How do memory cards work?
With the exception of microdrives, all memory cards today use a technology called flash memory. It is the same technology that is used to store your BIOS on your computer and your preferences on your cell phone. Flash memory does not require power to retain its information, which means that your data will remain intact for many years without degradation or loss. In principle, there is a limit to the number of times you can write to flash memory, somewhere between tens and hundreds of thousands of writes, depending upon how you count, but a typical user will never come close to this in the lifespan of the product. (See this Kingston Document, p. 4.) Flash memory is reasonably resistant to magnetic fields, impacts, x-rays, and extreme temperatures (within reason). It is superior to magnetic media, i.e., disks, in these dimensions. Flash memory is susceptible to damage from the Post Office’s newly installed biological decontamination machines, so avoid sending flash memory though the U.S.
