Check out this story about DVDs made out of paper. Quoting from the story:
"Japanese electronics conglomerate Sony Corp and Toppan Printing Co Ltd have developed a new optical disc, made mostly from paper, that they say will be compatible with next-generation DVD technology.In a joint news release distributed late Thursday, the two companies said the new disc was comprised 51 percent of paper, enabling lower production costs."
It will also make rentable DVDs that you don't have to return even easier to make -- the laser in the DVD could burn up the DVD as it plays. No rewinding, though! ;-)
And of course, as I suggest in the title of this post, it could enable the "Mission Impossible"-type of recording which ends by saying "This disc will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck." You'd even get the bit of smoke coming out of the player. Of course, the fire might melt the player, but that's the price of progress.... :-)
Posted by Tom Nugent at April 16, 2004 11:39 PMAs a note, they have DVD's which self-destruct currently. The DVD's are stored in an air-tight container and the bottoms react to air (oxygen I think, but don't recall) by turning opaque in 24 hours. Although, if we make many of these (such as for rental), I suppose we'd also have to make DVD recycling conveniently available.
Posted by: Bill Coate at April 25, 2004 07:07 AM