The harsh life of a Starbucks USB charger. This one has clearly had one of its sockets mashed and an attempted repair that would be pointless unless it used swappable modules.
Note that it wasn't really practical to explore this further due to it being in an airport after security, so tools would have been an issue. (And indeed someone with a big beard tampering with fitments.)
This did make me ponder if anything malicious could be incorporated into a charging socket like this. It would require that the phone's charging port was capable of accepting something like a rubber ducky for a phone. (Pretends it's a keyboard so it can run scripts without permission.) On further investigation it appears that some phones are vulnerable to that type of device.
The other very evil thing you could do is use a diode and resistor arrangement to charge a capacitor across the USB output to peak mains voltage or more to blow peoples phones up when they plugged them in to charge. Like a USB killer that works with any USB device.
It does make you wonder if the ideal charging lead for travel is perhaps one with the data pins isolated and a voltage protection device incorporated. Perhaps McDonalds has the right idea with their table mounted inductive charging coils.
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13 thoughts on “Dead starbucks charger and devious thoughts.”
  1. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Lawiah says:

    Damn Vegans

  2. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars cryorig_life says:

    Starbucks gives us nice things and people ruin it…

  3. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Tyrone Nelson says:

    A cowboy electrician must have originally fitted that socket by the looks of things.

  4. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Ross Mitchell says:

    IMO places like this are the one place that wireless charging makes sense, don't think I have ever seen a USB charging port intact in a public place, at least when I have been looking for one. Think people must intentionally break them, either that or there's a mass grave of chargers somewhere from people who force USBs in the wrong way.

  5. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Kiros says:

    one time at an airport public charging station, there were a few broken ones, every few minutes someone would come over and try to shove/force their incompatible cable into every available hole and then walk away.

  6. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Spec says:

    Was this Glasgow airport by any chance ??

  7. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars zeus lim says:

    This is why we tell people not to take a drill to something unless you're sure you got the right tool, I guess they can just drill through the screws now to open it though but putting back together is gonna be a pain

  8. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Jim Heathcock says:

    A company tries to make a convenience for the masses and you have some azzclowns mucking it up. People suck. I live on a county road designated as "scenic"…. I can spend an hour a mile picking up beer cans, fast food garbage, cigarette packages. When I work my way back on other side, there's already new trash thrown out by lazy fukwads. They think it's okay, "just let someone else deal with it, don't want it in my car". People suck.

  9. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Christopher Flanagan says:

    Hahaha Starbucks in Glasgow airport! I worked there! Such a shit hole! I reported that wall wart to my manager who did nothing, I then told the airport, who done nothing. If you listen closely to it you can actually here a constant beeping noise. It's definitely shorting out or something 😂 Kip.

  10. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Thunder co. BMX says:

    The most pointless video ever

  11. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars roy romano says:

    Dude, there 1 million good reasons to boycott the shit out of Starbucks…

  12. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars ItzSpekk says:

    What's wrong with these people this day.

  13. Avataaar/Circle Created with python_avatars Gary Lundberg says:

    I hear their new ones have a convenient sharps needle disposal hole.

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