Hardware
Review of: |
 The
Sunday supplement, Parade Magazine has a column titled Inside
Dot.Com. On August 27, 2000, they ran a story that my husband happened
to read and brought to my attention. It seems that a Dallas based company
- Digital Convergence - had developed the :CueCat, a hardware device
that makes accessing web sites easier than typing in the URL (Universal
Resource
Locator - address).
I continued to read and learned that Digital Convergence was giving away
10 million of these tools and that I could get one at selected Radio Shack
stores beginning in September or I could get it through the mail with a
$9.95 shipping and handling charge. I checked the web
site and printed out a list of the Radio Shack stores near my home.
That week, I stopped at a Radio Shack and was able to pick up my cue cat.
: CueCat works by running its lighted nose over a “proprietary bar” that resembles a narrow UPC bar code preceded by the symbol ‘:C’ or colon, large C. :CueCat reads the code and then opens the web site to which the bar code refers. Of course, one must be signed on to the Internet in order to use :CueCat. The advantage to :CueCat is that web address will be input correctly. There will not be the errors that many of us make when typing in a web address and so we can connect to the site the first time. (How often have you typed in a web address only to be told it is wrong and you can’t even see your error?) I could not wait to install my new ‘toy’. The physical installation is a snap. You unplug the keyboard and then plug in :CueCat. The keyboard then plugs into the female plug on the :CueCat. The next step is to install the C.R.Q. software. This startled me at first because the background for the installation window is black and when my monitor turned all black, I was apprehensive. Soon a decidedly British voice started talking and explaining all about C.R.Q. and :CueCat. It took me through the licensing agreement, which I did scan and am glad that I did so. The licensing agreement is in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas. Another item in the Licensing agreement that I found of interest is the statement
The only thing that I did not like was the questionnaire that they wanted me to complete. I could have skipped the questionnaire, but once I started on it, I could not back out. My problem with the questionnaire was that all questions had to be answered but there were not any “not applicable” options available. As a result, I was forced to give answers that were inaccurate or not true for me. I finally completed the installation and restarted my computer. The next step was to check my e-mail for the activation code. That had already arrived, I activated my :CueCat and was able to try it out. The paper work that comes with the cat has a code in so that you can check your :CueCat to see if it is working. Mine works and now I am anxiously waiting for the September 10th issue of Parade Magazine to see what other web sites I will be transported to with the codes. :CueCat is designed to work on the ‘:C’ (pronounced cue cat) proprietary codes and also on the UPC bar codes that are scanned on products at the cash register. In addition, ISBN codes (those bar codes on books that provide a unique identifying number for the book) and other product codes can be scanned with :CueCat. It should be possible to ‘swipe’ the code on food packaging and go to the manufacturer’s web site and get recipes. :CueCat also will work with audio signals when your TV is connected to your PC. With this convergence cord connection the PC can hear special signals from the TV, CDs, and radio. All of this information was explained on the installation disk. One other thing that was pointed out is that there are “sound card issues with the ESS Tech, Inc. ES1868 Sound Card and Windows 95”. However, there is no conflict with Win 98. (I run Win 95B but do not plan to connect my TV so I have no problem either.) I tried :CueCat on a bar code on a cake mix that I had in the house and at this time it did not transport me to a web site. It is very possible that the bar codes on packaging will be modified somewhat. I see that as a very practical use when you want to know something more about food that you have purchased or need a new way to fix something. I did not try an ISBN code. I am excited about this new piece of hardware and feel that it will be of special benefit to older persons who have just gotten their first computer or for those persons who are frustrated by their typing. Have you figured out that C.R.Q. simply means ‘see our cue’?
Clever, I thought.
Rose Lynn Saenger |