They’re Hidden In Walls All Over The World.

[charisstoma]

http://boredomtherapy.com/hidden-usb-treasure-hunt/

There’s a new kind of treasure hunt taking place all over the world. You just need to know where to look.


This treasure, however, isn’t buried on an uninhabited island, it’s all around us. And there’s another twist: the treasure chests are USB drives hidden in plain sight, and the gold is what’s on them.



They’re hidden in walls and other surfaces around the world. Each one is an offline file-sharing community, where the users are anonymous adventure seekers.

All you need to participate is a USB capable device – and you’re in. An artist named Aram Bartholl has been placing them with nothing but a “readme.txt” file explaining how the project works.

Bartholl, a Berlin-based artist, started placing the USBs 5 years ago and has since seen others join in and replicate his work – building a large international community. Because of its popularity, there is quite a broad list of locations that the eagle eyed adventurer can spot.

This past summer, a database of the project was started as a means of locating and documenting the hidden USBs. If you’e feeling up to it, you can start planning out your own quest to find the one nearest – or furthest – from you. You can also follow Bartholl on Twitter and keep up to date on new ones added.

Share this cool project with your friends and get ready to go on an adventure!

Remember this place Meep? Pont Des Arts, Paris


Even there.

Comments

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

He'd watched Dan fix the special padlock to the fence and it had itched at him all night. A rare night alone in a cold too-big bed as Dan collected his family and saw them settled.

Getting up extra early wasn't to bad, he felt foolish as he left the hotel still munching his morning croissant but the sun was just risen and there was an untouched feel to the chilled day. Possibilities sparkled on the air.

There were a few early love-birds caught up in their own adventure, Mark wasn't the only one here alone fondling a particular padlock and thinking of a loved one. He was however the only one to drag out a tablet and connect to a pinned USB port.

His screen went blank then flashed on full of random numbers. There was a moments panic before Mark calmed himself - Dan was mischievous but not malicious, he'd not have left a virus.

A pop-up opened on screen requesting he click it open to access Super-Secret files. There was a winking face. This was so Dan. Mark clicked.

The second pop-up declared the USB to be a one man portal! There were two options; one if the reader was Mark, the other for those unfortunate Mark-less snoopers. Mark being Mark laughed as he made his choice. He got asked if he was sure; was he THE Mark, the ONLY Mark that mattered, the one True Love and sexy object of lust in Dan Bergman's life?

There was thankfully no-one around to see Mark's pleased blush as he clicked -yes-.

Sudden music startled Mark into almost dropping his tablet, a few people nearby jumped and turned to see what was going on. The tablet made a whirring noise as the screen showed a firework display then a message appeared reading simply -Look Behind You-.

Creepy!

Mark shrugged at his watchers and turned slowly, not at all sure what to expect. It wasn't Dan down on one knee, his long red scarf trailing the ground as he held out a little box. His parents and sister were gathered behind him all grinning widely past steaming mugs. Mark had been too distracted to hear them approach.

'Well' Dan demanded, eyes only for Mark. 'Will you marry me?'
Somewhere there were people gasping, a sniffle and a giggle. Mark zeroed in on his lover.
'How'd you know I'd come here?' Dan grinned looking smug, 'I know you' he winked 'No way you'd not check out the USB, and I might have bribed the receptionists to test me when you left the hotel.' He'd thought the receptionist seemed extra perky this morning, checking his name, wishing him a lovely morning and saying somthing oblique about romance!

'WELL?'
'Say. Yes. Already!' that was Dan's sister heckling, their mother hushing her and their father grumbling they should 'get on it with it so they could go for breakfast'

'Hmmm' Mark dragged it out. This was HIS moment after all. 'It depends' he pondered watching an spark of anxiety cross Dan's face and hurrying on before it could stick 'Is that a ring or another USB?'

Dan thumbed open the box to display a simple wide silver ring. He didn't need words, Mark was on his knees claiming his mouth whispering 'Yes, Yes, Yes' between frantic kisses. Dan nearly dropped the ring bringing a hand to cup his face and slow the urgency into one hot deep smooch.

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

'So?' Mark snuggled in closer to Dan. Closer to his fiancé.
'What did the Mark-less option show?'

Dan pulled his smart-phone out clicking options before handing it over. A short video played showing the two of the playing the fool and a montage of Mark smiling and laughing and sleeping, sheet slipping down in a tease. Then a message box that declared that obviously Dan's Mark was the best, but he wished the reader luck in finding their own love. The screen pixelated and went blank.

'Soppy' Mark purred snuggling with intent.

'Get a ROOM' bellowed Dan's sister as their lips met. And as they rushed of his mother could be heard to telling people proudly 'they just got engaged' as his father muttered 'can't take you lot anywhere!' but he too sounded proud.

And then there was a slamming door and greedy hands and mouths. The world narrowing to one small room that held for them, the universe.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

*sniffle* Awwwwwe . Maybe the inlaws will rescue the tablet from the USB locked onto it. That is what inlaws are for, right?

Well this plunny worked very nicely, she said proudly. *Pets the plunny USB plugged into a Meep.* Very nicely indeed.

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

LOL I'm guessing the sister rescued it - good chance to look for some embarrassing pics for the wedding speech ;)

Plunny USB!!!!! You wouldn't? *wobbly lip* *checks self deliberately not asking where it plugs in!*

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

And you are sneaky like Meridae.

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

NINJA attack from the ninja plunny

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Wait what about the tablet? Is it dangling from the USB?

Awwwwwwwwe. Proposal via USB and one tablet that fell off the side of the bridge. *smiles*

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

*snicker* I did think about it but I wasn't awake enough LOL I'll imagine the sister nipping past them to rescue it but telling them it went over ;)

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

Fun, but I don't think I'd want to plug a USB that's been open to the elements into a device!

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly plus who knows what might be on them. Is there a way to protect a USB drive from being corrupted by a virus?

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

No idea, I'd expect there to be advertising/corrupt files or unpleasantness on them. Wouldn't risk it even without the issue of the elements damaging it.