TI's Wolverine

Texas Instrument recently announced a new generation of ultra-low-power microcontrollers (MSP430 microcontroller platform).  The new technology uses less than half of the power of similar products on the market - - and provides the lowest active power, standby power, memory power and peripheral power consumption available.  Innovation in battery life technology has stalled - - the burden of lowering power really falls on the semiconductors.  Something like this can give you 10 to 20 years of battery life.  TI is currently working with the makers of a medical patch to wirelessly monitor vital statistics.  As battery life becomes less of an issue, look for a world of senors and microprosseors in more and more of our public infrastructure.  Huge market for connecting our public assets into the "Internet of Things" - - and one step closer to a battery-less world.