Hard drives and other data storage media have helped us store large amounts of data for years- but this card has changed the game entirely. This DNA card stores a small amount of data for a very long time (we’re talking of generations here!). But what is the limit of this super-card? What makes this card so expensive? Here is all you need to know about this pricey card.
What is this DNA card?
The DNA card is a storage medium that keeps data safe and encrypted until it is needed. It stores data, just like your regular hard disk and flash drives. However, the DNA card is different from the regular storage media.
This card is the size of your wallet; it doesn’t look like a disc or a microchip. This card doesn’t store data on a drive or in cloud storage; it keeps your precious data in your DNA. The card is offered to the public by Biomemory, a French company.
How much data can the DNA card take?
The wallet-sized cards cost $1,000, which is not similar to what you’d sacrifice for a hard disk drive. The price of this card already makes people assume it can hold massive amounts of data. Well, can it?
The DNA card can save one kilobyte of data. In case you were wondering, that’s the size of a short email. While it’s true that a gram of DNA can hold about 36 million copies of the Avengers: Endgame movie, the card can’t take more than that…yet.
How does the card work?
This card uses DNA, nature’s original storage system, instead of fragile and vulnerable electronics. Data is stored on the card by converting a file from binary form to chemical bases.
The DNA card is always sold in a pair– one card is for keeping while the other is to test the retrieving process. Customers are to dry the cards to increase their shelf life. Customers will email one of the cards to retrieve their information, and the company will translate the code back into the original text message.
Why DNA? Is there any advantage?
The fact that DNA is a denser way of storing data isn’t the only advantage there is. While DNA can store over 215 million gigabytes of data, these cards are not there yet. So why use a 1 kilobyte card?
The DNA card can store data for at least 150 years, lasting much longer when kept properly. Aside from the amazing lifespan, DNA storage uses far less energy; it doesn’t use energy until the data is retrieved.
With these cards, what does the future look like?
Although these cards are expensive to produce now, their prices will gradually drop as more people become aware of them. As for the storage capacity of these DNA cards, things are also looking upward.
While the limit is one kilobyte, these cards can begin to store more than that as time goes on. Opening orders this month, the French company plans to send out its first orders in January.