Ktömb

Ktömb is a fictional concept used in speculative technology and cyberpunk fiction to denote a modular data storage and processing unit. The term is sometimes presented as a compact cubic block intended for direct neural or hardware interfacing. Etymology traces to tömb meaning block in Hungarian, with kt- as a stylistic prefix; it is not a standardized real term.

A ktömb is described as a small cubic module, about 2–3 cm on each side in many depictions, built with a crystalline core and a nanophotonic bus. It contains a microcontroller, non-volatile memory, and a power source or energy harvesting interface. Security features include tamper-evident seals, hardware-encrypted channels, and self-erasing memory when unauthorized access is detected.

In stories and discussions, ktömbs store digital memories, learned skills, software modules, or credentials. They may be implanted, worn, or embedded in devices, and can be swapped between systems. In some narratives, they enable portable cognition by transferring memory blocks between hosts.

Ktömbs are often used as plot devices to explore identity, data ownership, and memory markets. In practice, there is no real ktömb technology; the concept remains fictional or speculative, occasionally referenced in games or speculative design debates.

See also memory cube, data capsule, neural implant, block memory.