"The DRAM industry is in hot water after falling chip prices caused by oversupply are gutting the industry. Some of them have been forced to rethink their market outlook for the rest of 2011. According to Digitimes spot quotes for mainstream 2Gb DDR3 have dropped to below US$1 and eTT have fallen to $0.70. What is worse is that the ongoing downward trend is unlikely to reverse for a while."

"A team of researchers from North Carolina State University claim to have created a memory device that could give computer users the speed advantages of DRAM system memory and the data retention capabilities of flash memory, in one unit. The new device could lead to genuine instant-on computing and machines with improved resiliency. The development may even lead to power-hungry server farms making considerable energy savings by allowing parts of the system to be shut down during periods of inactivity without fear of data loss."

If you haven't stocked up on DRAM lately, expect to pay more for the privilege.

According to a report issued Thursday by iSuppli, the average selling price of DRAM rose by 16 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. A 21 percent increase in bit shipments also helped the DRAM industry climb to $8.5 billion in sales for the fourth quarter.

For 2010, worldwide DRAM revenue is expected to climb to $31.9 billion, a shocking 40.7 percent increase over 2009, where iSuppli's estimate projects that $22.7 billion worth of memory was sold.