A graduate student at the University of Massachusetts has set a record in the quest for the world's smallest Web server - the computer that makes information available on the World Wide Web. The latest device is about the size of a match-head and costs less than $1 (94 cents) to build.

These tiny, cheap servers could pave the way for the "wired" house or office. They could be embedded in every appliance and light socket in a building, allowing the devices to be controlled from the web browser. That could do away with fiddly control panels and would make it possible to switch on gadgets from a distance.

The previous record for the world's smallest Web server was held by a researcher at Stanford University.