About 25 years ago, they started showing up on nightstands and wristbands.
Computer chips promise to reshape how scores of everyday products are made and used.
In a washing machine, for instance, digital technology doesn't just keep the rinse cycle at six minutes. It constantly monitors and adjusts spin speeds and even restores an unbalanced load that previously halted the wash cycle. Two forces are driving the digital boom. The result is that in that short time, a chip's processing power doubles at little additional cost or, conversely, the value of an existing chip falls in half. Because of this progress, companies that use computer chips to enhance their products can plan future enhancements and costs.