Gizmodo: microchip

The Microchip Turns 50 Today, Here's the Original

Mark Wilson — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:40:00 EDT

50 years ago today, Texas Instrument's Jack Kilby demonstrated the first working integrated circuit, or microchip. It's a crude conglomeration of just five components, but it was also proof that a circuit could be miniaturized by housing all of its components on one piece of semiconductor material, allowing all these parts to work together without laborious (and technologically infeasible) manual connections. In essence, it's the electronic wheel captured in first eureka. [Wired]

Rohm Circuit Kills Vampire Power, Pulls No Electricity On Standby

Elaine Chow — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Japanese semiconductor maker Rohm is looking to vanquish vampire power, the energy wasted by tech on stand-by, with its new LSI circuits. The circuits consume no electricity even when in stand-by mode, allowing for a quick power up without the power drain. Considering that roughly 10% of a house's energy bill goes to these silent suckers, Rohm's circuits could save money and the planet at the same time.

Rohm estimates that around 15 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, roughly the output capacity of two nuclear reactors, are consumed every year in Japan by devices on standby. In the U.S., vampire power is estimated to cost consumers $3 billion annually.

Experiments have already shown that an average game console could cut its power use by roughly 70% if it adopts circuits incorporating the new technology—exciting news for people like me, who tend to forget to power off their Wiis at night. Rohm says it'll start producing the circuits on a commercial basis within a year or so. [Japan Today]

Microchip Can Detect Tumor Cells in the Bloodstream

Sean Fallon — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:00:30 EST

An extremely sensitive microchip developed by Massachusetts General Hospital BioMEMS research center and the MGH Cancer Center has the ability to isolate, count and analyze circulating tumor cells, or CTCs in the blood. CTCs are fragile, yet viable fragments from solid tumors that could be responsible for the spreading of cancer throughout the body. According to Mehmet Toner, the director, BioMEMS Resource Center, "these are really the cells that end up killing people."

The "CTC-chip" itself is a business-card sized silicon chip that features microscopic posts coated with cancer-detecting antibodies. As blood flows over the chip, the posts "trap" cancer cells, leaving healthy cells behind. Tests have proven the chip to be 99% effective in detecting CTC cells in samples—representing a vast improvement over current methods.

So what does this all mean? First and foremost, it means that cancer treatment can become more personalized. It means that determining whether or not a particular treatment is effective will be easier—saving patients precious time. It could also lead to better methods of cancer screening and a better understanding of the biology of cancer cells and how they spread throughout the body. It may not be the cure everyone is looking for, but the notion that the CTC chip could help doctors make faster and more effective judgments on when to switch treatments is certainly better than wasting a suffering patient's time with treatments that aren't working. [Press Release and Reuters via MedGadget]

Microchip Renuites Dog With Owner After 7 Years: The System Works

Sean Fallon — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:37:44 EST

If there was ever a case for embedding your dog with a microchip, this is it. In 2001 Lyn O'Byrne's dog Rhia was stolen from the vets office where she worked as a nurse. Amazingly enough, last week she received a call from a lost animals line informing her that a dog was found with her contact info stored in a microchip embedded in its neck. Dog and owner were reunited, hugs and kisses all around, technology rules, and all is right with the world. [Wimbeldon Guardian via Spluch]

US Soldiers to Get Brain Microchipped to Measure Vitals

Mark Wilson — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 09:49:23 EDT

The Department of Defense is pursuing a brain-implantable "biochip" that will measure/relay a soldier's vitals on the battlefield (and off). We don't know much from a technical standpoint about the chips, other than they are about the size of a grain of rice and will have the ability to, at minimum, measure oxygen levels in tissue. But the technological breakthrough involved has little to do with the electronics.

Scientists have invented a gel that mimics human tissue. By combining the gel with the microchip, chances that the body will reject the device are far less likely. The entire project is said to be five years from implementation.

Personally, I'd love to see these microchips developed for civilian use, especially for diabetics and those who need constant blood work. But when framed as a government, military initiative, the altruistic potential can be scared off by Big Brother. [intelligencedaily via inquirer]

NEC's Musical Cellphone Microchip

Noah R — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 11:37:35 EST

In response to the rapid increase in the number of mobile phones being used as music players in Japan, NEC Electronics has developed a dedicated SLI chip for audio. This is a companion chip made specifically to enhance audio in cellphones. It has a CPU dedicated to music play, a digital signal processor and a connection for an application processor. It functions with SD cards and supports copyright protection (CPRM). The chip also minimizes battery drain, thus enabling continuous music play for 50 hours. Sampling started yesterday, and mass production is planned for April. Sample price is $13. Hopefully we'll see these in stateside handsets before the end of the decade.

Press Release