160w ago - Update: The new 40nm PS3 systems are now in the wild, as confirmed by SovietSlayer via CAG at Fry's Electronics in Costa Mesa, CA.

In order to provide a more efficient and greener console, Sony is shipping new PS3 (CECH-2100A) entertainment systems which now include a cheaper 40nm (CXD5300AGB) RSX GPU that reduces energy output.

This reduction is down from the 90nm and more recently the 65nm RSX graphics processors and moves Sony one step closer to hardware profitability.

According to PocketNews (translated by PlayStationUniversity.com and confirmed by Engadget.com), the PlayStation 3's new improved RSX graphics chip also reduces the likelihood of the console being affected by the infamous PS3...

265w ago - Those rumors of a Slim and Lite PS3 may still be unfounded, but lighter and more efficient PS3s are in the making - thanks to "third generation" heat sinks.

Japanese company Furukawa Electric Co recently showcased a new heat sink for the PS3, said to be far lighter, smaller and cheaper than the previous two "generations" of PS3 heat sink.

We won't bore you with specifics because, by and large, heat sinks are about as exciting as snail races. But the graphics chip and CPU in the so-called "third generation" consoles will be cooled by smaller, separate heat sinks, rather than one large one, and weigh a total of 350g, compared with 700g and 500g for the first and second iterations.

The new heat sinks are, according to this, in development now, meaning we should have lighter, more efficient PS3s within months, and you won't need a forklift to lug your new console home from the shops.

282w ago - A new type of super-efficient household light bulb is being developed which could spell the end of regular bulbs.

Experts have found a way to make Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) brighter and use less power than energy efficient light bulbs currently on the market.

The technology, used in gadgets such as mobile phones and computers, had previously not been powerful enough to be used for lighting.

But Glasgow University scientists said they had resolved the problem.

The project, being developed along with the Institute of Photonics at the University of Strathclyde, involves making microscopic holes in the surface of LEDs to increase the level of light they give off.

This is a process known as nano-imprint lithography.

Dr Faiz Rahman, who is leading the project, said: "As yet, LEDs have not been introduced as the standard lighting in homes because the process of making the holes is very time consuming and expensive.

"However, we believe we have found a way of imprinting the holes into billions of LEDs at a far greater speed, but at a much lower cost."

He added: "This means the days of the humble light-bulb could soon be over."

285w ago - They wink at us every day from computer screens and stereos. But the humble LED is heading for a brighter future.

New generation Light Emitting Diodes will purify water, make lights that mimic the colour of sunshine, and keep private data immune from hackers.

Dr Rachel Oliver, an LED researcher from the University of Cambridge, thinks that they could easily succeed tungsten bulbs as the main way to light our homes.

"LEDs have enormous benefits over standard light bulbs because they're a great deal more efficient, come in a range of different colours and have a very long lifetime. They are also good at saving energy too," she told BBC Radio 4's The Material World programme.

"We could also light up out of the way places where normal bulbs are unsuitable," she added. "Because they last such a long time, architects could cover the side of a building with exciting lighting effects without worrying about constantly replacing the bulbs."

LEDs are made from two halves of a special material called a semiconductor. One half is filled with negatively-charged electrons and the other with positively-charged areas called holes.

Where the two halves meet, the positive and negative charges join together - causing the electrons to emit energy as photons of light.