I have one, but don’t seem to find a use for it.
What type of smart-card reader? Is it built into a laptop, or a small box with a slot and USB cable? In either case they are typically used for authenticating and logging into a PC/laptop or network. You’ll be issued a smart-card with a digital certificate that’s assigned to you. You plug the card into the reader, enter a PIN, and get logged in.
It’s an external usb. I really have no internet things that might ask me to identify myself with a smart card at the moment.
At one time they could be used with an American Express card for secure on line transactions, but I’ve not heard of that for some time. Other than that I don’t see any use at home.
Is it one of those things that reads memory cards from digital cameras?
no, it is only used for cards (credit card size) with a smart chip.
If you worked for Microsoft, you could log in by slipping your ID card into the reader. When you removed the card, the computer would automatically be locked. It’s a pretty slick system.
But like others have said, I can’t think of a reason to have one on a home computer.
eBay.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a lot of businesses use them. Not Wal-Mart or anything like that, but restaurants, my local utility, various small businesses.
Some of them will read SIM cards.
I have one. I used to experiment with reading data from payphone cards and the like. Never found a practical use for it.
That’s how we log into and lock our computers where I work (a US Air Force base). To my knowledge, that’s the standard way of operating for most DoD NIPRNet computers. If our heads-up-their-asses IT folks have deployed it, the system can’t be all that slick.
I have a card reader on my personal laptop so I can log into my work webmail from home or on the road. I don’t care to take a work laptop when I travel because I can’t do anything fun with it. And by fun, I mean porn.