BBC NEWS | Technology | Digital memories survive extremes: "The formats were CompactFlash, Secure Digital, xD, Memory Stick and Smartmedia.

Even some of the thinner cards that appear to be fragile fared well in the trial.

They were dipped into cola, put through a washing machine, dunked in coffee, trampled by a skateboard, run over by a child's toy car and given to a six-year-old boy to destroy."