Magnetic core memory USB drive transfers files in sneakernet first — text and image files get moved between PCs via hugely constrained archaic memory tech
A dinner plate-sized magnetic core memory homebrew USB device has been used to transfer a text file from one PC to another for the first time.
A Japanese researcher has successfully transferred a text file and a monochrome image file between two PCs using a magnetic core memory USB storage device. This marks what may be the "world's first" usage of such archaic memory technology as a sneakernet device. The USB flash drive, roughly the size of a dinner plate, is capable of storing just 128 bytes of data, which limits the maximum size of the images it can hold to 32 x 28 pixels.
Despite its severe drawbacks, including its large size of about 30cm square, tiny storage capacity, and data loss during reading, the device was applauded for its innovative approach. The data transfer was demonstrated in a video embedded in a tweet, where LEDs on an attached 32 x 32 array glowed red to indicate data being read from or written to the device.
The text file was successfully transferred to Notepad on the receiving PC, and an image file was also transferred. The researcher plans to exhibit the device at Maker Faire Tokyo 2026, where it will be demonstrated to showcase this historical form of random-access storage.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Hardware's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
