Superfast Optically-Based DSP Announced

dawgnut writes "An Israeli venture-funded startup has announced a digital signal processor chip that uses optical connections rather than silicon transistors. The result is a very fast chip with massive throughput for calculating fast fourier transforms that wastes very small amounts of power as heat. Interesting applications (or frightening ones depending on where you come down on the security vs. privacy thing) for remote sensors, biometrics and homeland security stuff." The prototype being showcased is rather large, but Lenslet is hoping to have it shrunk down to a chip within five years. Update: 10/31 00:22 GMT by CN : Whoops, we ran this yesterday. Mea culpa.

Comments

I have to admit

[NightWulf]

For such a small nation, with access to a hell of a lot less funding than american conglomerates. These Israeli companies sure do make some intresting inventions. From supercomputers, to genetic engineering, etc. etc.

Re:I have to admit

[rindeee]

Perhaps they develope military technologies BECAUSE they aren't popular and perhaps they aren't popular BECAUSE they're the only democracy in the middle-east AND they've been at odds with the Arabs for the past several thousand years.

Re:I have to admit

[Anonymous Coward]

...AND Perhaps they GET A HELLUVA LOT of funding from the United States.

Re:I have to admit

[tho 1234]

Give me a break about being unpopular "because they are the only democracy in the middle east". I can't understand how people buy BS like that or "the terrorists attacked us because they are jealous of us". Its really incredible how many people believe rhetoric like this, despite there being no rational justification for it, or any evidence to support it. Take it for what it is, mindless rhetoric to stop people from questioning, trying to understand a very complex geopolitical conflict, or thinking for themselves. - Have you ever thought about the fact that Israel is also the only nuclear power in the middle east, has by far the most advanced military in the region, and frequently uses its military power to humiliate its neighbours? Or how about the millions of people living in poverty stricken refugee camps because of Israel's illegal occupation of territory? Certainly the thousands of civilian deaths they have caused has nothing to do with it...No, none of that has anything to do with the problem, its all because the freedom-hatin' Arabs can't stand democracy.... right... 2- The Jews have not been at odds with Arabs for thousands of years. (though that is probably true about Jews and the Europeans) They were conquered in the first century AD, and weren't there for most of the next 2000 years. Until about 1800 there were any Jews in the middle east, and the few that were there coexisted with the Arabs peacefully. Soon the Zionist movement started and many more immigrated to the area, and they also got along well. It wasn't until the founding of Israel after world war 2 (due to the European's guilt over the Holocaust), carving up land that previously belonged to others, followed by wars against virtually every one of its neighbours and the displacement of millions of refugees, that the current conflict with the Arab countries started. I'm not taking sides in this dispute, but get your facts right and try thinking for yourself instead of simplifying everything down to one line justifications.

Re:OFN

[jerde]

The other possibility might be for /. editors to... well, actually READ slashdot.

Nah.

- Peter

Processing at the speed of light

[eples]

enabling it to compute at the speed of light, the company said.

Ummmm, don't electrons travel that fast anyway?

Can't you UN-POST something?

[simetra]

Really, how hard can that be. Or do you get paid per post?