THE NEXT BIG THING?

A security firm is offering new protection for USB connections, said Neal Ungerleider inFastCompany.com. Int3.cc is marketing “USB condoms” that protect users from “accidental data exchange” when they try to charge up the battery of a device by plugging it into the USB port of an unfamiliar computer. “The USB condoms work by cutting off the data pins in a standard connector and only allowing power pins to connect through,” so users can recharge their phones or music players without worrying about hackers or viruses. The company says the devices, out this month, “will be priced very, very cheaply.”