Think your dual core 3-GHz processor is the bee's knees? IBM and Georgia Tech will more than likely make you cry today with their expected announcement of a silicon-based microchip that runs at 500GHz, a world record. No, not 50GHz, but 500GHz. This feat is accomplished because researchers essentially froze the microchip to 451 degrees below zero—only nine degrees hotter than the theoretically lowest possible temperature, absolute zero. At room temperature, the microchip still runs at a respectable 350GHz.

Now, let's just pause a minute to think of the possibilities: high definition movie playback (like Blu-ray and HD DVD) could be carried out effortlessly; weather forecasts could crunch more numbers, leading to more accurate forecasts; most importantly, your frame rate in Battlefield would be off the charts. – Nicholas Deleon

Researchers Say New Chip Breaks Speed Record [The New York Times via Drudge Report]

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