I know that flash memory is now incredibly cheap - I keep having double takes every time I look at DealRAM, and see that an 8 GB Kingston SD card is just $90.

But here's the real sign. I just received one of those silly PR packages we writers get from time to time. This one, oriented around technology and travel, included headache pills, plastic storage bags, earplugs, and a branded USB memory drive. In the past, the USB drive in promo kits like this were ridiculous - 16 MB or 128 MB. This time: 1 GB. It's a higher-end firm, but the fact is that a 1 GB USB drive has about the same relative value as a set of earplugs.