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Wrap That Rascal With A USB Condom
Hot Hardware ^
| 9/15/2013
| Seth Colaner
Posted on 09/16/2013 2:30:32 AM PDT by markomalley
Yep, a
USB condom. That term is mostly a dose of marketing brilliance, which is to say that grabs your attention while also serving as an apt description of the product. A little company called int3.cc has developed a producta USB condomthat blocks the data pins in your USB device while leaving the power pins free.
Thus, any time you need to plug a device such as a smartphones into a USB port to charge itlets say at a public charging kiosk or a coworkers computer--you dont have to worry about compromising any data or contracting some nasty
malware. Its one of those simple solutions that seems so obvious once someone came up with it, and surely lots of folks, such as business travelers, students, and anyone in a corporate environment that uses a USB stick in multiple machines, will be glad for it.


USB Condoms are currently out of stock, but you should be able to order one as of Monday. Its not clear how much the devices will cost, but it should be very little, and theyll likely show up as plain-looking boards without much, if any, packaging nor a chassis.
If you're going to run around plugging your phone into strange USB ports, at least be safe about it, says int3.cc. Good advice, that.
TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS:
To: markomalley
2
posted on
09/16/2013 2:36:21 AM PDT
by
Gene Eric
(Don't be a statist!)
To: Gene Eric
...with one problem... Some smart devices require communicating with their charger. Usually it’s to verify charge current capability.
3
posted on
09/16/2013 2:40:07 AM PDT
by
dayglored
(Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
To: dayglored
Could be why it’s a circuit board and not a cable adapter. The circuit makes nice to the charger, and passes the charging current on to the device, while completely blocking the data.
Phone <= “Condom” <=> Computer
4
posted on
09/16/2013 3:48:28 AM PDT
by
Lonesome in Massachussets
(Doing the same thing and expecting different results is called software engineering.)
To: markomalley
I already do this (on the cable I use at work to keep my phone charged) — with a tiny strip of cellophane tape. This gadget is an incredible waste of money.
5
posted on
09/16/2013 4:20:11 AM PDT
by
NewJerseyJoe
(Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
One should always take precautions before plugging in.
6
posted on
09/16/2013 5:33:56 AM PDT
by
deoetdoctrinae
(Gun-free zones are playgrounds for felons.)
To: markomalley
This is actually a pretty good idea from a data security POV. I wonder if you can do anything with a connection from a charger plugged into a wall.
If it's possible, the NSA is probably doing it.
7
posted on
09/16/2013 8:18:12 AM PDT
by
zeugma
(Is it evil of me to teach my bird to say "here kitty, kitty"?)
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