While traveling the world, if you're lucky, you might find treasure troves of data in the form of Dead Drop USB drives hidden in walls or utility poles.
While wandering around the world, if you're lucky and observant enough, you might spot USB drives fixed to walls, fences, or utility poles. So, what's inside these USB drives, or are they just mischievous creations of curious people?
 |
| Have you ever seen USB drives like these before? |
These USB drives are actually called Dead Drops. They are essentially usable data USB drives that have been stripped bare and fixed in various locations. People can use these USB drives to exchange information with each other using the oldest method – P2P (peer-to-peer).
Dead Drop is the work of Aram Bartholl, an artist living in Berlin, Germany. Bartholl has a strong passion for espionage and dreams of one day living a secret life like the cool spies he sees in movies. So Bartholl began hiding USB drives all over the city and the world, concealing them in walls, fences, sidewalks, lampposts—anywhere he felt like it.
 |
| Dead Drops are hidden all over the world. |
Currently, there are 1617 hidden USB drives scattered around the world, containing approximately 18,000 GB of data. When you find these mysterious USB drives, you can't know what's inside beforehand, so if you're lucky enough to find one, be prepared with security measures for your laptop. If you happen to stumble upon some inappropriate content, it could be incredibly troublesome.
For example, in February 2015, a German journalist discovered bomb blueprints while attempting to exchange data with a Dead Drop USB drive in Cologne. The USB drive contained formulas for methamphetamine and other deadly poisons. This USB drive was the secret manual of assassination organizations worldwide, carefully concealed and passed only through the underworld.
If you enjoy the thrill of exploration and adventure, then try searching for these Dead Drop USB drives. They're found all over the world, except for the Arctic, Iceland, or as far north as New Zealand. The newest locations to feature Dead Drops are Hong Kong, Xining City, China, and Baden Württemberg in Germany.
 |
| From lampposts to walls, you can hide a USB drive anywhere. |
 |
| You need an extremely keen eye to spot these "data treasures." |
 |
| Using the outdated Peer-to-Peer data transfer protocol is contrary to current cloud trends. |
 |
| You'll never know what's inside that USB drive. |
 |
| Who would have thought there were USB drives here? |
 |
| Here it is, your love database. |
 |
| If you're lucky, you might even find an e-book version of a martial arts manual. |
 |
| Does this scene look familiar? Try to find this database. |
According to Tri Thuc Tre (Young Intellectuals)
