Blade Server
A blade server is a stripped down server computer with a modular design optimized to minimize the use of physical space and energy. Whereas a standard rack-mount server can function with (at least) a power cord and network cable, blade servers have many components removed to save space, minimize power consumption and other considerations, while still having all the functional components to be considered a computer. Unlike a rack-mount server, a blade server needs a blade enclosure. A blade enclosure, which can hold multiple blade servers, provides services such as power, cooling, networking, various interconnects and management. Together, blades and the blade enclosure form a blade system.

Blade Server White Papers
http://www.cappcon.com/docs/Blade_WP01_R1_1.pdf
http://www.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/~geoff/Blade-server.pdf
http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pedge/en/BladePowerStudyWhitePaper_08112010_final.pdf

ASIC
An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) /ˈeɪsɪk/, is an integrated circuit (IC) customized for a particular use, rather than intended for general-purpose use. For example, a chip designed to run in a digital voice recorder or a high-efficiency Bitcoin miner is an ASIC. Application-specific standard products (ASSPs) are intermediate between ASICs and industry standard integrated circuits like the 7400 or the 4000 series.

ASIC White Papers
http://www.csit-sun.pub.ro/resources/asic/CH01.pdf
http://www.lannierose.com/asicbasics.pdf
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-973-communication-system-design-spring-2006/lecture-notes/lecture_5.pdf
https://www.altera.com/en_US/pdfs/literature/an/an311.pdf
http://www2.units.it/marsi/elettronica2/lucidi/UNIVTS_2003_nobak.pdf
http://cset.sp.utoledo.edu/cset4650oc/fpga_arch_intro.pdf

ASIC Discussion
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1156770.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=909486.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=99497.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=555335.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1181821.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=912795.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1090624.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=677883.0