Stories by: Jason D'Allison

Ever since the computer age began, boffins have worked to reduce the amount of space required by digital data through compression. Take music, for instance. A typical album in CD format uses about 600MB of storage. Converted to MP3s, however, the files are compressed to just 60MB.

Around the end of the 19th century, King C. Gillette began making disposable razor blades. He sold the handles for these at less than cost price, making a loss but drawing in the punters. Then he sold the blades themselves at far, far above cost price, ensuring a steady revenue stream from numerous customers for years to come. Naturally, the design of the blades was patented, preventing competitors from making cheap alternatives.