http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/ Engadget Comments for Microsoft patents self-destructing USB key for forgetful types http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Oh, wait, maybe that's why most of the original/new vista features have already dissapeared.]]>Nov 20th 2006 7:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 7:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 7:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 7:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 7:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 7:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/
My! Aren't the smart people at M$ really putting the thinking cap on these days... Oh wait. They all left to work at Google ;)]]>Nov 20th 2006 7:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/
Which is essentially a laptop in sleep mode, so how is this patent valid again? Furthermore, why call it "self destructing" instead of something more accurate (and acceptable to the non-pyromaniac crowd) like "time-limited secure erase" or "reusable temporary storage with permanent data deletion"? That's more like what I would have expected out of MS.

The erase should be pretty permanent if the memory is volatile, but you're right Jared - before it loses its charge it would be completely copyable.]]>Nov 20th 2006 7:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 8:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 8:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 8:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 10:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 9:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 9:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/
I dunno. I'd have no use for it, but I know people who might. But it'd be cheaper and more useful for them to burn a CD-R, put it in their jacket pocket, and snap it when they're done with it. Or put the configuration file in question on an HTTPS server with login authentication. Or a Secure-FTP server. Or a computer with SSH/SCP access. Etc.]]>Nov 21st 2006 2:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 20th 2006 9:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/

last i checked you can compromise a WEP network in like 3 minutes these days. try beating it? how about using WPA perhaps?

i hope you're joking.]]>Nov 21st 2006 7:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/
Well, the point is that the key (presumably) recharges whenever it's plugged in. So, while Windows takes 7 minutes to import a 2 kB configuration file to system settings, your key recharges for the next computer you'll be installing the settings to.

Well if thats the way it works (big if) then all the network admin would have to do is buy a hub and leave these babys pluged in all of the time to keep them fresh as (no wait this is MS Doh).

]]>Nov 21st 2006 9:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 21st 2006 11:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/20/microsoft-patents-self-destructing-usb-key-for-forgetful-types/Nov 22nd 2006 12:30AM