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NASA engineer creates glitter bomb package to thwart parcel thieves

And there's fart spray involved, too.

Because we live in a world where we can't have nice things, package theft is a real problem, and in recent times unscrupulous individuals stealing parcels from porches have prompted police sting operations, as well as longer-term tech innovation, such as Amazon's smart locks. But neither of these things do a whole lot for theft victims longing for sweet, sweet revenge. Now, former NASA engineer Mark Rober has devised a frankly glorious solution that guarantees instant vengeance.

In a YouTube video titled "Package Thief vs. Glitter Bomb Trap", Rober explains after police refused to help him in his crusade against parcel thieves, he was inspired to engineer his own form of vigilante justice. The result? A parcel disguised as an Apple Home Pod which, when opened, sprays a "butt load" of fine glitter into the parcel's vicinity, and repeatedly pumps fart spray into the atmosphere for good measure. And the whole thing -- the perp's reaction included -- is captured on video.

The design -- which leverages GPS technology, four LTE-equipped cameras and piles of incredibly fine glitter which can't be vacuumed off soft furnishings any time soon -- took six months to build, proving that revenge really is a dish best served cold. Inevitably, folk on Twitter are going wild for his invention, with some suggesting that the addition of glue, finger print powder or even laser printer toner could spice things up even more.

Update (12/21): Since it was originally posted, Rober has edited the video to remove some sections in which a friend of a friend apparently recruited others to pose as victims.