Storing data in glass: Optical storage media is advancing from CDs and DVDs to small glass squares - [News]

Magnetic tape and hard disk drives hold much of the world's archival data. Compared with other memory and storage technologies, tape and disk drives cost less and are more reliable. They're also nonvolatile, meaning they don't require a constant power supply to preserve data. Cultural institutions, financial firms, government agencies, and film companies have relied on these technologies for decades, and will continue to do so far into the future.