In some ways it's like the adblock debate - and there are JavaScript bitcoin miners (https://hackertimes.com/item?id=2566365 ) - uselessly slow now, but the concept still holds.
I've collected a few "ad supported" free items (keychains, bags, writing boards, etc.) from various trade shows and conventions, and of those that are still usable, amusingly enough the logo was the first thing to come off from normal wear and tear.
Have you encountered the new breed of ad-supported free flash drives? I recall from a discussion on HN that apparently some people are putting a hub inside said flash drives and a fake HID device that will occasionally type in "Win+R http://companysite.com <enter>".
No, (un?)fortunately I haven't. I do have a few small ones which I don't use for anything critical, but they show up only as the usual mass-storage devices.
I've collected a few "ad supported" free items (keychains, bags, writing boards, etc.) from various trade shows and conventions, and of those that are still usable, amusingly enough the logo was the first thing to come off from normal wear and tear.