Destruct-O-Chron

The Destruct-O-Chron is a a safe-deposit box or vault that destroys it's contents when a timer expires. For example, you have old love-letters or naked photos or a joint that you are saving for a special occasion. You enjoy browsing these items from time to time, but in the event of your incapacitation or death, you would want to spare your surviving family members the pain of your dirty little secrets.

Destruct-O-Chrons could be installed at home or in a place of business with private access booths. As long as you are still alive and are able to pay the bill and extend the timer, the contents will be safe. The timer can be extended through a secure website or a touch-tone phone. Once the timer expires, the Destruct-O-Chron will crush/vaporize/de-magnetize/disintegrate it's contents.

There are a few messy issues to deal with, however. Currency, securities, ransoms, contracts and evidence could create interesting moral and legal problems if they found their way into the Destruct-O-Chron. Court orders and search warrants could create headaches for the owner/operator of the Destruct-O-Chron as well. Other items could create safety and environmental hazards as a result of their destruction. Explosives, hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials must not be placed in the Destruct-O-Chron.

An interesting variation of this idea is the Send-A-Chron which ejects a pre-paid mailer and it's contents upon expiration of a timer. This would be useful for informants, double agents, revenge seekers, etc.