Thumb Drives on Steroids

A single USB flash drive could back up the hard disks of two high-end laptops.

Arizona State researchers say they have developed a cheap, low-power USB flash drive that offers a terabyte worth of capacity. The programmable metallization cell (PMC) memory technology based on copper nanowire bridges accounts for the dense storage capability and low power, so it’s just a matter of time before the technology can pack in the equivalent of 1,000 1Gb USB flash drives in a single device -- the researchers reckon.

If true, the downside is that it’ll soon be easier to lose an entire lifetime’s of photos, movies and documents when you leave your flash drive on a desk somewhere. Not to worry, says SanDisk, which now offers a 4Gb USB thumb drive that automatically backs up data online when the device is plugged in to your laptop.

Handheld Super Computers

Will we all soon be packing the power of a mainframe in our pockets?

A University of Edinburgh School of Engineering researcher recently published in a scientific paper his claim that the use of nanowires will enable engineers to create a super computer that will fit in the palm of your hand within 10 to 15 years. Handheld super computers would involve assembling nanowires that are 1,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair.

So what will a handheld supercomputer allow? Real-time voice processing for spoken commands, a la Star Trek? Researchers have been less vocal about the real-applications than they have been about the nanoparticle size of tomorrow’s super computers.

While not on a nanoscale, Intel gave a demonstration of a prototype mobile device at the Consumer Electronics Show that will offer real-time text and speech translations within three to five years. Intel also said its upcoming mobile device designs slated for launch as early as next year will feature always-on Internet connectivity wherever you are in a device you can comfortably carry in your back pocket. }

WiMax Unleashed

WiMax proponents say the standard will likely make Wi-Fi connectivity as pervasive as cellular networks.

The rollout of WiMax networks could mean that you will eventually be able to log on to a Wi-Fi Internet network with your laptop whether you are on the bus in Trafalgar Square, picnicking in Hyde Park, or enjoying a pint down at the pub.

Intel is a principle proponent of the standard and will add WiMax capabilities to its upcoming Montevina chipset, which will replace the Centrino platform and show up in laptops during the second half of the year.

Asus, BenQ, and Lenovo showed off WiMax capabilities in laptop builds with an Intel platform earlier this month during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In parallel, Intel will also offer a WiMax chip, codenamed Baxter Peak this year, which Nokia will use for its N Series Internet Tablets.

City-level WiMax coverage is expected to begin in certain areas of the United States this year, while Intel says it is also working with telcos for the deployment of networks in Japan and Russia this year. However, wide-scale deployment in the rest of the world, including Europe, is not slated until 2009.

Online Storage Explosion

Vendors offering automatic backups over the Internet will continue to surge this year, but some caution should be heeded.

Amazon, Microsoft, and EMC are among the rapidly growing number of firms that that have begun to offer online backups. The number of online storage providers could total more than 100 by the end of the year.

The concept is simple: your data is automatically and transparently uploaded as a background task whenever your laptop is connected to the Internet. Pictures, videos, music, documents, or other types of files are transferred and stored for online access in case in your PC is lost or destroyed.

Not all the solutions are created equal, though, and with the multitude of offerings, some dubious alternatives unfortunately exist. Service providers should provide guarantees that your data is encrypted, for example.