[roger_smith]

I consider ars and pcworld at least sorta reputable

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2896732/d...aptop.html
http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/10/...n-seconds/

From the Ars article

"It's not clear from Dark Purple's blog post precisely how far the damage from the updated device extends. Presumably the USB port is fried, and it wouldn't be surprising if circuits on the motherboard were damaged, too. The hard drive and CPU, on the other hand, have a better chance of surviving, although that's not clear from the demo, either. In any event, the video is one more reason to be wary of USB devices, especially those that come from unknown sources."