Nanoscale Switches in Memory

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Posted by CmdrTaco on Monday October 4, 2004 @02:36AM from the harnassing-the-power-of-the-atom dept.

Frans Faase writes "At the university of Boston, researchers are using nano-scale mechanical switches as a novel technology for building memory. These switches are extremely small, require only femtowatts of power to switch, but still can switch at speeds of 23.57 megahertz. And they are expected to become even smaller and faster and are expected to overcome the theoretical limit of 100 gigabits per square inch capacity for magnetic media."

11 of 140 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

sweet by BitwiseX · 2004-10-04 02:38 · Score: 5, Funny

You can pick these up at Radio Shack right?
1. Re:sweet by Waffle+Iron · 2004-10-04 02:55 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  You can pick these up at Radio Shack right?
  Yes, a blister pack containing six nanoswitches is $2.79.
So that means by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-04 02:38 · Score: 4, Funny

100 gigabits per square inch capacity for magnetic media

One day my old vhs tapes could store all of my pr0n?

Let me see my old T160 at 1075 feet * 12" * .5" wide * 100 gig * ... Well maybe two tapes. And you thought no one was going to manufacture the T200 because the tape was dead - Ha I say; dont underestimate the power of...well you know.
do they come in olive? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-10-04 02:40 · Score: 3, Funny

I don't care how fast they are, if they don't come in olive, then I don't want'em!
1. Re:do they come in olive? by armacc · 2004-10-04 02:44 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  At that speed, they probably only come in red shift. Or blue shift. It depends on if you are reading or writing data ...
femtowatts? by Nuclear+Elephant · 2004-10-04 02:45 · Score: 4, Funny

...is that like a feminine type of energy?
Oh good..... by mr_z_beeblebrox · 2004-10-04 03:02 · Score: 4, Funny

A new theoretical limit is sorely needed as I had almost thought of a way to exhaust the old limit.
and we laughed... by acvh · 2004-10-04 03:07 · Score: 3, Funny

at the mechanical pong guy.....
Re:University of Boston? by jnik · 2004-10-04 03:08 · Score: 2, Funny

I don't know about you, but I've never heard of a "University of Boston". Are they neighbors with Caltech University or Georgia Tech University perhaps?
Or University of Indiana. Damn, nobody told me about the name change. I wonder if the expense form I'm filling out is still valid....
Re:Get the name right by Random+BedHead+Ed · 2004-10-04 03:09 · Score: 2, Funny

We're the People's Front of Judea! Judean People's Front!?
Re:Get the name right by drwho · 2004-10-04 03:34 · Score: 3, Funny

Ah but it does matter: University of Boston is my copyright. And we are proudly free of scientologists, one-armed despots, and haven't had to pay any money to dismiss ex-NASA administrators because we are too smart to hire any.

The University of Boston offers, among couses:

- KAR01 - Defensive Driving
- KAR02 - Offensive Driving
- KAR02 - Navigation without street signs
- ATH01 - Philosphy of Baseball - Why being #2 is better
- ATH02 - Basketball -How can so many black guys can still be call Celtics
- LIN01 - Linguistics and Pronunciation - Dialects of Somerville, Charlestown, South Boston, and Jamaica Plain compared
- BUS01 - How to get rich in the University business
- BUS02 - How to get rich in the Politics business
- BUS03 - How to get rich in the Trashy Soveniers business
- BUS04 - How to get rich by renting slum apartments to students

And many more!