Taking some photos or audio that you really, really don't want tampered with? Consider SanDisk's WORM, an SD card whose data supposedly can't be erased, edited or over-written.
WORM stands for "write once, read many." Any SD-compatible device can read the WORM card, but only WORM-enabled cameras or audio recorders will be able to write on it (no luck finding a list of these devices on SanDisk's Web site). When data is recorded to the card, it immediately becomes write-protected. SanDisk says the data will last for 100 years under normal climates.
Obviously, SanDisk isn't selling WORM cards at the consumer level. They're mainly targeted at law enforcement as an alternative to 35 mm film, which degrades faster than digital media and is bulkier to store. Japan's police force have already adopted the cards, and SanDisk's press release quotes a California police officer who seems eager to adopt WORM as its primary means of photo storage.
Aside from law enforcement, WORM could be used for important audio recordings and preservation of medical records, SanDisk says.
1 GB WORM cards are shipping in volume now. To get some, you'll have to contact SanDisk; there's no way to buy a card directly from the Web, nor does SanDisk's website list pricing. I'm guessing these cards aren't cheap.
I'm not a cop, so I don't think I'll ever need a card that absolutely could not be tampered with. For most of us, the little read-only switch on the side of SD cards should be enough to keep someone in the family from accidentally erasing data. But WORM's a neat idea in an age where anything can be altered by Photoshop or ProTools.
