To use a CueCat USB barcode scanner, simply plug it in to any available USB port. It should by automatically recognized as a Human Interface Device, (HID). No special drivers are required. The USB CueCat reader includes a standby or "sleep" feature.

What did the CueCat do?

The goal of the CueCat was to serve as a bridge between the world of physical, print media and the internet. Consumers used the gadget to scan special bar codes printed in magazines — for example a bar code might appear next to an ad for a car or a toothbrush.

What is the q cat?

The CueCat, styled :CueCat with a leading colon, is a cat-shaped handheld barcode reader that was given away free to Internet users starting in 2000 by the now-defunct Digital Convergence Corporation.