Table salt used to boost digital storage

Dear Reader,

Today, I came across a new about data storage technology, what is a data storage? According to wikipedia, data storage is device that stores information. (Click here to read more about data storage)

Back to the actual story, scientists in Singapore has discovered a new process that can expand data storage capacity of a computer hard-disk six-folds by just using a comon kitchen ingredient.. yes that right a Table Salt.

The discovery was made by Singapores's national research institute the agency for Science, Technology and Research, in colaboration with the University Of Singapore and the Data Storage Institute.

The institute has "develope a process that can increase the data recording density of Hard Disk to 3.3 Terabits per square inch. which is claimed to be six time the recording density of current models." according to statement.

"This means that a hard disk drive that hold 1Terabyte (TB) of data today could in the future hold 6 TB of information or data in the same size using this new technology."

The discovery has also been published in the Scientific Journal Nanotechnology as well as The Journal of Vacumm Science and Technology B.

Scientist were able to boost data storage capacity by packing more bits - miniature structures which holds information - in a neater patterns as compared to the random configuration applied in the current hard disk drive.

According to their statement  "It's like packing your clothes in your suitcase when you travel. The neater to pack them (your clothes) the more clothed you can carry,"

This newly develope method is called Bit Patterning - had previously not feasible as scientist were unable to see the outlines of the bits clearly after they had printed on to a film in a process much like developing a photograph. But by adding a table salt into the solution used for bit imaging allow the outline to stand out in sharp relief.

"It can gives you a very high contrast. We are now able to see fine lines that would normally be blurred out," Joel Yang, the Signapore Scientist who discovery the salty recepi, said.

"Otherwise you can try your best to pattern these bits very closely but they will end up gigantic blurred-out blobs," said Yang of the National Research Agency's Institute of Material Research and Engineering.

Yang predicted the salted bit-patterning will be adopted by the industry by 2016 "when the current technoques runs out of fuel dan (Hard Drive Manufacturers) need to fidn alternate methods" of increasing the capacity of data storage. - AFP

You may also read more about this story in :
http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/4850/table-salt-used-boost-digital-storage
http://technology.newsplurk.com/2011/10/salty-hard-drives-have-more-bytes.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_723304.html