Solid-state flash memory has had a much-raised profile since Apple first adopted the skip-free format for their iPod range, and ever since new announcements in NAND development have often been followed-up with refreshes of the PMP line that take advantage of increased capacity.  Similarly, demand for Apple's products has often seen NAND availability hit, and prices pushed up.  It looks as though, given nine new patent applications from Cupertino, Apple are seeking to remove some of their dependence on third-party suppliers.

Filed in March this year, the documents detail not only memory development but controllers, circuit boards, methods to maximise performance and capacity, and options to reduce power consumption.  Christopher Dudte, one of the co-authors of the applications, is currently one of Apple's Senior Storage Engineers having done a stint in the company's iPod development division.  It's a move that echoes Cupertino's own apparent shift toward solid-state, given the persistent rumor that Apple are developing an SSD-based ultraportable.