Cool interruption

Intel warns that today’s microprocessors can make memory chips work too hard,
causing damage through overheating (WO 00/11675). So the firm plans to subtly
control the speed at which data is fed into memories, giving them the chance to
cool down. A temperature sensor, built into the chip socket, will modify the
“interrupt” signals that control the flow of data, without the user noticing.
Manufacturers are worried that one day viruses may appear that destroy hardware
by removing the interrupts. This new system will guard against this by enforcing
its own interrupts if it does not find any in…