Most users likely prioritize capacity and speed when purchasing their storage media, while durability plays a rather minor role. The Blaustahl Storage Device does exactly the opposite.
Note: The title image is a symbolic image via Pexels.
What kind of device is this? The Blaustahl Storage Device is a USB dongle from the German manufacturer Machdyne and boasts a storage capacity of 8 KB as well as a lifespan of 200 years. So you won’t be able to install a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on it. However, it has some other interesting features (via 3D Juegos).
USB sticks also play a role in the “Dead Drops” project:
Password storage or letter to the great-grandchildren
What can the device do? The Blaustahl Storage Device works with FRAM, ferro-electric RAM. This makes the USB stick so durable and fast, but it also comes at a price. For just under 30 euros, you currently get only 8 KB of storage space – that’s enough for about 4 pages of text or 8,000 characters.
The USB stick also features a built-in text editor and 4 MB NOR Flash for the firmware.
However, the most outstanding feature – besides the blue LED – is probably the mentioned durability. According to the manufacturer, the Blaustahl Storage Device is supposed to securely store your data for more than 200 years, as long as it is kept at a maximum of 35 ° Celsius. At temperatures above 55 °C, the lifespan melts down to 95 years.
The stick is also supposed to be extremely durable and withstand 10^12 read and write cycles at 85 °C – that’s a trillion.
There are also plans to provide encryption support with a future firmware update. If you want to store very small files for a very long time and securely, this device might be the right choice for you.
What is this thing good for? According to the manufacturer, the storage device is perfectly suited for saving important but usually rather small files. Here are some of the listed use cases:
- Password storage
- Key storage for cryptocurrency
- Storage for notes or lists
- Geocaching
- Time capsules
Let us know in the comments what you would want to preserve for future generations in 8,000 characters.
Why key storage for cryptocurrencies makes sense is illustrated by the case of programmer Stefan Thomas, who received a total of 7,002 Bitcoins as a gift in 2011. Back then, they were worth hardly anything, but today that’s a fortune – there’s just one catch: A German has 2 attempts left to reach 222 million euros – An expert wants to help him, but he declines assistance
