Steampunk Flash Drive Has Real Hardware Security

I have always said that I really dig steampunk, even if it's not my style. I like to see the way people with vision and DIY skills mash up new tech with old-fashioned style. The steampunk smartphone that I mentioned a while back with a touchscreen on one side and an old school rotary dialing while on the back is a good example. Another cool steampunk project has surfaced that looks really cool.

This is a flash drive and it's inside a tube that requires a combination to open. That is some cool physical security and the locking style reminds me of a bike lock. The designer used CAD software to design the works and then actually built the parts. It appears to be made out of brass or some other material that looks like brass.

The rings around the cylinder rotate to set the correct combination and then the lid comes off to allow the flash drive to be used. I have seen locks like this on the market with a digital keypad before. The designer also notes that he is working on another version that has no steampunk elements in the design.

[via