Researchers at Microsoft have revealed a glass storage device that encodes digital information, presenting a promising approach to the increasing issue of long-term data preservation.
Significant advancements in Microsoft’s glass-based data-storage technology indicate that common glass items, such as those used in cookware and oven doors, are capable of storing terabytes of data, with the information remaining intact for 10,000 years.
This technology, which has been under development since 2019 as part of “Project Silica,” has experienced consistent enhancements.
In the latest research, the team demonstrated their ability to encode data onto standard borosilicate glass, a robust and heat-resistant type of glass frequently found in kitchen glassware.
In earlier efforts, the researchers were limited to storing data on pure fused silica glass, which is costly to produce and sourced from a limited number of suppliers.
They also introduced several innovative techniques for data encoding and reading.
The team successfully stored 4.8TB of data, which is approximately equivalent to 200 4K movies, onto 301 layers within a glass piece measuring 0.08 by 4.72 inches (2 by 120 millimeters) at a writing speed of 3.13 megabytes per second (MB/s).
While this speed is significantly slower than that of hard drives, which operate at around 160 MB/s, or solid-state drives, which can reach about 7,000 MB/s, the researchers discovered that the data could remain intact for over 10,000 years.
In comparison, most hard drives and solid-state drives typically have a lifespan of about 10 years.
Microsoft releases Windows 11 26H1 for Snapdragon X2
Earlier, Microsoft released a new version of its operating system, Windows 11 26H1, but most users are being told not to expect it on their devices.
The company stated that the update is designed only for a new generation of computers powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X2 chips.
The update will not be offered through the usual in place upgrade process. It also will not receive a follow up 26H2 version later this year and does not support hotpatch updates.
Read more: Microsoft releases Windows 11 26H1 for Snapdragon X2 devices only
