thanks for explaining HOW the usb data blocker works. I'm a controls engineer- as someone who works with electronics for my job I find the general " it's magic" annoys me to no end.
well written piece. bring your own chargers- buy an extra long cable so you can sit further away from the wall!
I'm glad the explainers are helpful! I like to understand how things work too, and I feel that people can make better choices when they understand their tech better <3
I'd heard about juice jacking but didn't realize how simple a USB data blocker could be as a defense. It's a small investment that eliminates a huge risk—much like vetting sources before clicking. When I'm looking for genuinely free AI tools, a curated <a href="https://www.freeailist.org">free ai list</a> saves me from malicious sites just like a data blocker saves my phone.
Cars used to have an electric port that was used to heat a cigarette lighter. That port became an alternate power source when an adapter was plugged in. These days those adapters have USB-C ports. If I plug my phone in to such an adapter, is it the same as plugging it into a USB-C port? Do the old cigarette lighter ports do data these days? I drive a 2012 car, if that makes a difference.
A 12V cigarette lighter socket is dumb. It's just two contacts (positive and ground) wired to your car's electrical system. There's no data line running to it, so you can plug a usb adapter into a cigarette lighter and charge your phone without fear of data collection.
A native usb port built into the car, however, has a data connection
Once inductive charging became a thing, I've used it exclusively to charge my phone. If I'm traveling, I carry multiple fully charged MagSafe chargers (my recommendation is Anker) so I don't need to plug into strange ports. I also use the highest quality Anker USB-C cables (transitioned away from USB-A a few years ago).
When I reach a destination, I have a 100 Watt wired Anker Power supply that can power my laptop (MagSafe cable from my power supply), charge my phone, iPad (if I bring it) and Kindle safely without overcharging.
My car has a built in Qi charger for my phone so no wires and no direct connection. I do carry extra high quality cables in case passengers need to charge devices.
thanks for explaining HOW the usb data blocker works. I'm a controls engineer- as someone who works with electronics for my job I find the general " it's magic" annoys me to no end.
well written piece. bring your own chargers- buy an extra long cable so you can sit further away from the wall!
I'm glad the explainers are helpful! I like to understand how things work too, and I feel that people can make better choices when they understand their tech better <3
I use a power bank, the malware goes into the battery then I can save it for later.
Oh smart thinking, you never know when you might need some!
I'd heard about juice jacking but didn't realize how simple a USB data blocker could be as a defense. It's a small investment that eliminates a huge risk—much like vetting sources before clicking. When I'm looking for genuinely free AI tools, a curated <a href="https://www.freeailist.org">free ai list</a> saves me from malicious sites just like a data blocker saves my phone.
this is a tool that’s been around for a while and yet i never see much traction around it.
That’s what she said
So do you recommend PortaPow & believe it is reputable?
I do like portapow
Thank you so much for this!
Thanks so much for the information!
Cars used to have an electric port that was used to heat a cigarette lighter. That port became an alternate power source when an adapter was plugged in. These days those adapters have USB-C ports. If I plug my phone in to such an adapter, is it the same as plugging it into a USB-C port? Do the old cigarette lighter ports do data these days? I drive a 2012 car, if that makes a difference.
A 12V cigarette lighter socket is dumb. It's just two contacts (positive and ground) wired to your car's electrical system. There's no data line running to it, so you can plug a usb adapter into a cigarette lighter and charge your phone without fear of data collection.
A native usb port built into the car, however, has a data connection
Good question.
Maybe YOU plug in to airport kiosks and hotel lamps but anyone with one working brain cell knows those are prime sites for malware and viruses.
Warnings not to plug into those types of ports have been around for years!
Disappointing post. Did not live up to titular expectation.
Once inductive charging became a thing, I've used it exclusively to charge my phone. If I'm traveling, I carry multiple fully charged MagSafe chargers (my recommendation is Anker) so I don't need to plug into strange ports. I also use the highest quality Anker USB-C cables (transitioned away from USB-A a few years ago).
When I reach a destination, I have a 100 Watt wired Anker Power supply that can power my laptop (MagSafe cable from my power supply), charge my phone, iPad (if I bring it) and Kindle safely without overcharging.
My car has a built in Qi charger for my phone so no wires and no direct connection. I do carry extra high quality cables in case passengers need to charge devices.