No More Scratched CDs

From the “how come nobody thought of this before?” files: A new company called Scratch-Less Disc Industries has come up with a simple way to protect the surfaces of CDs from scratches that can make them unplayable. Let’s admit it, we don’t always put the CD back in its case right away, do we? (They make very convenient coasters.) Instead of developing harder coatings that protect the data, the firm’s founder added a series of small bumps along the edges. While these “Aero Bumps” are tiny, they still prevent the disc surface from coming into contact with hard surfaces such as table tops. Reportedlythe discs are compatible with 99 percent of all CD players. Taking things a step further, the company also developed the “Easy Up Edge,” which is “a slanted/raised edge that allows users to easily pick up discs from a flat surface.”