Anyone have one? What exactly does it do?
You run the scanner thing over the bar code on a package and it takes you to that company’s website?
Sounds like an advertising gimmick to me, but why are people falling all over themselves to get one?
Nooooooooooo! Don’t use it! It’s just another corporate intrustion! It tracks your purchasing habits from your scans! Check out this thread.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=37932
–Tim
It is an advertising gimmick. And be aware that if you run their windows software, they are keeping track of everything you scan. Don’t even install their software (wacky stuff in the EULA, so just don’t bother with it).
However, there is other software out there (for linux mostly, and there’s a javascript decoder page or two on the web) which you can use without the big brother aspects.
And, it’s free hardware. That’s always cool.
Now to the Digital Convergence rant: These guys f*cked up big. They just plain didn’t think of the possibility that perhaps people wouldn’t want to use their spyware, and would actually take the 5 minutes necessary to crack their “encryption” (Base 64 XOR 67). Now, they’re trying to cover their asses by sending cease and desist letters to anyone with free cue cat software up, claiming that it’s a violation of their Intellectual Property. That’s laughable.
IP comes in 3 (I believe) flavors:
- Patents: nope, none infringed. I don’t think they even have any.
- Copyright: nope, none infringed. The protocol was clean room reverse engineered - something that has been proven legal in court many times.
- Trade secrets: Just a big 'ol nope. And besides, if a trade secret is derived, it loses its protection. If it had been stolen from the co. that might count. But there was nothing to steal.
Hopefully economic darwinism will kick in shortly and we’ll see the demise of the least fit company in recent memory.
Visit http://flyingbuttmonkeys.com for the full story. It’s funny.
I know nothing about Cue Cat, but “flyingbuttmonkeys.com” just became my personal favorite domain name.
LL
See also Turning CueCat into a Cool Cat.
I saw an infomercial for this (it was oddly addictive) and the impression I got was “oh, great, instead of having to remember a whole bunch of URLs, I can just surround my desk with all the products I’m interested in getting more information about.”
:rolleyes:
Ummmm.... why would I want to go to a web site for a product I ALREADY OWN?? There's some flawed logic here. Better for every single ad in a catalogue or newspaper to have a finely printed small barcode next to the model number and price. THAT way, I can go to a web site of something I DON'T OWN YET BUT MIGHT WISH TO.
CartooniverseMy thought exactly.
I asked the OP because there was a little snippet on the local news about these things, and how Radio Shack is giving them away (“giveaways” like this are always suspect in my mind) and can’t keep them in stock since so many people want them. No offense to TheNerd, but I think some people hear the word “free” and just want whatever it is.
One thing that’s not often mentioned is that the Cue Cat also comes with a cable for attaching your TV’s audio to your computer’s sound card input. Doing so allows commercials or programs with encoded signals within the audio to launch your browser to targeted sites. If this is digital convergence, immerse me in sweet discord.
Why would I take offense at that? I agree. People like free stuff. The only problem is, it’s not free. They’re paying with their personal information, and most of them don’t realise it.
Because you said:
I just didn’t want you to think I was picking on you. Like I said, some people hear “free” and want it, whatever it is.