Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories

The USB Condom: unfortunate name, important innovation

This is a Marketplace.org Reader

With all the recent talk about surveillance and online security…this is an interesting idea: A USB Condom. It’s a piece of tech that makes sure you are protected from viruses when you have to plug your smartphone USB cord into an unfamiliar computer or charging station for a little juice after your battery has died. The problem being solved even has its own term: juice jacking. This issue is that USB cables connect for both power and data. The USB Condom puts up a wall so the data bits from the phone and its partner never touch. 

Related Topics

Latest Episodes

View All Shows
  • Marketplace Morning Report
    4 hours ago
    6:48
  • Marketplace Tech
    9 hours ago
    10:08
  • Marketplace
    21 hours ago
    25:51
  • Make Me Smart
    a day ago
    21:10
  • This Is Uncomfortable
    4 days ago
    4:41
  • Million Bazillion
    a month ago
    32:45