Reply to HELP wanted: Brand-new VCI-100SE won't turn on and is not detected by MBP or PC!

I just received my VCI-100SE a couple of days ago, and I believe it could be D.O.A. right out of the box.

Here's what I've done so far:

1. Plugged it directly into the front USB port of my late 2008/early 2009 MBP: I get the "Device has been disabled because it is drawing too much power" error message.

2. Plugged it in via a Multi-TT USB hub (without plugging in the AC adaptor): no response at all from the MBP, and doesn't show up in System Profiler.

3. Plugged it in with the same hub but with AC power: same result as above, but I observed little sparks when connecting the USB hub's cable to my MBP.

4. Repeated the above 3 steps on a PC laptop: the VCI-100SE doesn't get detected at all.

5. Using an AC adapter connected directly to the VCI-100SE: no response from the MBP or PC.

6. Opened the back cover to check if the piece of cardboard on the circuit board with the USB and power connectors is still there: yep, it's still there.

At no point did I see the pretty LEDs on the VCI-100SE light up at all.

Can anyone help, please? It's a new unit right out of the box, and I haven't gotten it to turn on at all.