[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;235670]Questions about rules aside, what sort of thing can't store digital data by itself but can with two or more of them in the correct arrangement? Since the clue has some heft to it, this most likely isn't a trick answer as in "If you put them side-to-side call it a 0 and if you put them on top of each other call it a 1! Presto, binary data!" But what is it? Hmm...[/QUOTE]

pixels ?, silicon chips ? this is just my thoughts to mini geeks thoughts not a question.

There are battery powered routers, but they are box shaped and routers are normal plugged into A/C. Can't be cameras, speakers or microphones, keyboards, mice, monitors, KVM switches, or other switchs (as they aren't battery powered, at least part of the time), PSU's, HDD, CMOS.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;235674]There are battery powered routers, but they are box shaped and routers are normal plugged into A/C. Can't be cameras, speakers or microphones, keyboards, mice, monitors, KVM switches, or other switchs (as they aren't battery powered, at least part of the time), PSU's, HDD, CMOS.[/QUOTE]

uncwilly I have batteries in my mouse it's a wireless mouse. so it can be a mouse and battery powered.

[QUOTE=science_man_88;235675]uncwilly I have batteries in my mouse it's a wireless mouse. so it can be a mouse and battery powered.[/QUOTE]But mice typically have 2 or more controls. See question 13.

Magnets or magnetic tape?

[B]MINERAL[/B]

1)is it box shaped ? [B]No.[/B]
2) Is it man-made? [B]Yes.[/B]
3) Is it electronic? (That is, is its primary function powered by electricity; under this definition I would not, for instance, consider a car to be electronic even though it has an onboard computer.)[B]Yes.[/B]
4) Is it readily purchasable by members of the public?[B]Yes.[/B]
5) Is it usually purchased for less than $200 US (~125 pounds)?[B]Yes.[/B]
6) Is it sold by multiple brands?[B]Yes.[/B]
7) Does it display a visual image of some kind?[B]no[/B]
(8) Is it for food preparation?[B]No.[/B]
9) Is it for entertainment?[B]No.[/B]
10) Does it normally operate on normal wall power A/C, as opposed to a battery source or internal generator?[B]No.[/B]
11) Would it be found in the majority of modern American homes?[B]Absolutely, they're bloody everywhere![/B]
12) Is it normally part of, or connected to (either physically, e.g. by wire cable, or by electromagnetic waves, as with a wireless device), a computer when in use?The answer to that is a hard one. Like I said they are everywhere, but I suppose most of them are "connected" to computers when in use,[B] yes.[/B]
13) Does it commonly have a human interface (buttons, dials, or switches) with more than one control? (Some mice have a single button, but commonly they have more than one.)[B]No.[/B]
14) Does it make sound?[B]Nope.[/B]
(15) Does it not [strike]have[/strike] need batteries or work?[B]Yes and no, doesn't really matter where the power comes from, frequently used in battery and non-battery powered modes.[/B]
(16) Do other devices use this thing to connect to each other?[B]No.[/B]
17) Does it store digital data?[B]By itself it cannot, however, and this clue has some heft to it, with at least two of them in the correct arrangement you can[/B]

[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;235670]Questions about rules aside, what sort of thing can't store digital data by itself but can with two or more of them in the correct arrangement? ... [/QUOTE]
Some sort of RAID array? A single drive can't be a RAID array, right?

Not sure it fits all the other criteria though.

[QUOTE=Flatlander;235680]Some sort of RAID array? A single drive can't be a RAID array, right?

Not sure it fits all the other criteria though.[/QUOTE]

well google isn't any help I made another search down to 4 results lol

[QUOTE=Flatlander;235680]Some sort of RAID array? A single drive can't be a RAID array, right?

Not sure it fits all the other criteria though.[/QUOTE]

A RAID array came to my mind too, but I don't think it fits these criteria:
11) Would it be found in the majority of modern American homes?[B]Absolutely, they're bloody everywhere![/B] (RAID arrays aren't in the majority of homes)
12) Is it normally part of, or connected to (either physically, e.g. by wire cable, or by electromagnetic waves, as with a wireless device), a computer when in use?The answer to that is a hard one. Like I said they are everywhere, but I suppose most of them are "connected" to computers when in use,[B] yes.[/B] (it's not a hard question as to whether RAID arrays are normally connected to a computer)
14) Does it make sound?[B]Nope.[/B] (this is a weak one, but platter hard drives make some noise during operation)
(15) Does it not [strike]have[/strike] need batteries or work?[B]Yes and no, doesn't really matter where the power comes from, frequently used in battery and non-battery powered modes.[/B] (RAID arrays aren't frequently battery-powered)
(16) Do other devices use this thing to connect to each other?[B]No.[/B] (RAID controllers connect hard drives to each other and to a computer)

[QUOTE=Mini-Geek;235682]A RAID array came to my mind too, but I don't think it fits these criteria:
11) Would it be found in the majority of modern American homes?[B]Absolutely, they're bloody everywhere![/B] (RAID arrays aren't in the majority of homes)
12) Is it normally part of, or connected to (either physically, e.g. by wire cable, or by electromagnetic waves, as with a wireless device), a computer when in use?The answer to that is a hard one. Like I said they are everywhere, but I suppose most of them are "connected" to computers when in use,[B] yes.[/B] (it's not a hard question as to whether RAID arrays are normally connected to a computer)
14) Does it make sound?[B]Nope.[/B] (this is a weak one, but platter hard drives make some noise during operation)
(15) Does it not [strike]have[/strike] need batteries or work?[B]Yes and no, doesn't really matter where the power comes from, frequently used in battery and non-battery powered modes.[/B] (RAID arrays aren't frequently battery-powered)
(16) Do other devices use this thing to connect to each other?[B]No.[/B] (RAID controllers connect hard drives to each other and to a computer)[/QUOTE]

I think I have good answers until question 13 but I'm unsure about some of it.

As the one who knows the answer, watching you throw ideas around is the most entertaining part for me. Previously I had thought being "it" was simply an unfortunate consequence of the game.

So far science_man_88 has got the closest, one of his suggestions flirted heavily with the answer.