Brent Kearney

Technology news is buzzing with the big Intel story: they have found a reliable way to ditch silicon dioxide and shrink transistors down to 45 nanometers. The result is that Moore’s Law will continue to be upheld. Intel’s new microchips will use a hafnium-based substance for the insulator between the transistor and the substrate to which they’re bonded, and will replace the silicon gate electrode with one based on a secret metal alloy.

The current fabrication process uses minimum features sizes of 90 nanometers: small enough to fit 1000 transistors within the width of a human hair. That size just halved, and with it, the amount of electrical power required to achieve the same results halved as well. Or if the goal is performance, double the computing performance with the same electrical power.

In the shadow of the Intel breakthrough is a technological milestone achieved by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles: molecular memory. This memory technology is the densest ever made: 100,000,000,000 bits per square centimeter. If my math is correct, that means 12.5GB per square centimeter. Using 16nm wires, it is way, way faster than anything presently in use, and uses much less energy, as well. It is a long way from commercial use, but they have demonstrated that the research is 10 to 15 years ahead of “many of the most optimistic projections say it is.”

Good news all around, for computing. Now if only the iPhone would come to Canada sooner… and without a data plan.

Scientists at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto have discovered a possible cure for type 1 and 2 diabetes.

Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Dr. Michael Salter, a pain expert at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the scientists. “Mice with diabetes suddenly didn’t have diabetes any more.”

Inspired by some similarities between diabetes and multiple sclerosis, Dr. Hans Michael Dosch began researching the idea that diabetes is triggered by a nerve disorder, instead of the traditionally accepted view that it is an immune system problem. The early success is very promising, however, work remains to be done before they’ll know whether the technique applies to humans — they’re expecting results by early next year.

Mac Daily News reports that the folks at Costco found a use for Microsoft’s new media player, the Zune: as a table for selling iPods: