Flash memory pioneer M-Systems is collaborating with a mobile phone SIM card vendor to push the envelope of its high-capacity SIM cards to half a gigabyte, or roughly 8,000 times the storage capacity of today's typical 64 KB SIM cards.

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M-Systems expects its “MegaSIM” cards to help mobile phones transition into multimedia players and PDA-like devices. The 512 MB SIM card will hold up to 125 songs, three full-length movies, or 80 Java games, according to the company. Additionally, the cards will be useful for storing PIM and calendar data, as well as archiving email including attachments, the company said.

The company's MegaSIM cards also have built-in DRM (digital rights management) authentication hardware that “enables secure portability of sensitive personal data and DRM-protected files, permitting instant access to additional services and content,” the company adds.

M-Systems's partner in creating the “world's first 512 MB SIM card” is Oberthur Card Systems, which claims to be one of the world's top memory card providers.

The record-setting half gigabyte cards are expected to debut in France later this year, where they will be introduced on an LG U8210 handset.

 
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