The rise of wearable devices like smartwatches have spurred the world's electronics makers to miniaturize their already tiny components even further. And TDK has managed to create what it's claiming is the world's smallest Bluetooth module, which also happens to be incredibly energy efficient.


At just 4.6 mm and 5.6 mm in size, and barely a millimeter thick, the new Bluetooth 4.0 LE chip only needs about one quarter the amount of power of its predecessors. Which in turn means it will be less of a drain on your smartphone or smartwatch's battery.

The new Bluetooth chips have already gone into production, too, so before the year's end we should start seeing them (or not seeing them, unless you crack open your hardware) in devices—which will now be even smaller and thinner than before. [TDK via Fareastgizmos]