USB-C Cures Mosquito Bites!
By @edent
· gadget holiday review usb-c · 11 comments · 350 words · read ~5,686 times.
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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@blog How long does it stop the itching for?
@MikeHar94962844 @blog seemed to last all day.
anonymous said on :
USB-C Cures Mosquito Bites | Hacker News
@Edent My understanding is it’s not the hyperthermia relieving the pain per se, but that it breaks down the proteins that cause the itch. I have a Bite Away, which works on the same principle (AA powered though.)
Geb Burnington says:
How hot is it, does it hurt?
@edent says:
I think it's 50 - 60⁰C. It hurts for a couple of seconds while it is being applied - and then nothing.
anonymous says:
I have this device for about 2 years and it's really great. It's also sometimes cheaper, e.g. on Black Friday etc. 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:
Amusing that you've attached a photo of an iPhone, the one without the USB-C port, as an illustration.
@edent says:
Ha! Fair point.
Si Apple vend de nombreux dongles (c'est-à-dire des adaptateurs et autres petits objets qui se connectent à nos appareils), il y a parfois des produits étonnants et inattendus. Le dernier en date est le « heat it » : il s'agit d'un petit boîtier USB-C1 qui peut vous aider si vous avez été piqué par un insecte, comme l'explique Terence Eden. La version USB-C. L'adaptateur vaut 40 €, dans sa version USB-C (Android et iPhone 15) ou Lightning. Il nécessite une application et il ne fait réellement qu'une chose : chauffer.
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