USB Dead Drops (video)

Craft & Design
USB Dead Drops (video)

deaddrops1.jpg

Artist and Eyebeam resident Aram Bartholl’s USB Dead Drops project is raising lots of discussion in the security and file sharing communities. The project release is now in full swing with this video showing how the USB drives were installed in different places around NYC. Aram writes:

‘Dead Drops’ is an anonymous, offline, peer to peer file-sharing network in public space. USB flash drives are embedded into walls, buildings and curbs accessable to anybody in public space. Everyone is invited to drop or find files on a dead drop. Plug your laptop to a wall, house or pole to share your favorite files and data. Each dead drop is installed empty except a readme.txt file explaining the project. ‘Dead Drops’ is open to participation. If you want to install a dead drop in your city/neighborhood follow the ‘how to’ instructions and submit the location and pictures.

4 thoughts on “USB Dead Drops (video)

  1. Kevin Bondelli says:

    I figure it is only a short matter of time before these dead drops are used maliciously to spread viruses, trojans, and other mal-ware.

    It’s an interesting idea, but the internet itself is a giant dead drop. I don’t really see the necessity.

  2. weitenma says:

    Just a suggestion as it would take some soldering but how about putting a female USB connector on the drive. That way a surreptitious male-male USB cable can be used to connect to the laptop (or other device). A more ‘natural’ position can be used for access and nothing will catch on it by anything or whacked off if seen by roving bands of ‘youths’ as it would be flush with the wall.

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Becky Stern is a Content Creator at Autodesk/Instructables, and part time faculty at New York’s School of Visual Arts Products of Design grad program. Making and sharing are her two biggest passions, and she's created hundreds of free online DIY tutorials and videos, mostly about technology and its intersection with crafts. Find her @bekathwia on YouTube/Twitter/Instagram.

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