Whenever you upload data to iCloud Drive, including via iCloud Photos and other methods, that data is stored on hard drives in servers that are themselves located in data centers all over the world. But hard drives are problematic because they have to be replaced every few years and have been known to fail. However, a new type of storage is being developed that could replace those hard drives in some use cases.
That new storage is being developed by a company called Cerabryte which has released a video showing its new storage system. Built using off-the-shelf parts, it can store 10,000TB of data on a cartridge the size of the palm of your hand. That cartridge is made up of glass and ceramic and promises to last for more than 5,000 years — more than long enough to keep someone's photos safe.
