Bell Labs has done it again.

[Jasper]

"IBM has announced a next-generation nonvolatile memory as “racetrack”, where Big Blue expects it to replace flash memory in the near future and eventually hard disk drives, although I must say that flash memory is also currently in the race to usurp hard disk drives with not much success since both platforms have their own camps of supporters which results in a happy co-existence. The main technology used in “racetrack” is spintronics - where the storage of bits generated by the magnetic spin of electrons rather than their charge was recently demonstrated by IBM. Storage and retrieval of information is achieved by “massless motion”.


According to Parkin IBM, “We have now demonstrated a current-controlled, domain-wall, shift register which is the fundamental, underlying technology for racetrack memory. We use current pulses to move a series of domain walls along a nanowire, which is not possible to do with magnetic fields.” IBM’s main aim is to use the similar square micron that currently houses a single SRAM memory bit, or 10 flash bits, and drill down into the third dimension to store spin-polarized bits on a sunken racetrack-shaped magnetic nanowire. A silicon area of just 1 micron wide and 10 microns high is able to store up to 10 bits compared to one, doing away with flash memory. In the near future, IBM hopes to develop this even further to achieve storage of 100 bits in the same area, making it dense enough to replace hard disk drives.

IBM has also estimated that an iPod running on racetrack memory could potentially hold up to 100 times more information, and it also holds the advantage where components cannot wear out unlike solid state devices which makes it all the more compelling. 1.6TB of media on an iPod in the future? I’ll take one, thank you very much."

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20080414/ibm-racetrack-memory/

[Cainad (dec.)]

Holy cow. I mean, it's to be expected, but still.

[Jasper]

I want two.  One to actually use, and another to take apart and wish I hadn't.

[P3nT4gR4m]

I used to understand how this shit worked! It was millions and trillions of tiny little transistors flipping back and forth. Now it's fucking particles spinning round and nanotubes and quantum flux capacitors and shit  I'm fucking lost

[Triple Zero]

same here

[Jasper]

There's going to be an ass ton of quantum in my coursework, I fear.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Brilliant!

I used to understand how this shit worked! It was millions and trillions of tiny little transistors flipping back and forth. Now it's fucking particles spinning round and nanotubes and quantum flux capacitors and shit  I'm fucking lost

My engineering mentor explained it thusly:

In engineering there are three things to be concerned about: Goesinsa, Goesoutsa, and the thing in the middle. All technology has an input (Goesinsa) and an output(Goesoutsa) and something happens in the middle. No matter how new a piece of technology is, it will fit this model. No matter how complex, you can continue to break down each component in this way. For inside is just more Goesinsa and Goesoutsa and things in the middle.

[Cain]

I don't have a clue how this works.

But if I understand the potential, then.....wow.  That's incredible.  How long do they reckon before it will be put on the market?  Because as soon as these become affordable, I want one.

[Jasper]

Credit due to Google Desktop for the link.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That...is...fucking...awesome!

[Jasper]

How long do they reckon before it will be put on the market?  Because as soon as these become affordable, I want one.

The article just says near future. 

[P3nT4gR4m]

Yeah but it's quantum stuff. Doesn't time break down and warp or stuff? Maybe they're already available. Check ebay!

[Jasper]

I think it was dark matter that, by merely observing its' existence, we have sped up entropy or something.