While technology has its own canopy spread across the world, there’s no doubt there are several inventions being conceived under the sheath. The conception which later gave birth to technological innovations has become today’s revolution. In this vast universe which is immeasurable and indescribable, there are certain smallest things that grab the focus for their very size. Amazingly, if they are brought forth through the technology, then it is definitely a news to be heard of and worth noticing. Earlier, in the last year, there was this trend of “small” taking rounds in the air with many smallest innovations(products) coming into the market. World’s smallest phone with a 0.5-inch screen, world’s smallest 1TB pen drive, smallest robot arm, smallest Mona Lisa using DNA, etc., technology has shown us all these.
Adding to their list, technology has one more such product which was launched very recently in the month of March. The tech giant, IBM, has wowed all the technology lovers and haters alike with its recent innovation building the world’s smallest computer which costs you around Rs. 7 or 10 cents. When I say small, it indeed is small, rather a tiny one which is smaller than a grain of salt. This new PC from IBM is so tiny that you need a microscope to look at them properly and it is 1 mm x 1 mm in size.
One might dismiss the value of this world’s smallest computer. To all your amazement, this tiny PC reportedly features a processor with several hundred thousand transistors, SRAM memory, a photovoltaic cell for power, and a communications unit, that uses an LED and a photodetector to communicate with the world. Yes, you heard it right and that ain’t hoax. IBM claims this PC has the processing power of a 1990s PC. Hold on to your seats, there’s another claim coming from the technology pioneer, it is that each dust-sized PC will use the most-talked-about blockchain technology and can be used for cryptocurrency purposes, and for other blockchain apps in the future.
Mr. Arvind Krishna, Head of research, IBM, claims that “These technologies pave the way for new solutions that tackle food safety, the authenticity of manufactured components, genetically modified products, identification of counterfeit objects and provenance of luxury goods." IBM thinks these tiny PCs will be commonplace in everyday electronic objects within the next five years, in embedded devices like the Internet of Things, shipment tracking, and more. The IBM’s tiny innovation is anticipated to be made available in the marketplace within the next five years as per the company’s statement. Also, the company will make available the first models of its crypto-anchors in another 18 months.
IBM’s computer that resembles a speck of dust on a pile of salt, has replaced the Michigan Micro Mote as the world’s smallest computer, which measured across 2 mm and was launched in 2015.