http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/ptech/06/20/ibm.chip.reut/index.html


SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -- IBM has built a transistor that runs about 100 times faster than current chips, a development that could pave the way for ultra-fast computers and wireless networks, the computing giant said on Monday.


The kicker?

That speed was hit only when IBM researchers, working with counterparts from the Georgia Institute of Technology, cooled the transistor to near absolute zero, but Meyerson said the device still ran at 300 gigahertz at room temperature.

In our data center we're already struggling keeping things cool. We've had to add some compressors and revamp our existing ones. We also recently got two p590s that are water cooled. It's getting hot in there and the cost to keep this stuff cool is getting whacky but man that is one FAST mama.

Only 300 ghz? SO much lost speed! /sarcasm off Thats pretty neat though, interesting read. My favorite was "Meyerson forecasts that the advances will show up in real products within a couple years, probably in chips to power super-fast wireless networks capable of moving a DVD-quality movie in as little as 5 seconds.".

Yes that would be incredible. And, I imagine lead to some innovative services for internet users.

Liquid Nitrogen FTW!

Superconductors. They exist already. The technology problem is that they only exist at temperatures that are double digits above zero Kelvin. Superconductors are the next gen for electronics. That and photon gates. Once they develop a superconductor that is stable at room temperatures, many areas of technology will boom. I await that day.

Keep in mind the frequency of light. Once we can replace the electrons in electronics with photon, of photonics, we will see several orders of magnitude increase in speed of digital devices.