Holographic data storage could make CD's, DVD's and Hard drives obsolete by providing a superior storage medium that allows for information to be stored in a much smaller space. CD's and DVD's encode data only on the surface limiting the amount of data that can be stored. Liquid crystals, similar to what is in your LCD displays, would make it possible to encode data throughout the medium and would revolutionize computing and information storage. In the past it has been difficult to get liquid crystal molecules to align uniformly, a requirement to reliably record and rewrite data. Advances by scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology make it possible to align rod-like liquid crystal molecules in a polymer. They have created a liquid crystal rewritable memory device that can store data, be erased and used again. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100622095050.htm
If you like that you should check out RRAM using memristors. Has the capability to store 1's and 0's in the same location.
Really an amazing thing turning the computer on & off in no time.. and the data still remains in memory even after the computer is powered off.. Waiting for this technology to replace the (volatile memory)..