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IBM Unveils the 'World's Smallest Computer' (mashable.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the future-is-here dept.

On the first day of IBM Think 2018, the company's flagship conference, IBM has unveiled what it claims is the world's smallest computer. It's smaller than a grain of salt and features the computer power of the x86 chip from 1990. Mashable first spotted this gem: The computer will cost less than ten cents to manufacture, and will also pack "several hundred thousand transistors," according to the company. These will allow it to "monitor, analyze, communicate, and even act on data." It works with blockchain. Specifically, this computer will be a data source for blockchain applications. It's intended to help track the shipment of goods and detect theft, fraud, and non-compliance. It can also do basic AI tasks, such as sorting the data it's given. According to IBM, this is only the beginning. "Within the next five years, cryptographic anchors -- such as ink dots or tiny computers smaller than a grain of salt -- will be embedded in everyday objects and devices," says IBM head of research Arvind Krishna. If he's correct, we'll see way more of these tiny systems in objects and devices in the years to come. It's not clear yet when this thing will be released -- IBM researchers are currently testing its first prototype.

5 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. Buzzwords! by saccade.com · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's just an x86 microcontroller, but we'll throw in exciting buzzwords like AI, blockchain and cryptographic anchors to see if our stock goes up. Since when is "sorting" a "basic AI task"?

    1. Re:Buzzwords! by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Since 2015 every computer algorithm was reclassified as AI. It was to cover up the fact that AI really hasn't made any progress in the last 40 years.

    2. Re: Buzzwords! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Such small ambitions and thought.

      Do you realize that even at a 1990s level of computational power and with the diminutive size of the full package that this is within the realm of being powered by your existing metabolism or a micro thermoelectric generator?

      Outside of the ultra sci-fi here. Imagine having direct and instant access to that kind of power, an extension of your mind. You'd not even know or feel these in your body.

      At some point. A tiny device like this will take over for damaged control systems in a human body.

      Steps like this are how we get to such tech

  2. Privacy by should_be_linear · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Drop hundreds of billions of these from airplane over city, they will connect into encrypted wireless net, and you have "street view", but streaming live from everywhere, even from interiors of houses. If you think your privacy is violated by Facebook, hold on for this!

    --
    839*929
  3. And so we come to - by cold+fjord · · Score: 3, Insightful

    1. Does it run Linux?

    2. Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these!
    Building a Beowulf Cluster in just 13 steps

    How many cluster nodes per cm^3?

    --
    much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell