Can a website be repackaged as a "desirable physical object" in a non-x-rated way? QiGO certainly thinks so. The company hated the fact that there's so much paid content on the Internet, and yet no way for anyone to buy a thing to make him feel good about digital purchases. Enter the Online Content Key, a key- and flash drive-shaped object that can give owners access to "exclusive content" or restricted websites. Basically, it's a password in physical form. The advantage is that you don't have to remember a password; the disadvantage is that nobody can resend your key in a matter of seconds, which can be done with most online passwords.

If QiGO has its way, its Content Key will replace gift certificate cards (for online music stores, for instance) that only have numbers on them right now. It seems fine for one-time use, but can you imagine replacing the passwords that you enter each day for newspapers, gaming websites, or any other paid content with a physical keychain? How frustratingly retro. — S.E. Kramer

QiGO, via Engadget