In one general embodiment, an apparatus includes a current perpendicular to plane magnetic read transducer having a sensor and only a single magnetic shield. In another general embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic read transducer having a sensor, a first magnetic shield, and a second magnetic shield. A portion of the second magnetic shield aligned with the sensor in an intended direction of tape travel thereacross has a thickness along the intended direction that is about 50% or less than a thickness of a portion of the first magnetic shield aligned in the intended direction with the portion of the second magnetic shield.

Systems and techniques for varying the spindle speed of a hard disk drive are disclosed. In some embodiments, the systems and techniques involve a hard disk drive (HDD) that is accessible to a storage controller. A spin speed of the HDD is set to a full spinning speed, and an amount of time that the HDD is unassigned is compared to a threshold. After detecting that the threshold is exceeded, the spin speed of the HDD is decreased to a reduced spinning speed. Likewise, upon determining that the HDD is assigned, the spin speed of the HDD is increased to the full spinning speed. In various such embodiments, assigning the HDD may include assigning the HDD to a volume group or assigning the HDD operate as an in-use hot spare.

A method for writing data from a table to a tape includes setting a number of partitions on the tape, where the number of partitions is greater than or equal to a number of columns of the table to be written to the tape, and writing data from each column of the table to at least one partition of the tape, the at least one partition including two or more wraps, the data is written from a top of the two or more wraps towards a bottom of the two or more wraps in a direction of a width of the at least one partition. The written data is reciprocated from a beginning of the tape to an end of the tape in a longitudinal direction of the tape such that writing of a last data entry of one column ends at a beginning of the two or more wraps.

Each of segment of a recording is analyzed for complexity specifying a rate of speech at a normal playback speech. A target rate is selected at which to playback the recording, the target rate specifying a fastest optimal speed at which a particular user listening to the recording is able to comprehend the playback. During playback of the recording, a separate adjusted playback rate is selected for each of the segments to adjust the playback rate of speech from the rate of speech at the normal playback speed to the target rate.