USB-C Cures Mosquito Bites!
I genuinely think that USB-C might be the defining feature of the 21st century. A little port which is cheap enough to add to the most trivial of devices, and that can carry an impressive amount of power and data. All of my gadgets have it - phone, eReader, headphones, laptop, thermal printer, battery, games console - and now, my mosquito bite zapper!
This is the "heat it" - it's about £30 on Amazon and is fucking magic.
It's smaller than a thumb-drive, fits on a key-ring, and has no moving parts. Weighs practically nothing either. Perfect for flinging in your beach bag.
The science is simple. Localised hyperthermia stops pain. So you plug it into your phone, the app automatically opens, dial your preferred setting, and wait a moment for the device to heat up. Then you push it against the bite, wait a few seconds, and the pain stops. That's it.
The app is surprisingly good! It's well laid out, translated properly, easy to use, and doesn't seem to send back personal data. Would it be nice if it were open source? Sure - and I'm sure the protocol isn't that hard; it's literally heating an element and flashing an LED.
But that absolute joy is that, because it's USB-C, it will work on any Android device. Plug it in to your Android based eReader if you like. Same with your tablet and phone. I didn't need to remember to bring anything special to the beach - all my gadgets worked with it.
I'm not going to show you photos of my disgustingly bitten feet - but I can tell you that the (mild) pain of 10 seconds heat completely stopped the itching. If you're prone to bites - and don't want to spray noxious chemicals everywhere - this is brilliant.
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anonymous said on :
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Geb Burnington says:
@edent says:
anonymous says:
Incidentally, the itching is permanently gone as it is assumed that the insect proteins are destroyed (denatured) and the body's release of histamine is reduced. This alleviates the symptoms and prevents itching.
DriveByFromHN says:
@edent says:
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@blog This 'Heat It' sounds like it might also provide relief for a weaver sting - worth carrying in the summer just for that if so.
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