Wednesday, 26 September 2012

EDUC 8848 - Module 2


Emerging Technologies Tetrad

The Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) is a storage device based on an optical disc technology and can store several terabytes of information using collinear holography technique (Layton, n.d.). HVD enhances disk storage capability and a faster transfer rate of data. This technology obsoletes data storage devices such as CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disks with lower disk storage capability. HVD rekindles the early days of punch cards in which information were stored on perforated paper and early invention of hard disk with storage capacity of about 5MB. Then 5 million characters were huge, and people feel the invention of hard disk was the best to happen in terms of storage capacity. However, the progression of storage devices has been so rapid with the emergence of other devices such as flash drives in gigabytes. The reversal of HVD might be cloud storage, which will have unlimited storage capacity and access to information and documents can be anywhere, anytime around the world.

McLuhan’s tetrad help explore emerging technology and has four quadrants in which every invention enhances, obsoletes, rekindles and reverses simultaneously (Laureate Inc., 2009). The progression of storage devices is in a chain from floppy disk, laser disk, CD and DVD, to Blu-ray disk and HD DVD; the end is not in sight with HVD and Cloud storage.

References
Layton, J. (n.d.). How holographic versatile discs work? Retrieved September 26, 2012 from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/hvd.htm.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). McLuhan Tetrad. [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EDUC/8848/02/downloads/WAL_EDUC8848_02_A_EN-CC.zip.

 

5 comments:

  1. Aderonke,

    Thank you for introducing me to the HVD device. This is a product that I have not heard of before. It illustrates that there are several developments in the storage area that will widely expand capacity and speed. How do you think this product compares to Memristor technology? Are these competing products or can both technologies grow and flourish?

    Jeri

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    1. Memristor and HVD are not of the same technology platform though they are both storage devices. HVD is based on optical disc technology, but the storage capacity is mind-blowing. The advantage of memristor is the ability to serve as computer memory, since it can create and maintain flow of electrical current across a device. I want to see the future of storage without a physical device, however, HVD and memristor will go through the innovation process.

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  2. Aderonke,

    Very similar to Jeri's response, yes, I also had not yet heard of the HVD device. Since I teach Humanities (Religion, Ethics, Philosophy) I am usually a little bit "behind the curve." How many years do you think it will take for the full transition to take away from older storage devices such as CD's and DVD's to HVD's? Also, do you see all of these technologies potentially co-existing for a longer duration, e.g. the next two to three decades?

    All the best,
    Rob

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    1. I appreciate your comment. Most of the storage devices will co-exist for a longer duration, especially in terms of cost. However, as a particular device becomes more affordable with improved value, the earlier devices become obsolete.

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  3. I read with interest your blog on the Holographic Versatile Disc (HDV), and was wondering why I had not heard about it before. With a little research I found why not. Apparently there have been several factors that have been preventing the mass production of HVD’s, and high among them was cost. While the cost of the HVD has lowered over time, I read with interest that this innovation is in danger of becoming obsolete, before it has even been properly established (http://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/2016.htm#hvd). The solid state flash drives is slated to reverse the HVD, since this innovation is increasingly being used for digital transfer; and those with new SDXC card format specification have even higher capacities, along with read and write speeds faster than the HVD. Just another example of how quickly (McLuhan’s Tetrad) the life cycle of an innovation could be completed. Jennifer

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