"Spy Box" records journey through the postal system
We've always wondered what happens to a package when we drop it off at the post office -- and having received our share of oddly damaged parcels has only heightened the mystery. British artist Tim Knowles was similarly curious, and his latest piece, "Spy Box," is a clever attempt to document the journey the box took from his studio to a nearby gallery. Knowles rigged a camera inside the box to take a photo out of a small hole every ten seconds, and stitched the resulting 6,994 photos together to make a short movie of the box's 19-hour journey. The end result isn't too thrilling -- the box is in a room! The box is in the dark! The box is in another room! -- but it's still pretty interesting. Peep a short clip at the read link.
[Via Switched]
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Suddenly, all I can think of is the video for "If I only had a brain" by MC 900 Foot Jesus....
Wonder if he taped them nicking stuff :p
At least his parcel got to its destination. 21 days later and I'm still waiting for my HD-DVD drive sent recorded delivery. I should've got them to stick a camera in with it :)
Just don't try this in Boston!
OMG It has exposed wires and circuit boards. Everyone get down!!!
I'd rather have security personnel OVERreact than UNDERreact any day. These people put their lives on the line for my safety.
There is a difference between doing your job thoroughly and overreacting. I'd rather have someone do their job thoroughly than overreact any day.
"If we restrict liberty to attain security we will lose them both." - Ben Franklin
"I'd rather have security personnel OVERreact than UNDERreact any day. These people put their lives on the line for my safety."
LMAO, and do you think that Bush's new internal security forces, the TSA (AKA Nazis), are protecting you at the airport? Come on man, Postal Inspectors work hard, but they certainly don't put their lives on the line.
I foresee an upcoming movie hit: "Bombs on a Parcel"
A low budget documentary showing the sad sad destination of LED+WIRES related products delivered on Boston.
I am surprised no one thought this thing was a bomb. I guess it never went through an x-ray machine.
My thoughts exactly! Very cool idea, but you have to remember - non-tech people aren't going to necessarily know/understand that the box full of wires and electronics is an art exhibit.
Looks like it went through the British Postal system. Now somebody should try it in the USA, shipping a box across America. Lots of dark time for sure...
Yea, that's a GREAT idea...
/me waits for the news to report another bomb scare at the post office.
They seem to send electronics through the U.S. mail system all the time and don´t have a problem.
Have you ever bought a replacement part for your computer or a laptop or any type of electronics via Amazon, Radio shack or where ever?
Some people are bit Unabomber paranoid out there...
"Looks like it went through the British Postal system. Now somebody should try it in the USA, shipping a box across America. Lots of dark time for sure..."
Yeah, so long as whoever does it doesn't mind going to federal prison for illegal surveillance of a federal facility....
Oh come on, get a grip. Thousands of circuit boards are shipped worldwide every day. The battery should have raised the assessed 'risk factor', but it looks like the overall density of the package was quite low so I'm sure it didn't get a second look from anyone handling it.
This should get sent through DHL so you can watch it get kicked around repeatedly then get lost for two weeks.
I've always wanted to have something like this "installed" in my checked luggage when I fly. I've had many items mysteriously vanish from my luggage, and have been thinking that a camera inside would deter theft by TSA and baggage handlers.
The trick would be to keep the camera in stand-by and start recording (and preferably also transmitting) when it senses light.
Yeah, or they'll just go ahead and take the camera too. :)
Ken, that's why I mentioned transmission capability. If you are receiving (and recording, if you are wise enough), you will know the face of the person who took your camera. Since the area is relatively restricted, airlines and authorities should have a fairly good clue of the perpetrator.
You would still need recording capability. Just walking in and saying "That guy stole my stuff" without the recording is not going to get you anywhere.
If he had used UPS, he would have gotten about ten minutes worth of images, the last one being a close-up still of an uncaring, clumsy brown boot. I swear to God, the last package that I received from them had a caved-in side so large, it made me think they just drop-kicked the box from the truck to my porch.
If he had used UPS, he would have gotten about ten minutes worth of images, the last one being a close-up still of an uncaring, clumsy brown boot. I swear to God, the last package that I received from them had a caved-in side so large, it made me think they just drop-kicked the box from the truck to my porch.