Who knew that those free charging stations at airports could be such disgusting repositories of viral filth? Not me, that’s for sure. I’m the kind of guy who sticks his things into any available hole at the slightest invite, and airports have the extra bonus of always seeming so anonymous. What happens in LAS stays in LAS, if you know what I mean.
Except you might be leaving behind more than just bad memories and hangovers; according to the folks behind the LockedUSB, “identity theft, government surveillance, ‘rogue’ and unstable chargers, are also on the rise,” meaning that those innocent and attractive-looking USB ports could be festering hives of malware, ready to suck your data right out of your iPhone.
The LockedUSB is, of course, the answer. It’s a tiny, easily-loseable dongle which acts as a power-only pass-through for your chargers. If you were to plug it into your own Mac, and then plug your iPhone into the other side, then the iPhone would charge but not sync. You can pick up a short, 20cm cable that does the same thing from Amazon for about a buck.
My own strategy for dealing with this danger is to avoid the problem altogether. I just walk on by when I see a USB port offering its juice for free, and keep on walking until I see a power outlet into which I can plug my own adapter. Yes, it’s a bit like visiting Vegas with a Real Doll in your luggage, but that’s how I roll.
If you do fancy taking your chances whilst protected only by a thin prophylactic, then head over to Kickstarter and toss your $15 onto the roulette wheel of crowdfunding. Or you can wait to get one for $20 retail, some time next year – if you can abstain for that long.
Source: LockedUSB
Thanks: Leonardo!
