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It wasn't so much that we loved James Bond. We wanted to be James Bond. He had some serious gadgetry, and unlike fellow gadget-chucking hero Batman, 007's suave style of lewdness earned him a license to thrill-incessantly.

Even if some of us (you, not me) haven't mastered the art of flitting from flower to flower, all of us can soon take advantage of micro-technology that lets us flit from computer to computer, complete with finger print bio-security and LCD readout. All we need now are secret compartment wingtips, a poison-dart watch, and (why not complete it?) an armored Maserati.

The next wave of mobile computing will be USB-based open-source programmed computers. Last week, FingerGear upgraded its Computer-On-a-Stick (COS) to include an LCD and Onboard Fingerprint Authentication for added security. The Professional Edition COS uses a USB Flash Drive to allow users to plug into a host computer and, well, take it over-with your own background and instant messenger to go with it.

The device comes preinstalled with a Linux operating system, OpenOffice Suite, Evolution Email, and Firefox Browser, among others. Compatible with PCs that use an x86 processor, the open source software is compatible with proprietary applications like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Why open source? Keeps those pesky licensing fees down while allowing the computer to work virtually everywhere. The Computer-On-a-Stick is proving popular. Every version, from 256M to 2G is currently sold out.

FingerGear isn't the only company capitalizing on this technology. There are others, including BlackDog's similar offering.

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