Have you seen my USB stick thingy er dongle?

While I commend IBM on their attempt to create a practical solution to online banking fraud, because we all know there is a real problem, but this device, which looks very similar in concept to something unveiled in Australia some time ago, is just another in a long line of such gadgets.

It isn't that I believe it won't work, because it might for a while, however I would, along with most consumers, prefer to use something I already own and carry.

We are all getting tired of the add-a-gadget approach, after all our drawers and bins are full of them, and there isn't really any need to manufacture and ship and eventually dispose of a whole bunch of gadgets when most of us already own one which would suffice - our mobile.

Having had more than a passing interest in IT for a several of decades now, I've seen a lot of things come and go. This is what used to be called a dongle. A USB dongle at that, but a dongle nevertheless. It might see some practical use for peer-to-peer file sharing to keep the teenagers one step ahead of the latest attempt to prevent file-sharing, but that's not IBM's style.

With the new rage being to use your mobile for internet access and a growing desire among consumers to use them for everything, isn't a usb dongle rather impractical? I suppose I could get another pocket sewn on my pants to carry a lead or mobile adapter and my shiny new dongle but I doubt it'll catch on. I think it'll have minimal impact on IBM's bottom line, unless of course they put it in their back pocket - ouch.

One thing is for sure - it's probably going to lead to a lot of questions like:

Have you seen my dongle?