PCM = double storage capacity
Intel and STMicroelectronics have begun shipping prototypes of a “future product” that uses a technology called phase change memory (PCM).
Codenamed Alverstone, the future memory device will offer “very fast read and write speeds at lower power than conventional flash.” The name of the joint owned company that will produce Alverstone is Numonyx.
“This is the most significant non-volatile memory advancement in 40 years,” said Ed Doller, chief technology officer-designate of Numonyx. “There have been plenty of attempts to find and develop new non-volatile memory technologies, yet of all the concepts, PCM provides the most compelling solution and Intel and STMicroelectronics are delivering PCM into the hands of customers today.”
Before you get all excited he’s referring to the prototypes that are being sent to technology customers, who are going to give them a prod and tell Numonyx what they think.
Phase change refers to the physical state of the material that stores the data. In some very clever way you can apparently derive a different piece of information from the same bit of material depending on its physical state. That way you can effectively multiply the amount of data stored without having to increase the amount of material. Or something like that.
