Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 04:49:36 PM

Title: Are these things real?
Post by: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 04:49:36 PM: https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18412427/college-saint-rose-student-guilty-usb-killer-destroyed-computers

Student (or former student) used a "USB killer" device to kill $58,000 worth of computers at his college. Doing some searching on these devices (which I had never heard of), I see them being marketed as "testers."

https://usbkill.com/products/usb-killer-v3

What kind of tester sets out to destroy every piece of equipment it's put into? Is there any legitimate purpose to these things?
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: BlueStarLizzard on April 17, 2019, 05:00:32 PM: (https://i.ibb.co/xLLVLML/mayhem.jpg) (https://ibb.co/C88x8n8)
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: Scout26 on April 17, 2019, 05:09:55 PM: Quote from: BlueStarLizzard on April 17, 2019, 05:00:32 PM
(https://i.ibb.co/xLLVLML/mayhem.jpg) (https://ibb.co/C88x8n8)

He is my hero and spirit animal....
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: Firethorn on April 17, 2019, 05:13:22 PM: Quote from: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 04:49:36 PM

What kind of tester sets out to destroy every piece of equipment it's put into? Is there any legitimate purpose to these things?

It doesnt destroy every device, just most.

And no real legit purpose outside of a lab where you are making sure the result is dead equipment, not a fire.
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: WLJ on April 17, 2019, 05:15:19 PM: You should see what happens when people jam their ac-adapter plug into the USB port.
Lets just say certain chips and circuit paths on the motherboard don't take too kindly to that.

As far as these devices go, all you really need to do is cross some contacts in the USB port to fry the motherboard.
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: lee n. field on April 17, 2019, 05:40:45 PM: Quote from: WLJ on April 17, 2019, 05:15:19 PM
You should see what happens when people jam their ac-adapter plug into the USB port.
Lets just say certain chips and circuit paths on the motherboard don't take too kindly to that.

As far as these devices go, all you really need to do is cross some contacts in the USB port to fry the motherboard.

For a while at work I had a USB to hard drive adapter, that had a power supply for the hard drive that you would plug into the adapter to power the hard drive. If you did things in the wrong order, you'd kill the motherboard.

Plug in power, make sure drive is powered on, then and only then plug the usb end into the shop computer.

Killed a couple shop computers before I figured that out.
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: just Warren on April 17, 2019, 05:58:49 PM: Given the title, I was expecting a more boob-centric post.
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: Scout26 on April 17, 2019, 06:01:06 PM: Quote from: just Warren on April 17, 2019, 05:58:49 PM
Given the title, I was expecting a more boob-centric post.

I will confess that I too, was disappoint.
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 06:24:41 PM: Quote from: just Warren on April 17, 2019, 05:58:49 PM
Given the title, I was expecting a more boob-centric post.

I've always been more of a leg man ...
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: MechAg94 on April 17, 2019, 09:11:24 PM: Quote from: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 06:24:41 PM
I've always been more of a leg man ...
That works too.
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: brimic on April 17, 2019, 10:19:55 PM: https://youtu.be/BL2PicT9Kng
Title: Re: Are these things real?
Post by: just Warren on April 17, 2019, 11:37:42 PM: Quote from: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 06:24:41 PM
I've always been more of a leg man ...

(https://i.imgur.com/qzzxRco.png)