Next Generation SD Cards From Toshiba Use Mobile DRM Technology
Toshiba this week announced the launch of new microSDHC memory cards based on SeeQVault technology, a mobile DRM standard licensed by NSM Initiatives LLC and backed by Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony. The technology applies bidirectional authentication with a unique identifier and public key infrastructure, and can be integrated into flash memory cards along with the devices that run them.
"SeeQVault technology gives consumers access to the latest digital content - and the freedom to enjoy it across platforms. The SeeQVault card can be used for playback of content from a smart phone, tablet or TV with a high level of security," Toshiba says.
The end-game is to tie content such as pre-loaded movies to flash memory cards. Users could then view that content on any compatible device, be it a smartphone, tablet, etc. Users just wouldn't be able to copy the content. This type of DRM is similar in theory to DVDs and Blu-rays, where movies are tied to the physical media and aren't intended to be copied (though it's still easy to do for any tech savvy user). The tricky part is that SeeQVault technology must be employed by the content, storage medium, and device for it to work.
Toshiba will ship two microSD cards with SeeQVault by the end of March, a 16GB model and a 32GB model. Both feature maximum read and write speeds of up to 40MB/s and 20MB/s, respectively.
"SeeQVault technology gives consumers access to the latest digital content - and the freedom to enjoy it across platforms. The SeeQVault card can be used for playback of content from a smart phone, tablet or TV with a high level of security," Toshiba says.
The end-game is to tie content such as pre-loaded movies to flash memory cards. Users could then view that content on any compatible device, be it a smartphone, tablet, etc. Users just wouldn't be able to copy the content. This type of DRM is similar in theory to DVDs and Blu-rays, where movies are tied to the physical media and aren't intended to be copied (though it's still easy to do for any tech savvy user). The tricky part is that SeeQVault technology must be employed by the content, storage medium, and device for it to work.
Toshiba will ship two microSD cards with SeeQVault by the end of March, a 16GB model and a 32GB model. Both feature maximum read and write speeds of up to 40MB/s and 20MB/s, respectively.
