We all know audio tapes were pretty useless. But if you are old enough to remember those ‘Wooh, Gary Davies!’ pre-digital days, you’ll know there was no other way of pilfering the top 40 off the radio. That’s why you’ve got a box of C60s collecting dust in the cupboard. So why not set them free with the USB Tape Express.

Utterly ingenious, this sleek little portable cassette player lets you rediscover the precious sounds trapped on old tapes. But better than that it can convert said sounds into pristine digital files. Simply USB it into your computer and idiot-proof EZ software will start converting your recordings, so you can burn them onto CD, archive them in iTunes or transfer them to your MP3 player.

There is something inexplicably Back to the Future-esque about listening to old chart countdowns, forgotten mix tapes and ancient recordings of your nan discussing boil-in-the-bag haddock on your iPod. And because the Tape Express also functions as a battery-operated portable cassette player, you can listen to tapes on the fly before conversion, via headphones or speakers.

Compatible with all kinds of audio tape – from normal to chrome, C60 to C120 – this compact gizmo will slip into almost any pocket or bag. You can even hang it off your belt when you’re down the roller disco. Yes, its slightly retro styling may cause friends to point and laugh, but the joke will most definitely be on them when you plug it into the nearest computer and start converting Learn German in Three Weeks. Ooh, ja!

If you’ve got a box of tapes lurking in the loft we strongly recommend you purchase the USB Tape Express right now. Because although you can probably download that obscure Prefab Sprout track, we doubt it’ll be sandwiched between Tony Blackburn’s breakfast show and a recording of your dad muttering ‘testing, testing.’ Now that’s reel-y impressive stuff!