Transform a dead Time Capsule into a handsome gift box
3:34 am, December 9th, 2009, John Brownlee
With Time Capsules epidemically failing after an average of 18 months and 22 days, it might be time to start thinking about an alternative use for your pristinely albino, Apple-branded router once its body squirts out its last breath of 802.11-n ectoplasm.
Why not turn it into a lovely gift box? Over at Instructables, there’s a handy little tutorial on how to convert a Time Capsule into an ornamental box worthy of display, simply by prying it open, gutting it, then adding hinges and a silk cushion.
Not the most revolutionary use for an old Time Capsule’s casing, certainly, but this would be great presentation for, say, an iPod Touch gifted to a loved one later this month, and it can even be reused as a jewelry box or even a humidor (for cigars or the disembodied fingers of people who owed you money, you decide).
Posted by John Brownlee in How tos | Comment on this article
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“epidemically failing”?
so you have some numbers to back that up. What percent have failed and what does it take to be an epidemic.
And real numbers not some Nielsen-esque best guess. Real sales counts, real failure counts, real failure timelines.
Charli, on December 9th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Nielsen ratings are based on statistically sound methodologies. The fact that Time Capsules have a lower-than-expected lifespan is pretty well demonstrated. Google and a minute or two will get you things like this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/nov/04/apple-time-capsule-failures-early.
Josh, on December 9th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Dude I love Mac and everything apple. But the Tolime Capsule was and epic fail, I purchased one and within nine months it gave out calle apple said to take it to the apple store, so fine I said you know what I’ll just buy another one it’s an apple product so I did and a couple a months no Internet again I don’t know why but the Airport Extreme has always worked fine it’s the time capsule that gave me all this problems.
eLi, on December 10th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Hi, just for the record, you can repair your broken time capsule if you want to. Do not make a gift box of it, that is a waste of time. The best solution is to remove the internal power supply from the time Capsule, and hook it up to an external power supply.
Do you want to know how? and do it yourself?
Read: Ray Haverfield, step by step tutorial
http://sites.google.com/site/lapastenague/a-deconstruction-of-routers-and-modems/apple-time-capsule-repair
It is not that hard, I am no wizz kid or techno man, and it just worked fine for me, my time capsule is working again and not just for another 18 month but for years to come .
Best regards
Robert
Robert, on January 6th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
I wish this could be done with the range of airport express units that all has just died after round about 18 months after purchase in my home.
I am on my fourth one now, and so far it’s been alive for 2 years now (it’s the N version, maybe thats why..)
Most expensive wireless network I’d ever had, my old INTEL wireless gateway that I bought 2001, is still up and running and working just fine, after 8-9 years 24/7 service…
John, on January 11th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Noise noise NOISE NOISE NOISE.
Kids: get your facts straight:
- failed power supplies
- NO FAILURE of HDDs (this matters)
- during Bad Caps era
Only an idiot would not just fix
the power supply / get repaired.
Foob Has Spoken
UncleFoobar, on January 12th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Well at least it’s being reused instead of sitting at a landfill, taking up space.
ceebee, on February 5th, 2010 at 10:40 pm