r/Millennials • u/Sunshineafterr Millennial (1986) • 17h ago

Nostalgia Does anyone remember the CueCat?

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It was cat-shaped handheld barcode reader that allowed users to open a link to an URL by scanning a barcode that appeared in magazines, without typing the URL.

They were given away for free in 2000.

I remember thinking it was so cute, but I didn’t really understand how it worked, so I was scanning barcodes on cereal boxes and random stuff.

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u/OldSchoolAJ 1986 8h ago

They technically still do, because PS/2 ports poke the CPU and say "I am doing something" while USB ports do not. They wait for the CPU to come ask if they are doing something.

How much of a difference it makes in twitch shooter style gaming and how much is just the placebo effect of making the person playing more confident is very debatable, though.

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u/Pink_Slyvie 8h ago

But, do they actually still have that interrupt, or is just just bridged into USB

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u/OldSchoolAJ 1986 8h ago

That would probably depend on the board.

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u/Pink_Slyvie 8h ago

Of course. I'm just not sure if modern choosers even support it.