I think most if not all of these questions are "answered" by the Hashlet announcement:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=720844.0
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=720844.0
I believe a more accurate link to answer your questions can be found here:
https://hashtalk.org/t/hashlet-mining-has-finally-evolved/6125/289
The above link that moon mentions is filled with uneducated guesses and assumptions. Hope this helps!
