I found this article on The Register ( http://www.theregister.co.uk/990809-000015.html )
regarding a new and quite dense storage medium. If it's true, it sounds perfect for use
in the EMpeg, not only to increase storage, but to make it much more affordable. If anyone
can post another URL for this story, that would be quite favorable.


UK boffins unveil $35 '2300GB on a PC Card' RAM breakthrough

A team of UK researchers from Keele University have developed a
"three-dimensional memory system" which, they claim, offers the highest storage
densities ever achieved.

In fact, the technology can squeeze 2300GB into a PC Card-sized device, according
to yesterday's Mail on Sunday.

And the system is scalable so that even a wristwatch could contain 100GB of storage
capacity.

And alongside the technological breakthrough came a rare example of British
entrepreneurship: Keele and capital management company Cavendish Management
Resources (CMR) have formed a JV, Keele High Density, to market and license the
technology. We Brits have long had a reputation of coming up with cracking
innovations but being completely unable to exploit them.

CMR MD Mike Downey was particularly bullish about the innovation, describing it as
"big as the creation of the microchip". He predicted the technology would eliminate
the hard drive, and that once the new memory system goes into production, units will
cost only £35 to make.

Maybe, but that may be a little way off. The technology, which, according to the MoS
report, exploits the storage properties of a new family of alloys, is currently awaiting
various patents to be granted -- which is probably why the team isn't too keen on
discussing how it works. Further development work needs to be done to get the
technology ready for mass production.

However, the researchers, led by Professor Ted Williams, who cuts a Sir Clive
Sinclair-style figure but can at least, having led the development of the nuclear
magnetic resonance scanner, claim to have invented something useful, said the
technology can be easily incorporated into existing computer hardware. ®

It's YEARS off.

Not being from the UK, I don't wish to offend anyone's sensibilities, but... how reputable a publication is The Register? I have no idea what sort of publication this is. Is it a scientific journal, or a tabloid newspaper or ??? My guess is that this remarkable new breakthrough is a hoax.

taanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Nanochip (www.nanochip.com) have the same sort of thing, they're promising it sooner though. It's micromechanical actuators used to pick up & deposit bits stored in some strange way on a molecular scale.

Looks interesting, but they still have to mass produce them!

Hugo