CueCat

USA | Founded 2000 | Discontinued 2001

The CueCat was a handheld optical scanner designed to bridge the gap between physical print media and the burgeoning internet of the early 2000s. Developed by a company of the same name, the device functioned similarly to a barcode reader but was intended for consumer use. Users would scan a specialized 2D barcode printed in magazines or newspapers, which would then trigger a specific URL to open in their web browser. While marketed as a revolutionary tool for interactive advertising and e-commerce, the CueCat is often remembered as a cautionary tale of 'gadget fatigue.' Despite significant hype, it failed to gain mainstream traction due to the friction of requiring a physical peripheral to browse the web, eventually leading to the company's rapid decline and the product's discontinuation.

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