A TorrentFreak reader identified a ATM-like yellow gazebo at a shopping mall in Ethiopia. With a closer look though, you can see that it is not an ATM, but an automated multimedia machine that does what video clubs do κάνουν About ..
"Earlier this year, All Mart (the corresponding Walmart in Ethiopia) brought in a new machine. It is basically a screen that has a USB port but is ATM shaped. It's called SwiftMedia and there's a guy who "maintains it," according to TF.
"Basically, once you plug in a USB, the screen will turn on and let you browse a huge movie file."
Needless to say, DRM protection and intellectual property are not on the agenda of this unusual and innovative machine.
Prices are very cheap, with packages available for 25, 50 and 100 birr (1, 2 and 3 dollars). Movies cost between 3 and 5 birr (13 to 22 cents), depending on the release date, while older movies cost more.
"At first I assumed the machine had the rights to the films, but later I found out that the films were there from the day they were released," the TF source said.
"Obviously the guy who maintains the machine downloads torrents all day and saves the data to the SwiftMedia disk."
Naturally, this could not last for five minutes in Europe or in America, and it would certainly never show up in a mall, let alone Walmart. TorrentFreak contacted Escape Computing, the company that appears to be behind the project, to learn more about their business.
The company did not respond to TF's email.