Key to the Future

You've probably seen the little "USB Key" memory devices that plug right into a computer's USB port, giving instant access to 16-256 MB (or more) of portable storage. Some people have some interesting ideas on how to use these gadgets for much more than data transfer.

The basic USB storage 'dongle' does indeed have a number of obvious uses. Some uses are less obvious however - I have an email application that I can run from the device. It's called nPOPq, and the beauty of it is that it is self-contained - it doesn't use the Windows registry or any external files or directories to run. This means, I can plug my dongle into any Internet-connected computer and check email across all my email accounts, without having to specify them one by one and without relying on an email service provider. I can send email and have it saved to refer to later, and I can copy myself in so that I can save the email properly when I return to the mother ship. This package also provides an address book and it can work with attachments. So, when I travel, I can rely on the fact that I can perform a minimal service even if I have left my computer at home. No doubt there is an IM client, an editor and a basic spreadsheet I could squeeze on, if I really needed, and what about a Java VM...

If that's not enough, the writer mentions a few more possibilities on how these devices could really improve personal computing.