Everything in your computer is more or less 2D. You've got graphics cards, processors, and memory that are all effectively silicon pancakes. IBM thinks that's all just a big waste of a dimension, and they're working commercial deployment of a decidedly three-dimensional Hybrid Memory Cube.

There are three big reasons to make memory in cubes instead of sticks, and all of them will make your life better: we're talking memory that's 90% smaller, 70% more energy efficient, and oh yes, 15 times faster. Not 15 percent faster, 15 times faster. IBM's Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) prototypes are boasting bandwidth in excess of 128 gigabytes per second, which isn't just fast, it's wicked fast.

Perhaps the most exciting news of all is that IBM (along with partner Micron Technology) has figured out how to fabricate HMCs efficiently, which means that the introduction of memory cubes into consumer devices is actually seriously for real going to happen within the next few years. But don't listen to me, listen to this IBM dude:

"In the next few years, 3D chip technology will make its way into consumer products, and we can expect to see drastic improvements in battery life and functionality of devices."

Lookin' forward to it. And thank you, IBM, for taking the concept of 3D and doing something practical with it that will make our lives better without requiring those stupid glasses.

IBM, via KurzweilAI