Technology development is constant nowadays, but Sony and Toshiba's latest venture in research, the attempt to improve the Cell processor, which currently powers the PlayStation 3, has resulted in a finished product. Say  goodbye to the old 65 nm chip, and welcome to the new 45 nm one. Sure, it may not sound like a great improvement, but in terms of chip manufacturing, a 20 nm decrease is quite a leap. And now they have just announced the official date when this chip goes into production, the beginning of 2009.

What does this improvement mean for the average consumer? Well, first of all, with a power consumption reduced by 40%, the PS3 can finally shed some weight, and rumors are already beginning to question whether a slimmer version will be developed by Sony. Also, this version of the Cell processor will be a lot cheaper to produce, which means a lot more profit for Sony, and possible price cuts for the PS3 which is currently the most expensive next generation console out there. The other current applications for the Cell chip, like Toshiba's newest TVs and DVD players, will also benefit from the new version of the processor.

For those of you who don't know, the Cell chip is the ace up Sony's sleeve, being one of the most powerful processors out there, with the PS3 benefiting from a dual Cell configuration. That made it the most technologically advanced console in the world, gaining the upper hand against the Xbox 360. Other implementations of the chip are also under development, with the introduction to television sets by Toshiba. Future span may include use of it in supercomputing and various computer aided scientific research.

All in all, smaller processors mean that a price cut and a possible revamped slimmer version of the PlayStation 3 are in sight, which might give Sony the upper hand against its rivals. Only time will tell of their future development plans.