Nigeria, March 28 -- In Tokyo, Sony made a decision that might have been unthinkable a decade ago. The company announced it would "temporarily suspend the acceptance of orders" for most of its SD and CF express memory cards.

This pause affects both consumers and authorized dealers, with no clear date for resumption.

The reason, according to Sony's official statement, is direct: "Due to the global shortage of semiconductors (memory) and other factors, it is anticipated that supply will not be able to meet demand... for the foreseeable future."

At first glance, this sounds like a supply problem. But the situation is more layered than that.

Memory cards were once essential. In the early 2010s, they powered digital cameras, expanded phon...