Sooner or later, it had to happen.

You know all those scenes in Mission Impossible where an envelope or tape-recorder has played its vital message and immediately begins to ignite? Ed McMahon or someone gravely intones, “This message will self-destruct in 10 SECONDS. 10, 9, 8….”

That’s the concept behind Priv-Note — notes that self-destruct after being read. Post a note to someone anywhere. Send them the link.

Once your recipient clicks on the link, you (the sender) get a note that the message has been read.

And then, minus Ed McMahon — or any cool voice, really — the message self-destructs.

There are obvious applications — love notes, one-time offers. I’m wondering if it’s enough for a business model? But regardless, in this era of debate over unauthorized surveillance, I’m sure they’ll win fans just for their pro-privacy messages.

What would you use Priv-Notes for?