Prompt's TechBlog
More space than I'd know what to do with
14 April 2008
Posted by Duncan Heaney
Could flash memory be a thing of the past? Boffins at IBM have created a new type of digital storage that would allow mobile gadgets like phones and iPods to store a hundred times more information than they presently can.
This new 'racetrack' memory actually sounds quite promising. The Times reports that the breakthrough in storage technology would not only allow an iPod to store half a million MP3s, and 3,500 full length films, but it would be very cheap to produce too. The research team claims that the technology uses less power and a single battery charge would last for weeks. It also has no moving parts, meaning that it should be pretty reliable. The technology can store information very quickly, faster than regular hard drives, and does not have the 'wear out' mechanism that afflicts flash memory drives.
The technology works by storing data in columns of magnetic material arranged on the surface of a silicon wafer. The information moves around the columns at high speed, hence the name 'racetrack' memory.
Stuart Parkin, the IBM fellow who led the research, said that "the promise of racetrack memory - for example, the ability to carry massive amounts of information in your pocket - could unleash creativity leading to devices and applications that nobody has imagined yet," and perhaps he has a point. With such a huge increase in space available, there's a good chance that it could inspire a creative surge.
Personally, I'm getting excited by the thought of being able to store entire series of television on a pocket-sized device, although the cynic in me points out that it's far more space than I would ever need.
It may be a moot point anyway. There's no sign of when the research will yield fully working, commercially available products. It is still in the 'exploratory stage', and the only time frame given is the annoyingly vague 'within ten years'.
This new 'racetrack' memory actually sounds quite promising. The Times reports that the breakthrough in storage technology would not only allow an iPod to store half a million MP3s, and 3,500 full length films, but it would be very cheap to produce too. The research team claims that the technology uses less power and a single battery charge would last for weeks. It also has no moving parts, meaning that it should be pretty reliable. The technology can store information very quickly, faster than regular hard drives, and does not have the 'wear out' mechanism that afflicts flash memory drives.
The technology works by storing data in columns of magnetic material arranged on the surface of a silicon wafer. The information moves around the columns at high speed, hence the name 'racetrack' memory.
Stuart Parkin, the IBM fellow who led the research, said that "the promise of racetrack memory - for example, the ability to carry massive amounts of information in your pocket - could unleash creativity leading to devices and applications that nobody has imagined yet," and perhaps he has a point. With such a huge increase in space available, there's a good chance that it could inspire a creative surge.
Personally, I'm getting excited by the thought of being able to store entire series of television on a pocket-sized device, although the cynic in me points out that it's far more space than I would ever need.
It may be a moot point anyway. There's no sign of when the research will yield fully working, commercially available products. It is still in the 'exploratory stage', and the only time frame given is the annoyingly vague 'within ten years'.
