Plextor has announced a new CD/DVD drive that you'll want to keep safely out of reach of unsuspecting friends and family members, 'cause its sole purpose is to destroy whatever optical media you feed it. The Plexeraser appears to use the same technology that's been available in some previous Plextor drives, but this looks to be the first standalone model, and also the only one to come in a stylish orange color scheme -- no doubt intended to further emphasize the danger. Unfortunately, the Plexeraser takes a full six minutes to permanently wipe out all the data on a disc, making it about five minutes and fifty seconds slower than some other data destruction methods we can think of, and a lot less fun.
[Thanks, Benjamin]
posted Aug 2nd 2006 7:28PM
Interesting idea... and probably less toxic than the tried and true method of scraping off a good portion of the data layer. ;)
who would pay for this?
i find putting my undesirable discs in the microwave does the trick, and gives a great disco light show
Umm this takes less than 10 seconds in a microwave, plus you get a cool light show out of it.
If it wasn't for the labels and orange this would make a great prank for IT admins.
Microwave?
I can't wait for the hack that increses th laser a thousandfold so this turns into a computer/ annoying dog next door/ vehicle eraser.
Personally, I'm quite partial to shooting optical media that outlives its useful lifespan with an airsoft gun or a pellet gun.
@Eric Cohen: You could always swap the tray with the tray from another model. My bet is that structurally it'd be the same.
To Erik:
You could always just replace the tray, and scrape off the top sticker.
wtf?! why not just take all your old porn cd's and snap in half ??
only recorded media i assume. or does it work on prerecorded media as well? since they use massively different techonologies between the two types.
What's wrong with using the Microwave? Or holding the label side out and squeezing the two opposite edges together until it shatters? (do that towards a trash can.)
Is there an issue with using an old steak knife to create decorative gouges in the surface than using a sharpie to fill in the newly formed canyons.
I do like the airsoft idea though...
Problem with just shattering a disc is that the data is still on there. Given if someone had the will and technology (ie: government) they can easily put the things back together and know what was on the disc and maybe even read off fragments
As for the microwave idea... neat.. but i wonder if it is safe?
I guess my method of a bon fire though is a bit toxic... but hey atleast I get smores out of it! :D
Ahh, the Good days of discussing ways of destroying data. There's thermite if you need a real conspicous way. Or the Microwave or a Hammer or a Large Needle.
What I'd like to see is something that can reliably take data off HDDs that doesn't cost a fortune. I've heard zero-filling, drilling holes, etc can still be countered by the really-determined.
one could just get a drill with a quarter inch bit and makes some holes in various parts of the cd. that will usually do the trick. or the sanding bit on a dremel.
i vote for the microwave idea, it's where all my aol free trial cd's go... i get one at least once a week. how on earth can aol be making any money? haha
Now this would really make manbearpig look silly wouldn't it. Take it from the inventor of the internet. It was my idea.
... not nearly as fun as putting unwated discs in a flaming Dell laptop
Or one of those flaming powerbooks...
I wonder why Plextor didn't use a powerfull laser inside to clear the whole disc in a few seconds...
wako - this is no way possible to recover anything except maybe a glass splinter from cd fragments. You shatter a cd, is has gone to data heaven - ask these guys:
http://www.californiadatacorp.com/services.aspx
Microwave!!!
wako - I defy you to extract data from a broken CD. I usually take 10-20 discs at a time and shatter them over a trash can. You would have to be pretty determined to gather up all those pieces and do something useful with them.
Do not burn or melt CDs, they do give off toxic fumes.
My paper shredder is made to do CDs, and spits out nice confetti CD bits in about 5 secs.
Personally I prefer to melt/burn media containing personal information with a MAPP gas torch.With this method no one will ever get even a scrap of data and this method works for all types of media not just optical discs.
My paper shredder does the job .... chipped CDs/DVDs in seconds...
Well the big problem with the Microwave idea is that it tends to cause an awful smell..
I'd like an internal one, mostly because I have four 5.25" bays and only two in use. Then I can go to my friends, "Check this out."
yup, i can imagine how that would go.
"hey guys, check this out!"
...
"Wait for it!"
...
"No seriously, you gotta wait for 6 more minutes"
...
"Guys? Where are you going?"
really, i hate losing data but big corporations need nice safe legal ways to dispose of incriminating, i uh mean sensitive information, so this looks like it would sell, atleast by the same logic that makes big corporations buy Dells
i like to fire nails and staples from a staple/nail gun (air compressor, of course) and that works great!
The only use I can see for this is a dedicated RW eraser/recycler. Or it could provide an addional layer of security before droping the disc in to the paper shreader.
Another way to destroy a cd/dvd:
- get that annoying cat from your neighbour
- get a cd, pull the tail through the hole
- use some duck tape and your imagination to make the cd really stick to the cat's tail
- get some pop-corn and watch
hahahahaha.....thats such a sweet idea
I would think that a nice CO² or Neodium LASER would make quick work of any optical disc or hard drive platter.
Of course for the latter you could also expose them to an operating Magnatron tube or high-power electromagnet... Just be sure to wear a LEAD VEST if ya do that though. (LOL!!)
well, at the software publisher I work for, we just use scissors.
I agree with those who say it's in the way it shatters, that matters...
I defy anyone to retrieve anything usefull from the splinters and flakes of data foil of the CD/DVD's I shatter into my waster paper bin beside my desk.
Those guys on CSI are good, but really .... :-/
anyone have a video link to the microwave thing?
sounds interesting but i dout i can get away with doing it at work...
Stupid product. Why would I waste a drive bay in my computer. I'd rather just get a paper shredder that will take media as well. It's a better value for the price since it can also do paper.
Reading comprehension. It's standalone. Even by looking at it, most bay drives don't have feet.
The microwave method is only a good idea if you like filling your house with toxic fumes and slowly damaging the magnetron.
For those curious:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3587466534692702285
Plextor Wreckstor?
You know the CD/DVD writer market has imploded when you see products like this come out. But I agree with ME's comments:
"...this looks like it would sell, atleast by the same logic that makes big corporations buy Dells"
COMPACT DISC ERASER
Hey, here's a simple gadget that does the same thing in a few seconds. And it costs much less than the Plex Eraser drive!
http://www.disceraser.com