NYTimes writes about the next leap in chip design – adaptive, or reconfigurable, computing: “Under this new approach, software is able, on the fly, to effectively redraw a chip’s physical circuitry. Not only can adaptive computing enable a single chip to perform tasks normally requiring several, it can add speed while saving cost and energy when compared to today’s conventional static chips in which circuitry is inflexible.”
Imagine: ” The possibilities beyond cellphones that might work anywhere in the world could include portable computers that would seek out the most suitable radio frequency and wirelessly and automatically connect to the Internet, or consumer electronics gadgets that stave off obsolescence by being able to adjust to each new technical standard in digital sights and sounds. For a consumer, updating hardware might be as easy as downloading the latest circuit design from the Internet.”
