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Magnetic Processors - Computing's New Future?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i'm-positively-charge-about-this dept.

metalcoat writes "For the first time researchers have created a working prototype of a radical new chip design based on magnetism instead of electrical transistors. As transistor-based microchips hit the limits of Moore's Law, a group of electrical engineers at the University of Notre Dame has fabricated a chip that uses nanoscale magnetic "islands" to juggle the ones and zeroes of binary code. Wolfgang Perod and his colleagues turned to the process of magnetic patterning (.pdf) to produce a new chip that uses arrays of separate magnetic domains. Each island maintains its own magnetic field. Because the chip has no wires, its device density and processing power may eventually be much higher than transistor-based devices. And it won't be nearly as power-hungry, which will translate to less heat emission and a cooler future for portable hardware like laptops."

12 of 206 comments (clear)

  1. (pdf) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Nice copy and paste job.

  2. So whyd my submission of it get rejected? by Zantetsuken · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I submitted the exact same story 30 or 40 minutes ago linking to the exact same Wired article, and the .pdf, gave a more comprehensible summary, and included the part about it being radiation resistant. Did mine get rejected just cuz this guy's submission was 3 up on the list or something?

    1. Re:So whyd my submission of it get rejected? by Zantetsuken · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      sorry to reply to myself, but I forgot to include the submission info about my rejected submission of this article: 2006-02-14 16:13:31 Not Another Semi-conductor Transistor (No, Really) (Science,Technology) (rejected)

    2. Re:So whyd my submission of it get rejected? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      It only means that CmdTaco prefers metalcoat to Zantetsuken.
      Or, that your idea was "ahead of time", when it could not have been appreciated yet.
      It happens all the time in art and science.

    3. Re:So whyd my submission of it get rejected? by michaelmichael · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I submitted it too but I'm not bitter.
      ...
      Well, not that bitter. But there's no real reason to get upset about it. Unless you've got a job that pays bonuses based on Slashdot story submissions.

  3. Re:Flipping magnets... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    +4 insightful? how about +5 ignorant...not like a jerk, but...c'mon...do you think the chips rely on the earths magnetic field as it exists now? Of course not. So why would it matter if it flipped?

  4. Re:Flipping magnets... by pclminion · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Have you considered that maybe he was going for Funny, not Insightful? Don't blame him for the moderators' stupidity.

  5. Cool, but... by youknowmewell · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    When do we get to see diamond cpus?

  6. mogd 0p by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    United stat3s. pallid bodies and That comprise We'll be able to Long term survival schemes. Frankly is the group that Non-fucking-existant.

  7. Wolfgang Period? by autopr0n · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Now that is a cool name.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  8. Re:pretty cool--I hope they've patented it! by Voltageaav · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    If not, I will. Step 1: Surf /. for cool sounding ideas that aren't patented and patent them. Step 2: Wait for the cool sounding ideas to become all the rage. Step 3: Turn to the darkside. Step 4: Profit!

    --
    Someone save me from this sanity.
  9. Re:Flipping magnets... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I think it was meant as a joke. However, only 56% of the time do people properly ascertain the intention of an e-mail or post.