HeatResistant
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Panasonic preps SD cards that survive heat, water and X-rays, will probably outlast you
Much ado has been made of weather-resistant cameras, but it's all a moot point if the memory card dies, isn't it? Panasonic wants that level of survivability in its SDHC and SDXC cards, and its new UHS-I-level SDAB and SDUB lines are tested for the kind of abuse that could see the camera give up the ghost first. The cards can take the kinds of punishment that we often associate with rugged gear, such as temperatures from -13F to 185F, immersion in 3.3 feet of water for half an hour and the usual steep drops. It's beyond this that the resistance levels become truly exotic: the cards are also built to survive zaps of electricity, proximity to magnets and exposure to X-rays. If it all becomes too much to bear, the design will even fuse on the inside to prevent fire burning the card from within. Those who like what they see will only have to decide whether or not they want the SDAB range's 95MB/s read speeds and 80MB/s writes or are willing to settle for the SDUB line's respective 90MB/s and 45MB/s transfers. We have yet to see if or when the SD cards cross the Pacific after their September 8th launch in Japan, although we hope so -- with that kind of extra-tough design, our photos are more likely to endure than we will.
NASA develops extreme-heat-resistant CPUs
Finally, you can wave goodbye to your heat-sinks, mods, and water-cooled contraptions, because NASA is on the scene with a new CPU that can rock 1,700 hours of uninterrupted processing at the low, low temperature of 500 degrees... Celsius. According to reports, scientists at the space agency have developed a chip which they call the "silicon carbide differential amplifier integrated circuit," taking the approach of using more heat-resistant materials, rather than external and extraneous cooling technology. "This new capability can eliminate the additional plumbing, wires, weight and other performance penalties required to liquid-cool traditional sensors and electronics," says Phil Neudeck, a NASA electrical engineer, adding, "It's really a significant step toward mission-enabling harsh environment electronics." The agency believes that the new technology will lead to improvements in safety and fuel efficiency, as well as reduced jet engine emissions, though team leaders say they're mainly hoping to, "...seriously jack up our WoW rigs."
