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What's bad about technology? It'll always be out of date. Once you've upgraded to the latest, it's already become obsolete. Maybe there's hope with Hitachi, the storage and electronics giant, unveiling a glimpse at the future of long-lasting digital storage: glass.
The 2-centimeter by 2-millimeter square of quartz glass can hold 40 megabytes per square inch and is meant to stand the test of time. The thought of losing our digital files -- an entire iTunes library -- is crushing. The researchers say the material can last almost forever. But the slim glass can also handle physical abuse as much as digital.
Where today's external hard drives may fail after a decade, this new storage can last in extreme heat (1,832 Fahrenheit), is waterproof and can stand up against most chemicals.