Tape

It never fails … you go to use a device that should be fully charged, but its battery has gone flat over time. Such may soon no longer be the case, however, if battery manufacturers simply start using a different type of adhesive tape.

You may think that computer tape memories died out before Rubik's cubes came in, but IBM and Fujifilm have teamed up to develop a record-breaking new sixth-generation tape storage system that can backup a whopping 50 TB of data.

Ordinarily, adhesive tape either boasts a strong hold or is easy to remove. Drawing inspiration from an ancient paper-cutting technique, however, scientists have now devised a method of combining both qualities in existing types of tape.

Magnetic tape may seem an antiquated data storage technology, but its density and capacity is still hard to beat for big data centers. Now, IBM and Fujifilm have created a prototype high-density tape cartridge with a record-breaking 580 TB capacity.

Ripping Band-Aids off your skin is never fun – but imagine having one on your heart or lung. Researchers have now created surgical tape that can stick to wet surfaces like organs, and more importantly, be removed safely when it’s no longer needed.

Responding to what it calls a phoenix-like rise in demand for quarter inch tapes, high-end audio brand Thorens has announced a new reel-to-reel developed with Germany's Ballfinger. The TM 1600 will make its public debut at the High End Show in Munich next month.

Some audiophiles will tell you that the only way to enjoy music listening with analog master tape audio quality is to do so using a reel-to-reel tape machine. Audio engineer Kostas Metaxas agrees and has announced a new "kinetic art object" that happens to record and play analog tape.

Adventure Tape believes duct tape might soon be relinquishing its ultimate fix-all crown. The company's fix-it tape pops out of a small tin to repair broken tent poles, fix leaky hoses, sling up injured arms, lash gear in place, and perform innumerable other impromptu functions and fixes.

Storing data on magnetic tape might seem antiquated, but it's still one of the most energy efficient and secure storage methods. Now, Sony and IBM Research have teamed up to break the areal density record for the medium, cramming 201 billion bits of uncompressed data into each square inch of tape.

​Cassettes might not have the largest capacity or best sound quality, but they ooze retro appeal. Tapping into that hipster market is the Mixxtape, a portable Bluetooth music player that’s not only shaped like a cassette, it also plays in an old-school tape deck – if you still have one lying around.

​There are already processes that allow materials to become superomniphobic – repellant to liquids including oils. Wouldn't it be easier, however, if there was just a superomniphobic tape one could apply? Well, now there is.

Analog music formats like vinyl are on the rise, with US sales in 2015 up 30 percent on the previous year. Austria's Horch House says that when it comes to analog, you can't beat reel-to-reel tape and has announced its intention to develop a new consumer reel-to-reel player.