The key to curing some of our nastiest afflictions.
  3. Ubiquitous wireless
...

Could the Silicon Chip Max Out?
Could the Silicon Chip Max Out?

Could the Silicon Chip Max Out?

The transistor revolutionized the world, but it's starting to show its age

(Newser) - It’s been 60 years since three Bell Lab scientists invented the transistor, launching an electronics revolution that changed the way we live. Engineers have miniaturized the powerful on-off switches—eventually integrated onto silicon chips—about as far as they can. Now, companies are pouring billions of dollars into research...

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