The First BitTorrent Optimized CPU Is Here

Don’t get me wrong. Actually, there isn’t any "torrent industry", at least not in a common sense. I used this phrasing because - although the torrent technology stands somewhere in between the legal and illegal territory - lots of money can be made if you have a torrent server. Of course, almost all of them come out of banners and other ads but it’s still enough to make a good living. Take that into account and you’ll realize that a CPU optimized for torrent technology is not such a bad idea. And if you add the legal part that involves all sorts of contracts between the digital media producers and the consumers, the picture will be enhanced even more. IAdea Corporation, an affiliate of the semiconductor UMC Group and a BitTorent licensee along with Star Semiconductor Corporation, jointly announced that they have produced the world's first BitTorrent-optimized microprocessor. The idea behind the new comer (serial number is: STR9810/20) is that until now all the downloading of the torrents was made using a PC. With the help of this especially designed chip, other electronics such as PDAs, standalone DVDs and cellphones could also receive torrent capabilities.

"I remember in the old days people first watched DVDs on the PC, like how BitTorrent is used on the PC today. Very soon our chip will enable millions of consumer devices to run BitTorrent and help consumers do what they do today on the PC using just a simple remote controller," says Steven Huang, Chairman and CEO of Star Semiconductor Corporation.

The BitTorrent-optimized CPU will be mass released in the first quarter of 2007. There are two versions of the chip and both of them feature an ARM922-based core, network interface and two USB 2.0 high-speed ports. Price tag is set at $8.75 in quantities of 1,000. The BitTorent technology has already been used to offer digital media by companies such as 0th Century Fox, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and is preferred because of its low costs. Taking that into account, the new CPU could do very well in the near future.

"BitTorrent is going to fundamentally advance the Web to its next stage. New digital appliances utilizing our chip work cooperatively to deliver large media files. This new service architecture is infinitely scalable, delivers faster as more users join, and can be built at a fraction of the cost of a traditional server farm. We see this trend emerging as 'Web 3.0' where each consumer becomes part of a universal content storage and delivery system. Our new chip plays part in the new paradigm by making BitTorrent available efficiently and economically. You should not be surprised if you find your next car or cellphone enabled with our technology," says John C. Wang, CEO of IAdea Corporation.

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