The Memory Stick which has been developed by Sony, works in the same way as CompactFlash cards. It has been designed for use with both PC and a wide variety of digital (audio/video) products. Available in capacities up to 2 GB, it is still one of the physically smallest storage methods available to date. With its attractive light blue colour, it is smaller than a stick of gum and extremely light at only 4 grams.
Like other flash memory cards, the Memory Stick offers high speed data access. It contains no moving parts and requires no separate playback device. Flipping a switch on the back of the card prevents accidental erasure of data. Their design is such that dirt and other contaminants are prevented from coming into contact with the 10-pin connector. For the moment Memory Sticks are only being produced and used by Sony, but other manufacturers such as Sandisk, have been licensed to use and produce them also. It is to be expected that in the near future other brands of cameras will accept Memory Sticks as well.
The latest addition is the Memory Stick Pro Duo, an ultra-small memory card (20 x 31 x 1.6 mm) with a capacity of up to 4GB.