Ever wondered what are these tiny chips? Confused by the names? We are here to help you.

This article is about the various memory components available in the market for mobile phones.

Memory Stick

MS Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks. This family includes the Memory Stick Pro, a revision that allows greater maximum storage capacity and faster file transfer speeds, and Memory Stick Duo, a small-form-factor version of the Memory Stick.

50.0 21.5 2.8 mm

Memory Stick Duo

MS Duo

31.0 20.0 1.6 mm

The Memory Stick Duo, which is slightly smaller than the competing Secure Digital format, was developed in response to Sony's need for a smaller flash memory card for pocket-sized digital cameras and cell phones, as well as Sony's PSP. Memory Stick Duos are available in all the same variants as their larger cousins (normal ones limited to 128 MB, larger Pro Sticks, with and without High Speed mode, with and without MagicGate support), and a simple adapter (often sold along with the Memory Stick Duo) allows a Duo to be used in any device that can accept their larger cousins.

Memory Stick Micro M2

15.0 12.5 1.2 mm

In a joint venture with SanDisk, Sony announced a new Memory Stick format on 30 September 2005. The new Memory Stick M2 ("micro") measures 15 12.5 1.2 mm and could theoretically have 32GB in the future. Maximum transfer speed is 160MB/s. It will come with an adaptor, much like the Duo Sticks, to ensure compatibility with current Pro devices.

Multi Media Card

MMC

32 24 1.5 mm

The MMC card or MultiMediaCard was introduced in 1997 by SanDisk Corporation and Siemens AG. At that point the MMC card was the smallest memory card, about the size of a postage stamp, in the market based on flash memory technology. The MMC card is very similar to the Secure Digital Memory Card, actually the SD Memory Card is based on the MMC card. They have almost the same form factor the only differences are that the SD Memory Cards are slightly thicker and they have a write protection switch.

Since the MMC card had slow transfer speed, 2.5 MB/sec, in comparison to other memory cards, mostly compared to SD Memory Card, a new high performance version of the MMC card was introduced in 2005 by the name MMCplus. The MMCplus has today the highest, up to 52 MB/sec, theoretical data transfer speed in the whole memory card industry.

The MultiMediaCard Association announced that by the end of 2005 the secureMMC application will be available only for the MMCplus and MMCmobile memory cards. The secureMMC is a copyright protection application that features DRM, Digital Rights Management, and VPN, Virtual Private Network, capabilities.

Reduced Size Multi Media Card

RS-MMC

16 24 1.5 mm

MMCmobile (RS-MMC)

RS-MMC, Reduced Size MultiMediaCard, was introduced in 2003 by the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) as the second form factor memory card in the MultiMediaCard family. The RS-MMC is a smaller version of the standard MMC card, approximately half in size, and was specifically designed to be used by mobile phones and other small portable devices.

Dual Voltage Reduced Size Multi Media Card

DV RS-MMC

16 24 1.5 mm

In 2005 the Dual Voltage (DV) RS-MMC was introduced. It is basically the same card like the standard RS-MMC but operates with dual voltage, 1.8V and 3.3V, leading to lower power consumption which contributes to longer lasting battery life for the host devices. The DV RS-MMC and the RS-MMC are completely compatible with each other but since some mobile phones, mostly from Nokia, only operate with 1.8V cards the regular RS-MMC will not work. We recommend to always buy the Dual Voltage RS-MMC for being sure your memory card will function with the electronic device.

MMCmicro Card

MMCmicro

12 14 1.1 mm

The MMCmicro, formerly known as S-CARD introduced by Samsung, was adopted and introduced in 2005 by the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) as the third form factor memory card in the MultiMediaCard family. MMCmicro is the smallest, about the size of a fingernail, memory card in the MultiMediaCard family and among the smallest in the world. It was specifically designed for being used in mobile phones and other small portable devices.

The MMCmicro memory card is available with an adaptor, MMCplus. This makes it not only compatible to all MMC and MMCplus slots but also to all SD Memory Card slots. It is important to keep in mind that music stored on MultiMediaCards my not be able to play back when inserted into a SD Memory Card slot due to the copyright protection features supported by the SD slots.

Since the MMCmicro is the latest memory card to be developed and introduced to the market it is not that compatible to many mobile phones and electronic devices yet. Still it is expected to be one of the memory card formats that will dominate in the mobile phone industry among the frontrunner microSD and the under development Memory Stick Micro.

Secure Digital Card

SD

32 24 2.1 mm

The SD Memory Card or Secure Digital was introduced in 2001 by SanDisk Corporation, Matsushita (Panasonic) and Toshiba. The SD Memory Card was based on the MultiMediaCard, MMC, memory card standard and has almost the same form factor, the size of a postage stamp, the only differences are that the SD memory card is slightly thicker and has a write protection switch. Since MMC cards are thinner than SD Memory Cards they can be used in all SD Memory Card slots but not vice versa.

The SD Memory Card is today the most common used memory card. It can be found in most digital cameras, PDAs and in many other electronic devices. The SD Memory Card slots can be used for more than flash memory cards. The SDIO, Secure Digital In & Out, is the general name for the many expansion modules that can be found in the SD Memory Cards form factor. SDIO modules can be inserted in the slot and be used for other functions like Bluetooth adapters, GPS receivers, digital cameras, TV tuners, etc

miniSD Card

miniSD

21.5 20 1.4 mm

The miniSD was introduced in 2003 by SanDisk Corporation in cooperation with Matsushita (Panasonic) and Toshiba. Later in that year the miniSD format was adapted by the SD Card Association as the second form factor memory card in the Secure Digital family. MiniSD is a smaller version of the SD memory Card format, about 60% smaller in volume, and offers the same benefits as the SD Memory Card expect of the writing protection switch.

MiniSD was designed specifically to be used in small portable electronic devices like digital cameras and mobile phones. But since all miniSD memory cards always come with a SD Memory Card adaptor, they are compatible to all SD Memory Card slots and thereby provide compatibility with the rapidly growing number of SD Memory Card compatible devices in the market.

MiniSD was the second, after SD Memory Card, memory card to be adapted by the SD Card Association, which today consists of three members. In 2005 the microSD was introduced as the third, and smallest, member of the Secure Digital family.

microSD Card also known as Transflash

SD

11 15 1 mm

rashFlash, formerly known as T-Flash, was introduced by SanDisk Corporation in 2004 as the worlds smallest memory card, approximately the size of a fingernail. TransFlash was specifically designed for being used in mobile phones. Motorola was the first mobile phone manufacturer to adapt the TransFlash memory card standard.

In the 3rd quarter of 2005 TransFlash was adapted by the SD Card Association as the third form factor memory card in the Secure Digital family, after SD Memory Card and miniSD. After the adoption, TransFlash changed name to microSD. The microSD has exactly the same dimensions and specifications as the TransFlash and therefore both memory cards are completely compatible to each other.

Today the microSD is the most common used memory card in mobile phones and the SD Card Associations objective is to make microSD a de facto memory card standard for all mobile phones. All TransFlash and microSD cards always come with a SD Memory Card adaptor, which makes them compatible to all SD Memory Card slots. The microSD is about 10% in size compared to SD Memory Card and about 30% compared to miniSD.

xD-Picture Card

xD

20 25 1.7 mm

The xD-Picture Card was introduced in 2002 by Fuji Film and Olympus as a replacement to the older SmartMedia Card. It is produced exclusively by Toshiba and can be found branded only under the name of Fuji Film and Olympus.

The xD-Picture Card format was developed to be used in digital cameras and is more or less only used in Fuji Film and Olympus digital cameras. Like SmartMedia Card, the xD-Picture Card does not incorporate a controller chip which allows it to have a small form factor but at the same time making it dependable to the host devices controller chip.

Varun Krishnan is a mobile phone/web enthusiast. He is a web developer and SEO consultant. He's currently heading http://www.FoneArena.com.

Neighborhoods and communities are developing their own sense of self throughout the United States, creating their own community programs and offering up their own resources to get the job done. This revived interest in the local community action is a positive development and thus many neighborhoods don't understand why they meet resistance from the local city and town officials when everyone is supposed to be working for the common good of the community.

Most community action programs started by the community start on the front stoop of someones home. Five people congregating and discussing the neighborhoods issues can make a huge difference, provided it is taken to the next step. This is where working with the local city and town officials becomes dreadfully important. Ideas are born on these front porches and problems are solved over coffee and tea before work. If these ideas stay on the front stoop, they arent going to make a bit of difference in the neighborhoods that need the input. Real estate agents, real estate investors, and real estate tycoons all have a hand in getting involved in these types of community action programs just waiting to unfold.

Some neighborhoods already have a unified civic league, which is really nothing more than people in the neighborhood who care enough to meet and discuss the issues related to the area and hopefully brainstorm how to solve them. If your neighborhood is without a civic league, starting one is simple. Whether the civic league is official yet or consists of five thoughtful women having coffee on the front porch, the league is going to need a liaison. The best liaisons between neighborhood civic leagues and the city or town officials is usually an attorney.

Attorneys will often take on the responsibility for very low fees when it might benefit their career. By using a lawyer that has an established or an establish-able relationship with the correct officials, communications between the officials and the civic league become significantly less strained. Most often the goals of both parties are identical and the only hang up is communication and practical application. Local city and town officials have regulations that need to be followed and general civic leagues find this disconcerting and frustrating. Having an interested liaison between the two parties can help facilitate the communication process to reach the goals while focusing each party on the common element and delegating responsibilities in order to achieve these goals faster.

Despite the fact that working directly with local city or town officials can be frustrating for citizens as well as real estate professionals, the working relationship will be vital throughout all the dealings relating to neighborhood improvements. Most citizen organized civic leagues find the number one source of frustration to be the vast rules and regulations by which the city officials are bound. It can seem counter productive, especially when a solution seems so simple, that everything has to be run through the appropriate channels. Again, having a liaison can ease this strain but also having understanding that nothing in government, whether local or federal, is likely to move quickly and will require the proper application process.

Hot headed commentary or argumentative behavior is likely to turn local officials off a project. The old adage, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, applies here. If you want to keep the communitys plans in the forefront, you are going to have to hold your tongue occasionally.

When running into issues dealing with outright prejudice and discrimination, taking a strong stance is necessary, but you are still going to need to back up your strong stance with a healthy dose of honey. While issues can ignite flames under someones motivation, community projects wont ever be accomplished when two sides are battling out an issue of discrimination. A prime example of this can be found in Norfolk, Virginia. The civic league of one of the communities wanted to start a community outreach program for the youth of the area. On the drawing board was an inclusive community help program for gay and lesbian and questioning youth.

The entire project was continually shot down based on this inclusion. The civic league spent five years battling the officials who felt they did not want to promote gay, lesbian, or questioning youth in any fashion. The issue was never completely resolved however, until the community support building was built and the civic league started an outreach program aimed at all kids, hosting special gay, lesbian, and questioning events alongside their programs for the gifted, at risk, and first offenders program. The entire project was held up for five years over debating the perceived morality of helping these youth rather than finding creative ways of helping all youth. Both parties contributed to the slow down of the project which to this day has grown and become a highly successful community action program.

There are numerous professionals that would be more than willing to lend a hand in the future developments of plans and improvements. Going back to the front porch discussions, someone on that porch probably knows a contractor and someone else probably knows an engineer, an architect, or a developer. If they dont know one, they usually at least know who to ask to find one. Professionals such as these can often be asked to join forces with the civic league in order to create improvements throughout the community, whether youre talking about a new park for the kids or saving a historical building, or even launching new construction.

It is quite likely that these professionals will also have their own unique ideas to bring to the table and can contribute much more than just their professional skill. Having these contacts already in place can help cut through a lot of time while waiting for city and local officials to get around to finding the right people for the job. While they may still insist on putting their own choices out there first, presenting them with a knowledgeable and fair professional for future works is always a benefit. Real estate professionals should have vast resources regarding these professionals and should be able to lay their hands on one quickly. By bringing together the front porch community action plan and the real estate officials right alongside the town officials, community enhancement takes on a whole new face.

Town officials are going to have their own agenda. They are also a good resource despite the frustration that many citizens find themselves engulfed in when dealing with them. Their agenda is going to take precedence over yours unless they have good reason to alter their course. By developing a strong working relationship with them, the two various agendas are likely to meet in the middle and come up with solutions that work well for the community and promote healthier and stronger community based programs.

Tony Seruga, Yolanda Seruga and Yolanda Bishop of Maverick Real Estate Investments, Inc. work with builders, developers and other players in the commercial real estate industry to acquire and develop properties. They use progressive investment strategies that have proved extremely profitable. In addition to their own deals, they teach both seasoned and inexperienced investors how to be big players in the game. Visit the website for more info.

In todays retail market digital signage is one of the fastest growing communication media, allowing brands to talk directly to a responsive captive audience at the point of sale. Retail chains are translating the static advertising and brand messages into in house digital signage delivering real time content to shoppers.

Interactive Digital Signage: Imagine walking around with a friend in your favorite mall. There is a digital signage showing up some advertisement and some strangers are standing in front of it. Suddenly you see that digital signage changes its content to adapt your interest and you stop to catch a glimpse on it. You see an advertisement presenting a discount for an IPod you are interested in, and you take out your mobile phone, activate your blue tooth to make a connection to the display and copy it to your phone. While your cell navigates you to the location where you can buy the IPod, you and your friend wonder how the digital signage can always present you content or advertisement that you really are interested in. This is the latest in the digital signage where user profiling is done on the basis of customers interaction history and buying pattern.

Enhanced familiarity: Digital signages are designed by companies who have decades of software experience but a little retail store background so the software can be state of art but content lacks impact. As such there is growing need for retail shop owner to go for digital signage firms who can deliver technology as well as enhanced content rather then irrelevant advertising messages.

Point of sale: Digital signage also point of sale advertising is a powerful tool for retail market owing to the fact that 60% of purchase decisions are made shop itself so its necessary to go for carefully executed consumer centered digital signage. Brand recall and increased sales easily comes with a digital signage solution.

Its always wise to go for digital signage solution firm which understand your business and brand value well enough and helps you choose the right solution.

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