Computer Pioneer Earns Knighthood

Computing pioneer Steve Furber, who helped design a home computer used to improve computer literacy in Britain, and one of the most-used microprocessors in history, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, reports the BBC. Furber, a University of Manchester professor, currently is working to build an electronic device that mimics the human brain.

"I've been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time," he said. Furber’s BBC Micro computer, created at Acorn Computers, Ltd., was enormously successful, selling more than 1.5 million units. But his energy-efficient ARM microprocessors have helped change the world. About 10 million chips are sold daily and are used in portable electronic device like MP3 players, calculators, even the iPhone. (More Steve Furber stories.)