USB Condom thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

USB Condom

Peripherals
2014 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Xipiter (designer and maker)
Ridley , Stephen (Designer)
Place of origin
USA (designed and made)

USB Condom device, clear device which allows you to see the inner workings of the device with silver USB connectors on each end.

Object details

Object type
peripherals
TitleUSB Condom (manufacturer's title)
Brief description
USB Condom device by Xipiter, USA, 2014
Physical description
USB Condom device, clear device which allows you to see the inner workings of the device with silver USB connectors on each end.
Dimensions
  • Length: 5cm
  • Width: 1.8cm
  • Depth: 0.8cm
Gallery label
This object sits in the "Data and Communication" section of the Design 1900-Now gallery, opened June 2021
Switching off, opting out
Our devices and apps are designed to encourage
interaction and gather data. To counter this digital
encroachment, the Punkt phone is purposefully
simple and can only make calls, store numbers
and send messages. Some public charging stations
have been adapted to ‘juice-jack’, meaning data
is harvested or malware is uploaded to users’
phones and tablets. To address this problem, the
USB Condom and SyncStop are designed to prevent
the accidental release of personal information.
They feature a circuit board that creates a
protective barrier allowing only power through
the USB connection.
USB connectors
USB Condom and SyncStop, 2014
Designed by Stephen A. Ridley and
Tom Tice
Manufactured for Xipiter, USA
Plastic and electronic components
Museum nos. CD.12, 13-2015
Collection
Design, Architecture and Digital Department
Accession number
CD.12-2015

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Record createdDecember 16, 2014
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1304722/usb-condom-peripherals-ridley--stephen/
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