The Internet. Smartphones. What's next?

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- What's the next gadget that will change the world?

There is no obvious answer, but chances are the topic will be discussed frequently this week in Niagara Falls, where more than 100 scientists and engineers from around the world will meet to speak about the latest advancements in electronics and other devices.

The 25th annual International System-on-Chip Conference, or SoCC 2012, will take place Sept. 12-15 at the Conference & Events Center Niagara Falls, 101 Old Falls Street, Niagara Falls, N.Y. Academics and industry leaders from at least 20 countries including, but not limited to, China, Brazil, Norway and India are expected to attend. For more information, visit: http://www.ieee-socc.org.

"This is really a big event. Many of the world's top system-on-chip researchers will be coming to Niagara Falls," said Ramalingam Sridhar, a computer scientist at the University at Buffalo who is directing the conference.

System-on-chip refers to a circuit that integrates all components of a computer or electronic device into a single chip. It has enabled many of today's ubiquitous technologies including the Internet, smartphones and high-definition television, said Sridhar, an associate professor in UB's Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

As more information is shared using these devices, advancements in system-on-chip and other technologies will be needed, he said. Hence the conference, which was founded in 1987 in Rochester, N.Y., and is now recognized as a premier gathering for system-on-chip development, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a professional organization with more than 400,000 in 160 countries that sponsors the event.

Speakers at this year's conference include:

-- Bernard S. Meyerson, vice president for innovation and global university relations for IBM Systems and Technology Group.

-- Richard Grisenthwaite, vice president of technology for ARM Holdings, a British technology company.

-- Raj Yavatkar, director of system-on-chip architecture for the Intel Architecture Group at Intel Corp.

-- Robert E. Geer, vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer, and professor of nanoscience at the University at Albany, N.Y.

For a complete schedule, visit: http://www.ieee-socc.org/images/stories/pdf/final_program_2012.pdf.

Previous SoCC conferences have been held in Taiwan, Las Vegas, Northern Ireland, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.