Which storage media can best endure the interior of a hot automobile in the summer? Flash media (flash memory card, USB flash drive, portable SSD) or a portable hard drive (conventional mechanical hard drive)? I've had SD cards in my car GPS all summer without any problem, and I figure a USB flash drive would hold up about the same, but I don't really know what they are designed to take. Also there are portable SSD drives now, but that is just flash memory packaged a bit differently, right? Also is there any difference (as far as for this purpose) between SD and CF cards? I know some automakers (such as Infinity) only have CF card slots in the factory nav units so maybe CF cards are more robust? I've heard that when automakers put hard drives in cars as factory equipment (such as Chrysler's MyGig systems), they use special hard drives that are designed to take the heat and vibrations of a car environment. So I'm inclined to think a regular portable hard drive is not going to be a good idea. OTOH, people leave laptops in cars all the time and those usually have conventional 2.5" laptop drives in them, so I don't really know.
CF cards are based on the ATA standards. SD cards are based on the SD association standards, and have a different controller that contains DRM - but they need a Secure Digital host on the host machine. SSDs are basically MLC NAND flash with a Serial ATA controller. Honda/Alpine still uses a PCMCIA slot in their systems, needing a PC Card adapter for any card to work. Automotive HDDs are made to withstand more shock, vibration and heat. Or so what Fujitsu and Hitachi say.
I prefer stone tablets. Archaic? Maybe. However, I'll let the experiences of the Egyptians (who certainly knew something about building things that last in the heat) speak for themselves.
I'm taking a class right now in cartography and we just got through a brief history of cartography. The Egyptians were fairly advanced in cartography, but they used [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papyrus"]papyrus[/ame] and wood to put their maps on, so most of them did not survive. They know from other writing that the Eqyptians had survey maps that they used for taxation purposes, but none of those maps survived. They also had maps on the inside of coffin lids so the dead could navigate to the afterlife. Some of those maps survived. The Chinese, on the other hand, did use engraved stone tablets.
All depends on how you define "hot" Eg if the car is actually on fire, you will need one of those airline fire resistant recorder slugs from Allied Signal
I thought the OP was referring to a stolen automobile - but let's go with the burning car scenario. You might consider an ironkey product. Allegedly fireproof and waterproof Rugged USB - Waterproof, Shockproof, Fireproof Memory Stick / Pen Drive Reviews
My ambiguous grammar is to blame. Let's try this again: "Which storage media can best endure the hot interior of an automobile?"
