Using copper cables to transfer data around a computer? Get your head out of the sand, Grandpa!Intelthinks that’s on the outs and is touting its recent accomplishments with Silicon Photonics and integrated lasers, using light pulses to move data at 50Gbps (last time we hear Intel tout the tech was40Gbps in 2007). The emphasis is on low-cost, high-speed fiber optics, the removal of cable clutter, and with the speed boost, the ability to try new system designs by being to space chips farther apart from one another — all theoretical at this point, of course. Researchers hopes to hit terabit per second speeds further down the line. As for John Q. Consumer, enjoy the progress from afar but don’t count on seeing this technology hit Newegg anytim
By Ross Miller