If you're old enough, like me, then you would have listened to some tunes on this. The cassette tape has turned 50 years old.

The brainchild of engineers at Philips, the company is insistent that the format was officially launched at its Amsterdam HQ on September 13th, 1963. It was originally designed to replace reel to reel tape for dictation. Obviously, it went on to a cooler path than that.

But the tape didn't enjoy prolonged success. We all remember the era of the CD. But oh do we miss the cassette tape now. [Philips via Slash Gear]