http://www.technologyreview.com/news/508061/custom-chips-could-be-the-shovels-in-a-bitcoin-gold-rush/"Sethumadhavan says custom ASICs may soon face a challenge from chips for mobile devices with circuits dedicated to performing encryption operations. These chips, expected next year, will probably be designed to a standard higher than the miners can reach and could be used to build powerful mining rigs without ASICs."
It's a year later, and no news on these magical mobile cell phone chips, that are more powerful than ASIC's. I emailed this guy many months ago and he never replied. Just seems like another professor talking out of his ass.
Anybody have any news on this? The only thing that comes to mind is the new intel chips with built in SHA, which blow chunks.