CueCat

Recently, a new input device burst upon the Internet scene. Immediately it became enmeshed in controversy. The gizmo is called CueCat. Try to separate the facts from hysteria.

A Dallas, Texas, firm, Digital Convergance (DC), developed a service whereby a small optical scanner (similar in function to a device seen at supermarket checkout areas) reads barcodes and transmits the information across the Internet. The UPC (Universal Product Code) printed on non-perishable items found at the local Big Y consists simply of a 12 digit number when passed over the scanner by the checkout clerk. Its power lies in the uniqueness of that number to identify the item as a can of Campbell’s tomato soup. Tied to a database, the UPC allows the supermarket to tally your purchases, balance their inventory, and track usage. Digital Convergance wants to carry the idea one step further. When the buyer arrives home, he can scan the soup can’s barcode with the CueCat, which immediately transports the hungry surfer to a Campbell’s Web site containing tomato soup recipes developed by Emeril Lagasse or Martha Stewart.

In order to accomplish this minor feat of magic, the CueCat scanning device (a five-inch albino cigar-esque plastic gadget with a tail that connects to the keyboard port on a PC) requires ubiquitous availability. DC convinced Radio Shack, Forbes Magazine, and Wired Magazine to give away the plastic hardware/software combination. Anyone can obtain a free CueCat from a Radio Shack outlet. Forbes and Wired Magazine subscribers are being sent a free CueCat. By the end of 2001, 50 million CueCat barcode scanners could be in use. Well, that is the plan.

Not So Fast

Skepticism and alarm by privacy advocates greeted the arrival of the CueCat. The stream of information crossing the Internet after each “cat scan” was scrupulously dissected with detailed findings posted on the Privacy Foundation (PF) Web site. The most onerous feature found lurking in the data stream was the unique ID issued with every CueCat installation. PF calls for the immediate disabling of this feature (which could enable personal tracking) before the CueCat finds widespread use. SlashDot (a strong voice in the Linux community), Fred Langa (Windows Magazine), Scott Rosenberg (Salon Magazine) and others discourage the implementation of the device.

Going To The Source

I spoke at length with Doug Davis, Digital Convergance’s Chief Technical Officer. “The primary goal of CueCat is to greatly reduce the frustration many netsters have with search engines,” he said. Barcodes can now be found on many more items than cans of soup. For example, with barcode enabled technology newspapers and magazines can deliver readers deep into Web sites for detailed information. With regard to health matters, side effect information can easily be attached to barcodes on prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines. Retrieval by seniors who may have difficulty entering complex URLs via a computer keyboard make this a natural application for the CueCat. Regarding the privacy issue, Davis feels cookie technology has reached such an advanced implementation at commonly used Web sites/portals that big companies can track individual surfers, if they so desire. “More importantly,” he continues, “Digital Convergance supplies only aggregate data to our clients – not individual usage patterns. With 50 million CueCats collecting just two scans per day, that is 100 million pieces of data a day. We would be buried in a mountain of raw data. What our clients want to know is usage patterns by demographics. For example, how many people between the ages of say 30 and 65 are eating Campbell’s tomato soup in the Dallas area?” Davis defends the use of unique IDs in the data stream by pointing out Radio Shack (or Wired and others) paid for the device (CueCat and software) and really want to know if the Cats they distributed are being used in Radio Shack related activities. Without an ID, there would be no way of knowing.

The Third Rail

Privacy matters remain the third rail of danger in the Internet community. The issue holds such a high degree of sensitivity that it threatens CueCat’s early growth and widespread implementation. So far, some key members of the community paint CueCat as another tool that strips away user privacy while potentially generating spam. It could easily be doomed to failure. In all fairness, it should be noted that when a Digital Convergance client uses CueCat technology to conduct online contests, unless name (or e-mail address) is requested at the Web site, the client does not know specifically who visited the site, at least with the information supplied by DC. In order to determine the winner of a drawing, the client supplies the winner’s number to Digital Convergance, who then notifies the lucky recipient.

In My Experience

The CueCat with accompanying software is easy to install (CD ROM) and works well with Windows 98. However, I found no compelling reasons to use it on a continuing basis. After scanning in barcodes printed on items found in the kitchen and medicine cabinet, there was little to hold my interest after the novelty wore off. Scanning coupons in the Sunday newspapers was especially frustrating as few Web sites were reached. Davis stated that the coupon barcodes fall into a special class (they often begin with the digit 5) whereby uniqueness is not ensured. He feels that the industry will address this issue as the technology takes hold.

The inability to generate a personal Cue (this is a special type of non-UPC barcode which could be linked to my “Internet Info” column URL) which I could generate and affix to hardcopy correspondence via laser printer, further dulls my interest. Perhaps some third party software entrepreneurs can generate interesting new applications, but Digital Convergance appears to maintain a tight control over its property. Recently, Digital Convergance filed lawsuits when some members of the Linux community reverse engineered CueCat software. Over time, unless privacy critics can be appeased and whiz-bang new applications brought to life, the only place one might find a CueCat is on eBay. Rather than add to the din and condemn the CueCat as another stealth, Big Brother device, I feel that the technology holds sufficient promise to warrant further consideration. The CueCat is not nearly as intrusive as many in the media have suggested. Nevertheless, like many technology advances, it holds the potential for good and bad. We should carefully watch how these issues play out. Stay tuned.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www.crq.com/index.html

(This is the 227th of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the Internet. Next, “Problems at Amazon” is the subject on tap. Stay Tuned. Until next week, happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of “Internet Info for Real People” can be found: http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and suggestions: rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)