There's a new flash memory card on the block, and he spells his name "SQ." Today, Xmultiple Technologies introduced a new breed of cards that it claims has double the read/write speeds of typical flash memory cards, such as Memory Sticks and mini- and micro-SD cards.

Exactly how fast is double? Up to an unprecedented 60-Mbytes per second, according to Xmultiple. The company's 2-Gbyte cards already boast read and write speeds of 32-Mbytes/s and 22-Mbytes/s, respectively, while the 1-Gbyte version comes in at 24- and 12-Mbytes--that puts both of them miles ahead of the competition (typically 2- and 3-Mbytes read and write speeds). This also makes the new SQ cards especially appealling for Vista users looking to tap into the ReadyBoost feature.

As far as pricing, Xmultiple says the cards will range from $18 (for the 32MB data stick) to $80 (for the 4-Gbyte card). The company has also included some pretty nifty features, including a USB 2.0 interface adapter--so you can connect to any USB port you desire--and something the company is calling "Xmultiple ShareCard," a chip-based firmware and hardware technology that enables SQ card users to swap data with each other while on the go without the need for a computer.

Oh, and as you might have guessed from the picture, the cards can be inserted in any direction, making them pretty much idiot-proof too.

So what's the bad news? Thankfully, there really isn't any. The only thing hindering the SQ at this point is that the mini memory cards/flash drives only go up to 4-Gbyte capacities, which is good enough for casual use, but insufficient for those who want to backup.