22.02.10

ARM's lately pulled the veil off its Cortex M4 low-power microcontroller CPUs. They're infinitesimal, super-smart, and they might just be responsible for making your next refrigerator or dryer a much more eco-accessible machine.
I just did a quick count of how many CPUs are in devices I can see without persuasive from my office chair. It's nine, and I'm probably missing a few: Some are in my laptop and iPhone, of surely, but many are in things you wouldn't necessarily think about--like the DSLR on my desk and the laser printer on the shelf. A constitutional into my kitchen would probably add another nine, in the washing machine, breadmaker, and so on.
These latter gizmos are precisely what ARM is targeting with its M4 microcontrollers--the everyday, dedicated computing devices that basically make your domestic appliances, or simpler portable gadgets, actually work. ARM's stated idea is to essentially smarten up these devices even more, with a tiny sliver of ARM-designed silicon that's perhaps overpowered for the device's basic purpose, but which leverages the extraordinarily computing power to actually improve the electrical acting/efficiency of the device. The upshot is that your gizmos can be slightly cleverer and reduce more eco-friendly. And ARM's chips themselves are famous for their low power consumption.
Source: Fast Company