500 megabyte DataPlay Disks stage a comeback

October 11, 2004

Anybody remember 2001? DataPlay disks? In 2001/2002 DataPlay
tried to enter the market with a new way to store data, the Dataplay
disk. A disk with a size of app. 3mm x 34mm x 42mm and a capacity up to
500MB. The disks were conceived as a storing device for mp3 players and
digital cameras. But the high costs of a nationwide launch forced DataPlay to go
bankrupt.

Now,
DHPI (DataPlay Inc.) is promoting the disk as a cheap, high capacity,
long-lasting and secure way to store digital content. Some small Chinese and
South Korean companies are already working on DataPlay based devices and the
technology is evaluated by some of the region's largest electronic companies,
DHPI executives said in an interview at Ceatec Japan 2004.

The
capacity and technology of the disks today is nearly the same as two years ago.
However, with changes to the file system, the disks are
supporting the FAT Standard now, this means that the disks are now located as an
USB-mass storage device when connected to a pc. An other new feature is a disk
based security system that supports file-level specification of security
attributes.

New and Improved

The basic disc is unchanged from before and can hold 500MB of data. But some things are new.

The reliance on a proprietary file system is gone, in
favor of the industry-standard FAT (file allocation table) file system,
says Dave Davies, chief technology officer of DPHI. This means devices
with DataPlay drives are recognized as USB Mass Storage devices when
connected to PCs and they work on Windows, Apple, and Linux systems
without the need for special device drivers.

In addition to its size and storage capacity, another
feature is a disc-based security system that supports file-level
specification of security attributes such as the number of generations of
copy permitted and an expiry date for the data.

"It's the exact reason why we used DataPlay," says
Fukiko Shinsato, CEO of FKDigital. "We needed something that was portable
and very secure. We initially thought of making our own [format] but then
came across DataPlay and it was exactly what we needed. The key points are
its 100-year lifetime, durability, cost, and security. Especially the
ability for file-level encryption," she says.

FKDigital's first DataPlay-based product allows users
to insert an SD (Secure Digital) memory card and transfer its contents to
a DataPlay disc with the press of a button. The device is aimed at digital
camera users, especially those who don't own personal computers, who want
to empty the contents of a memory card to a cheaper storage media and
continue using the card. It can also be connected to cameras via USB for
download and can be connected to a television to enable viewing of the
stored images.

Why couldn't
this device become more competitive than in the past? It's price ( $ 4.50) is
surely interesting. The full aritcle can be found over at PC-World.

Source: PC-World