Meant to replace chalkboards that are still in use in some parts of the world, a tablet PC called I-Slate was created by researchers using the probabilistic CMOS technology designed by a certain Dr. Krishna Palem and his team at Rice University. It was formally announced during the IEEE’s 125th Anniversary event, and is supposedly solar-powered, WiFi-enabled and has support for stylus input like the newest Sony VGP-BPS9A/B.
One day, the makers hope to see their chip embedded in all sorts of devices besides the I-Slate tablet like cellphones and TVs. But for now the use of their technology as PA3450U-1BRS will be limited to their creation, prototypes of which are scheduled to get distributed in India this spring .
Below is the detail info of the product :
What it is: The “I-Slate,” a solar-powered, stylus-controlled classroom aid unveiled at the IEEE’s 125th Anniversary event on Tuesday. The idea is that this Sony VGP-BPS9/B Sony VGP-BPS9/S LED slate will replace the chalk slates still used in much of the world, allowing students to learn basic math skills without the need for a literate teacher (something that is in demand in much of the world). The device is being created by Dr. Krishna Palem and his team at Rice University.
How It Works: The secret is the use of a so-called “probabilistic” computer chip. The chip, which was created by Dr. Palem and his team, makes small trade offs in performance in order to reap immense energy savings. The slate will be able to download coursework using Sony VGP-BPS8 wireless networks. And because these chips should be far cheaper to produce than the high-powered processors found in most new products, making them practical for the third world.
The Potential: Dr. Palem foresees his probabilistic chips finding their way into other gadgets, such as cell phones Sony VGP-BPS2C Sony VGP-BPS2A (which, he says, could go weeks between charges) and televisions (allowing them to consume far less power without any noticeable loss in picture quality). Palem expects to begin testing prototypes next Spring in India. —Seth Porges
The article via Eee PC