Hybrid storage of documents

A hybrid storage apparatus for holding print media and for storing digital content, the hybrid storage apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of pages for containing printed content generated by a user, the printed content including one of text, graphics, and photos generated by the user;
• a ring binder including a front cover, a back cover, a spine for connecting the front and back covers, and a plurality of rings for retaining and releasing the plurality of pages;
• a storage device embedded within the spine, the storage device including:
• a housing comprising a rectangular parallelepiped structure attached to an inner surface of the spine and extending through the rings of the ring binder,
• a socket port comprising a recess in a face of the rectangular parallelepiped structure configured to be detachably connected with a cable, which is separate from the hybrid storage apparatus and is used for communicating with a host, and
• a non-volatile memory located within the housing and coupled to the socket port and for storing a plurality of digital content items, at least some of the digital content items being digital versions of the printed content generated by the user and wherein the socket port is configured to communicate the digital versions of the printed content to the host via the cable.

A method for hybrid storage of documents, the method comprising:

• storing printed versions of content generated by a user on pages and retaining the pages in a ring binder including a front cover, a back cover, a spine connecting the front and back covers, and a plurality of rings for retaining and releasing the pages;
• storing digital versions of the content on the pages in the ring binder in a storage device embedded within the spine, the storage device including a housing comprising a rectangular parallelepiped structure attached to an inner surface of the spine and extending through the rings of the ring binder, a socket port comprising a recess in a face of the rectangular parallelepiped structure and configured to detachably connect to a cable and a non-volatile memory located within the housing for storing the digital versions of the content items, wherein the cable is separate from the storage device and used for communicating digital content from the non-volatile memory device to a host;
• and
• communicating the digital versions of the printed content from the non-volatile memory to the host via the cable.