USB "Condom" Allows You To Practice Safe Charging 208
Posted
by
samzenpus
from the plugging-it-in dept.
from the plugging-it-in dept.
MojoKid writes "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 product—a USB condom—that 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 it—let's say at a public charging kiosk or a coworker's computer--you don't have to worry about compromising any data or contracting some nasty malware. It's one of those simple solutions that seems so obvious once someone came up with it."
*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Interesting)
My MP3 player, the nearly 10 years old Cowon D2 [amazon.com], actually came with a power-only USB cable. Maybe their goal was to save money on copper.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Interesting)
If you plug your power-only USB cable into a modern charger, you'll find that your phone charges quite a bit slower than you'd expect. Modern chargers use the data pins to negotiate whether a charger supports higher currents.
You don't want a phone to try drawing 2A from a charger that's only designed for 500mA.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Insightful)
"Negotiate" is a loose term - really it's just some fixed resistances across the data pins that set USB charging mode. This can be built into the plug without any extra copper in the cable.
That said for the portable device on the other end to recognise charging mode it also needs to see some fixed resistance, which would need to be build into the far end plug too.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Insightful)
and if you don't connect the data pins, the port, if it obeys the USB standards strictly, may shut down if more than 100ma is drawn without negotiation.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
For compatibility purposes, though, all kinds of attempted power draws that are off-spec but below whatever the device considers dangerous are generally well tolerated. USB HDDs drawing ~800ma, or connected to the data lines of one port and the power lines of a second port, little fans and LEDs on goosenecks, all kinds of nasty stuff. Especially on desktops, where +5v is available in nigh-unlimited quantities. Laptops and routers and things, with actual power budgets, seem to be a bit pickier.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
The host power lines are usually protected by a "polyfuse" (aka self-resetting fuse), sometimes just one for all lines combined if the total current is no danger to the traces should it be drawn from one port. A polyfuse is a (normally small) resistance which is designed to go into thermal runaway when the current limit is exceeded. After a few minutes without current, the fuse "resets", i.e. it cools down sufficiently for the resistance to drop far enough that the normal current won't trigger the thermal runaway.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
FWIW my GigaByte motherboard seems to protect USB ports in pairs, or at least, there's a separate polyfuse for the front panel USB.
Re: (Score:2)
I've killed one "iHome" and nearly killed another when trying to recharge various devices.
In one case, I put a completely dead "iPod Classic" in the top dock and after an hour noticed a nasty electrical smell coming out of it. It also was no longer was charging and wouldn't play any audio.
Re: (Score:3)
Oh that’s bull. You make it sound like measuring the current and switching power off requires some elaborate logic and circuitry that couldn’t possibly fit in a consumer device. You know that all of that stuff is contained in small little 8-pin (or less) devices called “USB Power Switches” that are specifically designed for the task, right? We’ve used this one micrel.com [micrel.com] in the past, for example.
Anecdotally, we’re not alone to use these things either: My wife’s i
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
"Negotiate" is a loose term - really it's just some fixed resistances across the data pins that set USB charging mode. This can be built into the plug without any extra copper in the cable.
For dump power supplies, it's "just some fixed resistances" between data pins. That's a shortcut for chargers that don't want to implement the USB protocol.
Computers, however, do use the data lines for the intended purpose. With computers, the amount of power that can be drawn is negotiated between the computer and the devices.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
Depends upon device/manufacturer. Some use fixed-resistance, but there's no agreement upon which resistance indicates which current. Others use a true computerized negotiation, but again there is no common protocol - and some manufacturers use that negotiation as a means to lock-out third party chargers by deliberately not disclosing the protocol, or even using cryptographic authentication.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
[sigh] So much for "Universal".
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Funny)
[sigh] So much for "Universal".
Hey, man, not my problem if two passengers don't get along, I just drive the bus.
-USB Implementors' Forum, Inc.
Re: (Score:2)
The "official" way is for the charger to short the data pins and then go into current limit if the device tries to draw more power than it can supply.
Which could cause problems for a charge only cable if it's used with a host port that shuts down rather than current limiting when overloaded.
Re: (Score:2)
I'll admit that I'm not an electrical engineer, but why would a charger need to current limit the power if the device tries to draw more than it can provide?
That's like putting a restrictor plate on my car so that I can go faster then it allows me to go.
So you don't destroy the cable (Score:3)
would a charger need to current limit the power if the device tries to draw more than it can provide?
Because many chargers are connected to devices or power lines (110VAC etc) that can supply MUCH more power than the cable can handle. The wires inside a USB cable used for power are often 24 gauge which can only handle a relatively modest amount of power before they overheat. You need a charger that is smart enough to not exceed the limits of a USB cable even if the device is dumb enough to "request" that much power. Otherwise you could end up with a molten wire rather easily.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
Actually there is a standard, laid out in the USB Battery Charging Specification [usb.org]. It clearly states that a dumb charger should short D+ and D- directly to indicate that it can supply up to 1.5A.
The only company that uses resistors is Apple. The USB spec was released in 2007 so maybe their early devices pre-dated that. In any case, any properly designed USB device from the past 5 years should fast charge from a dumb charger simply by having the D+ and D- lines shorted.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
That said for the portable device on the other end to recognise charging mode it also needs to see some fixed resistance, which would need to be build into the far end plug too.
Samsung's charger for the Galaxies simply shorts the data pins. (No, not the cable. The charger.) They do it as a way to recognize that it is a charger connected and allow drawing more power.
Re: (Score:2)
Sometimes a device/cable combination can work in either way. They'll have some goofy resistances-between-pins coding scheme for dumb chargers; but they'll also do the official USB SIG power negotiation dance if plugged into an actual USB host. Of course, so long as you only want to charge the device, it just has to wor
Re: (Score:2)
Is it even necessary? When I plug my phone into the wall (USB cable plugs into the wall plug) it just charges but when I plug it into a computer it asks me what I want it to do.
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:*yawn* these have around for years? (Score:5, Informative)
Is there some term that is used to distinguish connectors with / without this functionality, so I can buy the right kind?
I gave up on finding USB Charging Specification-compatible chargers a while ago and just picked up a "charge-only" USB cable [amazon.com], which does the same thing as the adapter in this article: short the D+ and D- pins on the device side. This lets any standards-compliant (i.e. non-Apple) device know that it's safe to charge at full speed, so it should fix the problem so long as your charger can handle the current.
You can tell whether an Android device is charging properly by looking at the Battery pages in Settings. It should say "Charging (AC)" to indicate a full-speed charge, or "Charging (USB)" to indicate that it's limiting itself to 100mA.
Fast charge detection (Score:4, Interesting)
This wouldn't allow devices to detect fast charge capability, as that depends on resistances between data pins and power pins, or high-level protocol negotiation if it's an intelligent host with this capability. Devices will only charge slowly (100mA) if at all.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Fast charge detection (Score:4, Interesting)
All PowerPC Macs will current limit if they try to draw more than 100mA without negotiating, not sure what other PCs will or won't do (yeah, I'm out of date on that front). If a device is properly USB compliant it won't draw more than it knows it's allowed to. My Galaxy S3 is pretty quick to go into slow charge mode if it isn't sure it's allowed to go for more. Other reputable devices do the same - don't want to lose your USB logo certification.
Re:Fast charge detection (Score:5, Interesting)
They can still try to draw 500mA and let the host cry. I don't know if they will, but wall chargers don't seem to have a complex protocol setup, I don't know how the do it.
I had an aftermarket iPhone charger for my car that was a cigarette lighter adapter with a USB socket on it and then a USB to iPhone cable. One day I was in the office and needed to charge my iPhone and didn't have a charger so I grabbed the USB cable from my car. The moment I plugged it into my laptop, even before plugging the iPhone in, the laptop turned off. No damage. Being naturally curious I tried it again and it was repeatable.
I'd go as far to say that some are basically brain dead
A scientist (Score:4, Funny)
The moment I plugged it into my laptop, even before plugging the iPhone in, the laptop turned off. No damage. Being naturally curious I tried it again and it was repeatable.
Sounds like you are a scientist [xkcd.com]. Congratulations!
Re:Fast charge detection (Score:4, Interesting)
Make the condom intelligent enough to pretend to be a phone, on one side and a charger on the other with no connection in between. I can't believe I just typed that sentence... Anyhow, I am sure you can get PICs with dual USB which would do that.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Fast charge detection (Score:5, Insightful)
These boards have quite a bit of logic on them. If they were just cutting the data pins, that would all be unnecessary.
The product page is light on details, but I'd be surprised if that logic wasn't there precisely to negotiate charge rate.
Re:Fast charge detection (Score:4, Funny)
The product page is light on details, but I'd be surprised if that logic wasn't there precisely to negotiate charge rate.
Well something's got to send the data to the NSA...
Re: (Score:3)
Well why then is this a whole PCB with chips and not just a double plug with the data pins leading to nothing? I'd hope this one is smart enough to do the power negotiation in both ends, but without the physical capability to transfer data. But hey, lets be armchair quarterbacks and assume that whoever came up with this knows nothing about USB charging...
Re: (Score:3)
Most phones do not care about resistance across the data pins. Just short them out and BAM fast charge!
That is how I was able to trick my Epic 4g to work with my palm pre touchstone charger.
There is no need for all the circuits and such... I made my own a while back out of a spare cable. I just opened the cable, cut the data wires. Than I shorted the data wires on the side that went to the phone. I sealed it all up and I can plug my phone into any usb port and it charges at the maximum output of the U
Re: (Score:2)
Why do these solutions need to be soo complex?
Consistency? Not needing to have a specific cable for a specific phone? The USB spec with respect to charging is not incredibly complex, but it is there to give some consistency and assurance you're not going to destroy your device or computer, and still be able to charge at the maximum rate available.
On a computer connected device, the client being well behaved is important- if every port draws the maximum available (before the on-board fuse triggers), there won't be enough current to go around, and can ca
Bad USB design choices (Score:3)
Why do these solutions need to be soo complex?
Corner cases usually. The power requirements [wikipedia.org] of devices plugged into USB are a bit unpredictable so it's more complex than many realize. I agree with you though. It seems like they are adding a bunch of needless complexity to make up for some poor initial design choices.
As an example of poor design choices, it has always mystified me why they made USB a keyed connection instead of a reversible one. I'm not overly impressed with Lightning cables from Apple but one of the things Apple did right was to mak
Re: (Score:2)
I don't know if they do, but the condom could negotiate the charging current itself, then provide it to the protected device. Since the condom has no other function, it can be kept simple enough to not be exploited itself while keeping the device safe.
Re: (Score:3)
Actually, all the condom needs is a switch that when open, leaves D+ and D- connected to nothing at all, and when closed, shorts D+ and D- with each other. By definition, if the phone sees that the D+ and D- pins are shorted together, the device is entitled to draw 1.7A from the power supply.
Officially, if D+ and D- are neither shorted nor able to negotiate for higher current, the device is only supposed to draw 100mA. In reality, everything I've ever seen besides Motorola's annoying phones ignores that rul
Re: (Score:2)
Very few computers actually have a switch to cut off current and can actively say 'no' - it is usually done with a thermal fuse- too much current, the fuse gets hot, goes up in resistance, limits the current to the device. The thermal fuses aren't meant to trigger as a matter of course- trigger it too often, and you have to replace it. For most people, that means replacing the motherboard.
Re:Fast charge detection (Score:4, Informative)
Actually you have been able to get "charge only" USB cables for years, and they fully support fast charging too. To enable 1000mA charging you just tie the D+ and D- lines together, so the charge only cables simple cross the over. Data comms fail but charging works fine.
I bought a couple last time I was in Japan, and assume they will become available in the west eventually.
Re: (Score:2)
I wanted more (Score:2)
Damn... I wanted something that would take all kinds of measurements and then later plug into my usb port.That would be real marketing brilliance. Speed, power, duration, ect. correlated with attractiveness.. that sounds like some useful data.
You can do this with a USB extension cable... (Score:4, Informative)
I've made my own, but you can buy them inexpensively. They're really convenient if you're, say, trying to keep devices from popping the VMWare Fusion Mac/Linux selection dialog or complaining about ejection.
So, yeah, this guy made a board, but a cut-line extension cable has been the answer to this problem for a while. Some devices may fuss or trickle charge, but it generally works.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
The USB condom won't complain about that.
What the unholy crap???? (Score:2, Insightful)
This over-engineered nonsense in the article is ridiculous.
Re:What the unholy crap???? (Score:4, Informative)
The photo seems to be of this thing [int3.cc], which is an entirely different device which apparently 'allows a computer (or "host") to masquerade as a USB "device" to communicate with other USB devices or USB Hosts.'
In other words, exactly the kind of device you wouldn't want to unknowingly connect things to.
Huh? (Score:4, Interesting)
Why does this require a big PCB with three ICs? Why not just simply remove pins 2 & 3?
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Why does this require a big PCB with three ICs?
Obviously for the circuitry to inject its own malware into the devices connected to it.
Re: (Score:3)
Power negotiation between host and device can be active. USB is only supposed to grant 100mA without proper negotiation.
Re:Huh? (Score:4, Interesting)
I don't have specs handy, but there's power management to consider. A port can be put into a low power or suspend state, where the device is expected to put itself into lower power mode and consume less than the 100ma that's on the power pins. So a two wire cable would not be able to handle this power management and would consume the whole 100ma when charging (not very nice if on a battery powered laptop).
Additionally, I think some devices would need to actually enumerate correctly before they start charging normally. Ie, they won't consume 100ma to charge without being active. Most devices I think keep it as simple as possible so this won't matter for them.
But I think the real reason for the condom is to negotiate basic info so that it can request 500ma for devices that want it.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
I had a boyfriend with a motorola phone... it absolutely REFUSED to charge if connected into an intelligent host, unless their special software were installed. It was a total pain in the butt...
The condom was due any time now (Score:2)
After all, we've had power extensions for years!
What does the electronics do? (Score:4, Interesting)
I've apparently made 'USB condoms' myself. A male and female usb connector soldered end-to-end, the data pins shorted together.
This enables my ancient HTC Desire to recognize any usb charger as a dedicated charger, and charge with up to 1 A (in reality significantly less). It is a low tech solution that works.
So why so much electronics on the board??
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
So why so much electronics on the board??
Wow, you're not kidding. I just clicked on the link, and there is a LOT. With that much stuff, I'd be afraid it'd connect to the phone itself and send the data off to a remote server. It's definitely doing more than just cutting the data lines.
Re: (Score:2)
So that when you plug your DIY USB condom into a port that was assembled with all the care that chinese typically apply to circuit protection you don't set your house on fire.
You have a specific solution that works in a specific scenario. Can't blame you I actually did the same here to get my phone to charge faster. But your solution wouldn't work with all devices and the reasons that power negotiation is such a retarded clusterfuck in the USB spec is because of the great variety of different USB ports whic
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
USB devices can be a bit odd. There is the actual spec, but most devices don't bother with that and instead do whatever it is that Windows expects them to do. Ie, devices in general will only respond to commands that Windows implements, so you can find that a driver that is perfectly correct according to the book won't work with some devices.
Technically, connecting just power and ground is the wrong way to do things because it bypasses power control states, but because it works most of the time that's goo
Re: (Score:3)
The site for the gadget itself says "USB Condoms achieve this by cutting off the data pins in the USB cable and allowing only the power pins to connect through."
Based on the fact that there appears to be a lot of active components on this board, I think this description might be a simplification of what the device actually does. The device probably isolates the datapath between the host and device, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't monitor and drive both sets of data pins for the purpose of arbitrating a compatible power state between the host and the attached device. Then again, I didn't design it, and maybe all of those devices are there to capture your per
Half-plugging has the same effect (Score:4, Insightful)
In the standard A and B plugs the data pins are recessed compared to the power pins. Grab any standard cable and you can slide it in until the power makes contact, giving you charging without any data connection.
I've been doing this for years to charge a MP3 device without it being mounted by the host computer.
Re:Half-plugging has the same effect (Score:4, Funny)
Just the tip you say???
Re: (Score:2)
I can't believe there's been no xkcd reference yet... something about shooting a wad of electrons all over your amour's back...
Continuing this metaphor... (Score:2)
Not the only one out there (Score:5, Interesting)
Howsabout fixing the braindead OS... (Score:2)
...so that it doesn't automatically execute/autoplay/file-connect/whatever when the hardware is plugged in?
Re: (Score:2)
Except that "automatically connect" is a primary requirement for a sync cable. And sure, in theory that doesn't mean automatically executing, but software has bugs.
The current behavior of phones is probably right for 99% of their users. Makes more sense to solve the special case specially and get the default case right, I think.
Re: (Score:2)
May be more difficult than that. You'd need to guarantee that the implementation of the protocol it talks to a host PC by is defect free. Which may be difficult to do.
It's probably easier and more provably secure to just "firewall" it in hardware.
I've made these, but not for this purpose (Score:2)
Block just the data (Score:3)
Not exactly the same, but still (Score:2)
From the "Same same, but (very) different" Dept. there is this little Kickstarter project:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/david-toledo/the-practical-meter-know-your-power [kickstarter.com]
Actually, it is twofold, there's the "Practical meter", which shows how much power is drawn, and then there's the three tipped charging cable with built in circuits enabling a device to draw more power from sources that supports it.
SIZE MATTERS, Enlarge SIZE You USB, +12 inches!1! (Score:2)
Hmm, if that's a USB condom, then I guess some of my devices came with a USB ePeen enlargement.
I can't remember which ones that came with the "changing only" cable, anyhow, I also remember some of them wanting to change more for a "data cable".
I'm pretty sure one was my Garmin GPS device. It will not charge without the cable it came with: The "charging" cable has a resistor from a voltage line to one of the data lines, and refuses to charge without it (even when connected to a PC and transferring data
Better than a USB-ectomy (Score:2)
I've built workstations intended for connection to library systems, and one of the airgap security measures I've employed was to cut the data conductors behind the USB port*. OK, it's permanent unless you're really handy with a soldering iron, but you'd have to get around the keybolts holding the case together first...
*Recent innovations in workstation motherboard design have done away with PS/2 ports for keyboard/mouse, the way around that is to use a quality keyboard/mouse and hardwire those suckers.
And t
Also need the other way. (Score:3)
I've been in airports, and had people w/ just a USB cable ask me if they could plug into my laptop to charge ...
Luckily, as I usually fly southwest, the two times it's happened I was able to point out that there was USB charging available from their power points.
(when people think I'm mean for not sharing power in other situations, I'll break out the 'It's not how many USB sticks you plug into your laptop' PSA reference) ... I'd love for USB sticks to bring back the hardware write-only switch.
Personally, I wouldn't need one of these 'til my current phone dies -- WebOS will assume charging only unless you specifically enter your passcode to allow it to function as a USB disk when you plug it in.
Re: (Score:2)
My response is, "my battery is almost dead, I cant." it usually shuts them up. and honestly if they are travelling and too stupid to carry their charger, their own fault for draining the phone to dead in such a short amount of time.
Re: (Score:2)
Just say you don't have a square to spare...on the battery charge indicator that is..
And will not work with most devices.... (Score:2)
Blocking the data pins means it will not charge at anything more than the 100ma trickle. you NEED the resistance devider on the data pins to tell the phone/tablet that it is a high current charger and kick it into high gear.
Note: you have been able to buy a $1.99 device like this that DOES enable high power charging for well over 4 years now. IT's an iphone USB charger adapter adapter. little usb plug or 6 inch cable that adds the resistor network to fool the phone to charge at full speed.
Nothing new he
Only slightly useful for junk devices (Score:2)
My N900 requires confirmation on the screen to grant data access to USB host devices, so this thing isn't useful for it or any device which has this important feature (like even a Blackberry). What it will do is prevent the charging power from being negotiated.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes but these days nobody trusts science so even if your phone says it locks out data access through the USB and sets your phone to charge only on the USB cable most people still think the High Wizards of NSA have some way of overriding that the instant they detect your phone plugged into a data port.
Remember, the NSA has unlimited resources to force every phone manufacturer and OS vendor to provide back-doors so they can monitor billions of devices in real-time on the off chance a stupid terrorist is trans
Really, who does this? (Score:2)
I am sure there are situations where someone might need to plug in their phone in a random place for that important call, but I mean, someone leaving their home with a 1/4 charged phone before heading out on a business trip is probably going to forget their condoms too.
No glove, no love, period.
you've got to be kidding me (Score:2)
Also it already exists and I've had one for years. It's called a "power-only" USB cable. There are many manufacturers of them in the world.
USB Vagina Dentata (Score:2)
No one noticed the x86 opcode? (Score:4, Insightful)
Their domain int3.cc is an allusion to the one-byte software interrupt instruction [wikipedia.org] on 16-bit x86 systems. Opcode 0xCC disassembles to int 3, and it's most frequently used by debuggers, which patch a single byte of code with it to make a breakpoint.
Won't work (Score:2)
This won't work for devices that insist on using the USB charger protocol to negotiate higher currents from the power supply. For those that will still work without the data pins present you'll be charging much slower with the 500mA default limit.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
What if the charger starts making those claims after 15-37 charges?
So you start checking the connections one by one... plugging and unplugging items...
After all... if they are after your data, they should let you accumulate some data on the device first, right?
Re:So, if I manufacture chargers.... (Score:5, Funny)
You could do that. I could also not buy your broken charger.
But you know what you're doing. Social engineering will always work on some people though:
"My phone is flat and I really need to take a photo of my big mac to show my friends, can I borrow your charger?"
"Sure, here you go"
"It's not working"
"Try taking that adapter thing off, it's probably mucking up the charging"
Faced with the horror of eating their big mac without it first being photographed, I think you can guess how this story ends...
Re:So, if I manufacture chargers.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Well... if you're going to remove a device specifically designed for device security because some unknown third party device/person tells you to - your security problems aren't of a technical nature. As they say, there's no technical fix for stupid. Not saying it won't happen, but there's not a lot a security accessory vendor can do to protect against that.
So true. Outlook blocks links in messages it has moved to your junk mail folder. Consequently all spam now says "if links aren't working, please move this message to your inbox". Stupid will find a way.
Re: (Score:3)
On what screen? You don't have access to a screen. You could refuse to provide power if you don't see data pins, but you can't control how that gets displayed. And I suspect anyone who gets one of these will pretty much be suspicious of suddenly finding a charger which needs that.
Note that there's at least one sort-of-similar example: The iPhone won't charge from a USB hub if there's no computer. It'll charge from a plain charger, or from a computer, but not from a hub. In this case, it's that there's data
Re: (Score:2)
The iPhone won't charge from a USB hub if there's no computer. It'll charge from a plain charger, or from a computer, but not from a hub. In this case, it's that there's data pins but not quite enough data on them.
Will it charge from a computer that happens not to have iTunes software installed, such as a computer running GNU/Linux?
Re:So, if I manufacture chargers.... (Score:5, Funny)
All I have to do is feed some "connection error" kinda stuff on the screen until the guy takes off his condom.
For anyone new here this is a fine example of geek sexting...
Re:Not Completely Safe (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not Completely Safe (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
And last I checked, it's alot easier to find a power outlet than it is a public USB port
I can supply one example - the departure lounges at East Iowa airport have USB ports built into the seating (power points too if I recall correctly).
O'Hare and Heathrow on the other hand ... not a jot - though I was travelling economy, but wouldn't be surprised if business/first class did have supplies.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Condom. You keep using that word... (Score:5, Insightful)
A little company called int3.cc has developed a product—a USB condom—that blocks the data pins in your USB device while leaving the power pins free.
If you consider something that blocks the middle of the male end but leaves the sides open to be a "condom," you might want to see a doctor. Soon.
If you consider that it allows for insertion without allowing the flow of information, the comparison might be more correct than you think.
Re:Condom. You keep using that word... (Score:5, Funny)
A little company called int3.cc has developed a product—a USB condom—that blocks the data pins in your USB device while leaving the power pins free.
If you consider something that blocks the middle of the male end but leaves the sides open to be a "condom," you might want to see a doctor. Soon.
If you consider that it allows for insertion without allowing the flow of information, the comparison might be more correct than you think.
Yes. But I hate charging with these 'cause it just doesn't feel as good...
Re: (Score:2)
If you have any burning sensations, it's obvious that you need to be using condoms!
Re: (Score:2)
If you are symptomatic, you should refrain from all connections until fully treated.
Re: (Score:2)
Blackberry charger [amazon.co.uk]