Several companies are working on higher-power microwave tumor-zappers that may do the job faster.

FORBES: Tumor Zappers

MTN, the largest mobile-phone company in the region, had to build its own microwave transmission backbone and power supplies.

ECONOMIST: Business in Africa

Microwave ovens, cellphone chargers, DVD players, computer monitors and printers all silently consume power when they aren't in use.

WSJ: Switching Off Standby Mode

It wants to be the brain in your washing machine, your microwave and your car, not to mention the giant server farms dotted around the planet that will power cloud computing as more of our day-to-day work gets stored online.

FORBES: ARM Heads From Smartphones To Servers And Your Microwave

It is already possible to power small electronic devices, such as wireless sensors installed in buildings and industrial machinery, using a dedicated microwave transmitter nearby.

ECONOMIST: Monitor