QiGO announces Internet Content Keys

Ah, the grand tradition of moving the virtual into the physical world for we don't entirely know what reason; new firm QiGO's on the scene with its Internet Content Keys, which serve the purpose of foregoing logins and passwords for providing key-recipients access to premium internet content. (Example: get a branded Slate 1yr subscription QiGO key, pop it in your computer and you're off without logging in.) Sure, it's a sensible idea until you remember binding internet products and services to physical artifacts works fine the first time, but progressively suckier the second, third, and tenth time... or whenever you leave your home, want to use said service on another machine, etc. Hey, just saying, if you want to gift someone access to some premium internet content, it's probably best done with an email invite or (gasp) one-time-use code.

[Matt O @ May 29th 2007 10:39PM]

These people are just wasting there time and money. What advantage does this have over a login and password? The answer is none.

[Nushio @ May 30th 2007 12:06AM]

Not only that. Assuming these things get popular, stealing suddently becomes identity theft. No more sniffing for passwords, just get the key!

[thevoice2220 @ May 30th 2007 12:12AM]

This is a total pilfiring of other peoples' patents. Don't KID yourself....as soon as QiGo sells its first product...a cannon ball lawsuit will be filed.

[mb @ May 30th 2007 11:26AM]

I'm sure these will be just as effective as the CueCat was.....

[Scotty @ May 30th 2007 12:00PM]

I see it as a fad like business card (shape) cds were a few years ago. The benefit of an item like this is limiting the username and password to just one person. Right now I can purchase a subscription to something then give that login to all of my friends to use also. This eliminates that ability, unless I let them borrow the key.

[joebaggadoughnuts @ May 30th 2007 2:42PM]

And yet, the DoD paid over $5B for the new NMCI which uses dual-token authentication and (suprise!) a USB-identity key containing a user's password-protected PKI information.

Regardless, you all are totally missing the point. The key doesn't log you in to your computer or authenticate you on your company network, it authenticates you over the Internet (or network) and allows you to automatically display any online content. If you think this is lame, take a look at DVDs these days. You pop them in your DVD drive on your computer and you have exclusive, owner only, online features you don't get when you put it in your DVD player.

The applications are pretty huge. Instead of picking up a tree's worth of paper in pamphlets at a trade show, you get a Qigo key instead.

[bmg37 @ Jun 1st 2007 6:28PM]

Qigo is also about retail distribution. Having a physical presence for a digital good in a retail outlet will increase consumption. Think of the physical gift card business and how that has grown since they got shelf placement in the supermarkets.

[deekthegeek @ Jun 2nd 2007 12:42PM]

I think this is not so much a replacement for url's and codes, but a way to have a cool 3-d thing that is connected to related content. Comparing this to cards or codes is missng the point....this is only 50% about the internet content. You should be focusing on what this does that you CAN'T get from a url or business card cd - an object. People still like to buy and give stuff and always will.