Lou Ottens, Philips engineer responsible for creation of cassette tape, dies at 94

• Date: 11 March 2021
• Author: Dan Verbin
• Published date: 11 March 2021
• Publication title: Israel National News (Israel)

Ottens displayed a talent for technology at a young age. After studying mechanical engineering at the university, the future activist went to work for Philips, becoming head of product development at the corporation. It was there that he had an idea that would transform the way the world listens to music "on the go."

Ottens invented the cassette tape to improve upon the design of the era's reel-to-reel players. While these outdated machines produced high quality sound, they were the opposite of the miniaturized music players people began to take for granted only years later. Bulky and impractical, Ottens...