Making a time capsule

Scuzi

Scuzi

Scuzi

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In November my wife will be giving birth to our son or daughter and I thought it would be cool to create a time capsule filled with various stuff from around that time, not to be opened until 2028 or 2030 (:eek:) his/her 16th or 18th birthday.

The usual stuff like a newspaper or magazine has come to mind but I was thinking about making a video of everyone in the family, sticking it in a box and locking it until the appropriate time.

My immediate thought was to record it and save it to a USB memory stick but surely compatibility will be a problem? I also thought buying an iPod touch, saving the video onto it along with some music and other interesting stuff from this year. The bonus is that compatibility wouldn't be a problem and the kid will have a cool retro device to play with but what is the likelyhood of an iPod lasting for 18 years in a box and coming out working at the end with all the data intact? I'd hate to go to all the trouble only for it to fail in the end. Any ideas on how to best execute this?

As for the video itself, I was thinking of interviewing the family, asking them questions about what they expect for our baby, where they see him/her in 18 years, and generally keeping a bit of a video log of everyone's day-to-day life. I have no experience of making videos so all ideas are welcome! I have a fairly decent camera, a Fujifilm X10, which should be more than adequate to take care of this task.

I also need a lockable box, preferably with a combination lock because keys get lost. I'd like some sort of tasteful wooden box but if I do go ahead with the iPod touch idea, I'm assuming it would need some sort of climate control and protection to keep out moisture or any sort of electronic or magnetic interference?

The idea just popped into my head so forgive me if it all sounds a bit haphazard. All input is welcome! :)
 
Best way is the old fashioned way. Use photos and small items, it's the only way to make sure that it'll come out in good condition.
 
Given the number of USB devices still being produced, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a method or adapter available in 16 years to access them. You could always open the box just to throw in an adapter at the relevant time (?)
 
If you do it you should buy an Ipod touch new in sealed packaging because in 18 years it'll probably have collectors value.

And put the videos on a few memory cards. I doubt any of them will corrupt anyhow. Put some silica gel packets in if you're concerned about moisture.

Maybe include a daily newspaper on the day you seal the box, they might be history by 2030. : )
 
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DVD or Blue-ray are the best options.

Some people still have VHS, people will have DVD in 18 years time.
 
And as for DVD-R well, the ink will probably deteriorate to unplayable after 18 yrs.

It's a real problem for the wider industry tbh. My suggestion would be a combination of things - usb/mem card/print/dvd etc even a small HDD as adapters may exist.

Otherwise a completely self reliant device like the touch, tho I think without battery would be better - less chance of leakage/total discharge.
 
Afraid I can't offer much technical insight but have to say I think its a really nice idea! There is so much you could put in that would show your son/daughter what the world was like at present and it would be a fascinating to see how things have changed.

Imagine if someone had done that for us, things like the internet etc all would have appeared and shown how things have changed :)
 
I don't see any reason why something like an iPod Touch would stop working just because it sat idle for a number of years although perhaps persuading some charge into the battery might be a problem.

However I think you're looking at too short a time period. 16 or 18 years really isn't very long so I'd seriously suggest something like 30 years instead. Or perhaps even 40 years - Remember, life begins at 40!
 
Other than potential memory failure and the battery leaking? ;)

If I were to do it I would probably look for a media device with a removable battery, at least that way if the battery went pop the device could be powered by a a couple of well placed wires and transformer. (Obviously separate the device and battery.

Alternatively use magnetic tape, which is what industry does, although they are expensive and big! Probably not useful really. :p

Or to be doubly safe stick it on a few decent quality memory cards, specifically a CF card and a full size SD card.
 
Print the binary out or each file, when they are sixteen, make them type it all back in! should also keep them busy until they are 40 :D
 
If you want longevity of data, then the only solution is paper tape. Quite sure that bang goes the theory covered this not too long ago.

Most modern data storage options are only expected to have a lifespan of 3-5 years.
 
Thanks for the input everybody. Would a HDD hold data reliably for that long? I was thinking I could stick it inside a USB cradle to avoid any compatibility issues down the line.

Other than that I think the only option may be to keep opening the box every few years and replacing the media with something new. I could buy an old film camera and put the negatives in there but that sounds expensive :D

Thoughts for content apart from the video so far are:
  • Copy of various magazines (Time, Monocle, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, National Geographic etc...)
  • Newspapers from his/her birthday
  • Plenty of photographs
  • Pieces of baby clothing
  • Hospital armband
  • Maybe even a bottle of whiskey? :p

Any other ideas?
 
Ceryndrion said:
If you want longevity of data, then the only solution is paper tape. Quite sure that bang goes the theory covered this not too long ago.

Most modern data storage options are only expected to have a lifespan of 3-5 years.
Click to expand...

We've been looking at data storage at work and the storage companies won't take USB at all and are at pains to say that DVD is NOT a long term storage solution either.


Scuzi said:
Thanks for the input everybody. Would a HDD hold data reliably for that long? I was thinking I could stick it inside a USB cradle to avoid any compatibility issues down the line.

Other than that I think the only option may be to keep opening the box every few years and replacing the media with something new. I could buy an old film camera and put the negatives in there but that sounds expensive :D

Thoughts for content apart from the video so far are:
  • Copy of various magazines (Time, Monocle, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, National Geographic etc...)
  • Newspapers from his/her birthday
  • Plenty of photographs
  • Pieces of baby clothing
  • Hospital armband
  • Maybe even a bottle of whiskey? :p

Any other ideas?
Click to expand...
My first thought was yes, however even if USB is still around in 18 years time will NTFS? You may be able to connect with an adaptor but would you be able to read the HDD? And that's before the question about what file format to use! :p

Also contrary to what the film evangelists would say, film isn't necessarily a good long term storage solution either. It needs to be kept in the right environment to really survive well.
 
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