Memory

SanDisk Corporation has begun shipping 64Gb flash memory cards based on the company’s advanced X4 flash memory technology. Five years in the making, X4 (4-bits-per-cell) technology holds twice as many bits in each cell as conventional multi-level cell (MLC) NAND memory chips. Based on 43nm process technology, the 64Gb NAND flash chip is the highest-density single-die memory device in the world to enter production. SanDisk is shipping 8GB and 16GB SDHC cards as well as 8GB and 16GB Memory Stick PRO Duo cards with X4 technology.  Read More

Image sensors embedded in digital cameras are expensive, and issues with their circuitry limit the quality and resolution in the pictures they produce. Now a research group from the Netherlands believes a cheaper solution could be right before our eyes - the team's "gigavision" technique exploits the high light sensitivity of memory chips to produce inexpensive gigapixel sensors that perform very well, especially in extreme lighting conditions.  Read More

Graphite has long been known to have unique electrical properties and has therefore been put forward by many as a possible substitute for silicon for use in integrated circuitry. Now, in a major step towards making graphene-based electronics, researchers from Rice University have published the results of work on graphite-based mass data storage and reprogrammable gate arrays.  Read More

If there’s one thing you could expect to rely on when it comes to Flash memory it’s that as capacities increase over time, prices decrease. It’s a rule that has been borne out over the years and its continuation has been a source of comfort that everything is right with the world. Now Japan’s Solid Alliance has thrown our world askew with the release of the Mnemosyne, a 16GB flash drive that is yours for the paltry sum of one million yen (approx. USD$10,000.)  Read More

USB Flash drive capacity has come a long way in a very short space of time. It was merely a couple of years ago that a 32GB memory stick was considered groundbreaking. Taking storage capability to dizzying heights is the new DataTraveler 200 series from Kingston Technology which features the world’s first 128GB capacity Flash drive.  Read More

Eye-Fi, makers of the world’s first wireless memory card, has expanded its range with a new SDHC memory card aimed specifically at professionals and photo enthusiasts. The Eye-Fi Pro is a 4GB wireless memory card that supports RAW images and allows direct peer-to-peer connectivity between camera and computer, without the need for an internet connection.  Read More

Sony has confirmed the rumors and officially announced the updated, slimmed down version of its PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld gaming console at E3. The new PSP go features a sliding form factor with the ability to play video and music when closed, or transform into a gaming console when the familiar PlayStation controls are revealed.  Read More

Nobody likes staring at a screen while they wait for their computer to boot up. Sure, you can spend those few minutes making a cup of coffee or ferreting the dirt out from under your fingernails, but if you’re raring to go those few minutes can be a frustrating waste of time. This could soon be a thing of the past however, thanks to a clever materials science technique that may allow a new class of electronic devices that remember their last state, even after power is turned off.  Read More

It’s not all Flash based memory in the world of new storage devices. Traditional HDD’s still have some life in their platters and Seagate and AMD have teamed up to give good old Serial ATA (SATA) HDD’s a speed bump with the first public demonstration of next-generation high-speed data transfer 6Gigabit/second units for bandwidth-hungry desktop and laptop PC applications including gaming, streaming video and graphics multimedia.  Read More