A US start-up has developed a digital disc five times thinner than a standard CD and flexible enough to wrap around a beer can or slot into a magazine without breaking.

Matthew Leek, Thin Disc Media's co founder, estimates that the discs will cost about half as much to produce as regular CDs and says that their use in promotional campaigns will need much less planning.

Initially the company will be focussing its sales efforts on the media, entertainment and marketing industries, but Leek says that his disc will have other applications. He told Forbes that it could be used to store safety information about power tools or prescriptions and be wrapped around the device or bottle of pills.

On the down side, the disc needs an adapter to be played in standard CD/DVD players. No doubt this will be a stumbling point in the battle to persuade people to switch formats. Manufacturers will also need specialist machinery to print the discs.

Thin Disc Media, a company so new it doesn't seem to have a web site yet, is optimistic. It raised $4.1 million from private investors and Hollywood based production company Rainmaker Digital, and is now trying to get another $20 million together to finish building its factory. ®