SanDisk announces 'automotive grade' flash storage for your car
As more and more concerns about distracted driving are popping up in the media, it feels like more and more products are being developed that can cause said distraction. Texting and driving for instance, is a very dangerous behavior, but I see it happening all the time. Surely no message is more important than your life or someone else's.
With all of that said, technology does not have to be a distraction in the car. Actually, if implemented correctly, technology should enhance the focus of drivers and lead to fewer fatalities and accidents. Today, SanDisk announces new storage products designed specifically for your car. The company calls the products "automotive grade", but what does that really mean?
"SanDisk Automotive storage solutions are optimized to bring reliable, high-performance storage to a wide range of in-vehicle applications, including 3D mapping and advanced augmented reality in navigation systems, entertainment systems, intuitive driver assist technology, data event recorders, and more. By providing the responsiveness and capacity of SanDisk flash storage technology, SanDisk Automotive solutions offer the potential for car manufacturers to continue to push the boundaries of connected car application experience", says SanDisk.
The company further explains, "the SanDisk Automotive portfolio of storage solutions includes an automotive grade SanDisk SD card and iNAND embedded flash drive (EFD), which are available to automotive manufacturers in capacities up to 64GB. Leveraging SanDisk’s innovative proprietary flash storage architectures, these solutions bring superior experiences to data-intensive automotive infotainment and connected car applications, enabling maps to load fast, improving touch-screen responsiveness, and reducing potential interference from driving on uneven or rough roadways".
SanDisk lists the following features of the new Automotive line:
- Up to 64GB
- Works in temperatures from -40C to 85C
- Enhanced power immunity
- Up to 2 boot/2 user partitions
- Meets AEC-Q100 specifications
Now, I am sure these cards are great, but I am dubious that they are truly optimized for use in a car. In other words, many of the company's existing products would likely meet or exceed AEC-Q100 specifications. The "Automotive" stamp simply assures that car manufacturers can point to the stamp for compliance purposes.
What do you think? Tell me in the comments.