As video and music files get bigger and bigger, we end up needing more space than current storage technologies allow. Storage companies are offering new technology to solve technical limitations and the current darling is perpendicular storage. The idea is that data is stored perpendicular to the plane of the disks instead of along it, so that higher density is achieved and there is less interference between neighbouring bits. There is a very impressive and technical flash animation on Hitachi’s site that explains it. (via Arstechnica.)
