4GB Memory for Cellphones Possible

A 4 Gigabyte harddrive has been launched that could be embedded inside cellphones. Cornice's unique architecture lowers cost by using only one side of the disk and removing components not needed in small portable electronic devices.

"The CE market has clearly demonstrated the demand for affordable, high capacity storage in small packages with incomparable growth rates in hard drive-enabled MP3 players, mobile phones, and other pocket-able electronics," said Camillo Martino, Cornice's new president and chief executive officer. "Having shipped millions of components into multimedia and cellular products, Cornice now has the broadest design expertise in the industry and with the launch of a whole new set of unique features beyond just capacity, is poised to lead the way in moving the industry to smarter and more capable storage.

When dropped, the most common damage to a hard drive occurs when the head scrapes across the surface of the disk (not unlike the needle scratching across an old vinyl LP record when the turntable was bumped). Cornice not only removes the head from the disk, but also securely locks it in place with an active latch mechanism whenever the drive is not actively seeking data.

The 4.0-gigabyte SE with Crash Guard II technology will be available in July 2005 at US$65 per unit in quantities of 10,000."

Posted to the site on 20th July 2005