As someone who recalls buying a 4MB CF card for a Pocket PC for about $400, the plummeting cost of storage continues to amaze me. This week, IBM revealed that its has shoved 201 gigabits per square inch on prototype sputtered magnetic tape. The company squeezed about 330TB into a package that fits into the palm of your hand.

I shot my first film on you. A bunch of awkward high school kids, an abandoned warehouse and a badly written horror script called Reigning Terror. I cast from my local church; we caught the train in to the city on a Sunday. I carried you in that dark grey plastic case; a more well defined briefcase that made me look interesting. I had purpose: hell, I was making a movie! I felt mature.

I stayed late after school editing you all together. You captured my vision, you finished my vision – you were my master... tape. You were solid, real and fun to carry and put in the machine. I understood you. I made other movies with you too before I graduated and moved on to more mature models, like Super VHS and Betacam. But I never forgot you. You were my first.

When your lips are chapped, the worst thing you can do is use an abrasive method to get rid of the dead skin. Instead of a scrub, use a piece of tape to peel the dead flakes off.

Every time you tear off a piece of tape from the roll, you're left with the perpetual conundrum of peeling it off the next time. Instead, fold the tape to the side and tear it to leave a tab for easy access later.

Have a junk drawer or shelf with lots of rolls of tape? Get organised quickly with a vertical paper towel holder.