Hard drives might be boring, but Seagate has announced a new technology that could change the mobile phone.

Called Digital Audio Video Experience or DAVE for short, the new technology promises to deliver 10-20GB of wireless storage in an accessory smaller than many common slim-line mobile phones.

DAVE previously called Crickett, it is designed to store, play and share digital files on mobile phones, PCs, and other wireless-enabled devices.

Using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections, DAVE, according to Seagate, is the answer to providing substantial storage capacity without impacting the design or cost of mobile handsets. Built for portability and about the size of a centimeter-thick credit card, the DAVE mobile platform slips conveniently into a shirt pocket, backpack, or purse — anywhere up to 30 feet (9.1 metres) from the phone.

The new technology could radically change the way we store data and open up the possibilities of the mobile phone being able to hold all your music, video and digital images in one device when your on the move.

In addition, the mobile storage platform is open source, enabling third party software developers to create new applications for the mobile phone utilising the hard drive’s unmatched capacity and performance. The DAVE technology is offered to telcos and mobile handset OEMs for sale under their respective brand names.

“Mobile telephony is undergoing a multimedia revolution, and the DAVE mobile content platform will provide even more fuel for the growth of new music and video services over mobile networks”, said Patrick King, senior vice president and general manager of Seagate’s consumer electronics business unit.

“Products using DAVE technology will enable digital content, whether for business or entertainment use, to be stored, moved, and connected in ways never before possible. Mobile carriers can use this technology for creating value from their investments in high-bandwidth networks, and mobile handset manufacturers have another tool for turning the multimedia phone into the center of the mobile consumer’s digital life.”