5-29-96. FiTi: Chips Galore [Editorial] Texas Instruments' claim to have developed a technology capable of inscribing 125m transistors, or computing elements, on a thumbnail-sized slice of silicon is remarkable chiefly because the technique is commonplace. ... The consequences for society of this continued rise in complexity are perhaps not fully grasped even in an age in which computers are taken for granted. The latest technology promises ubiquitous, tiny packages of electronic intelligence. Today's model is the smart card and the tiny videocamera. Tomorrow, tiny processors will be embedded in jewellery, spectacles, buildings and furniture. ... Widely distributed computer power will confer substantial advantages on society; but it will create new ethical problems for society, such as the individual's right to privacy, which may be at least as difficult to master as the technology. ----- FiTi reported yesterday and today on TI's new chip: TIC_hip