The NMC1000 is available in 40-pin, 5mm X 5mm quad flat no-lead (QFN) and 2.5mm x 2.5mm chip scale packages, requiring the industry's smallest external BOM.

ENGADGET: Newport Media claims tiniest, lowest-power 802.11n WiFi chip yet, smartphones get a little less thirsty

So a 4.5% interest rate might well lead to flat or even slightly higher house prices in 2009.

WSJ: Low-Interest Mortgages Are the Answer

This design, combined with flexible, thin-film batteries, could lead to a flat device that is far less obtrusive than a lumpy generator.

ECONOMIST: Case history