This mod was posted in my Media PC thread, but I am posting it here also for more people to see. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The good old CueCat. These were a barcode scanner that were given away by a company called Digital Convergence. But they failed after users found out that every CueCat not only scanned a barcode, but also sent a serial number to Digital Convergence. But they still have uses! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you have the guts out, hacking the CueCat is simple, it takes a single wire. (Gray in photo) You solder a wire from +5 volts to Resistor #29 (R29), or a hole near R29 This disables the serial number, and turns the CueCat into a normal barcode scanner. What does this mean? It means that there is no special software needed to scan a barcode. The barcode is entered into the PC as if you had typed it on the keyboard. For a guide on hacking your CueCat click here: CueCat Hacking -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now for the eyes. Two holes were cut into the eyes of the CueCat using a Dremel -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The LED's were soldered in place. The LED's are wired in parallel with each other, BUT in series with the Reader's LEDs. I cut the trace in-between the two reader LEDs, and put the new LED's in it's place. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the back side of the PCB, where the Black LED wire goes, there is a surface mount resistor with 121 printed on it. (121 = 12 x10 or 120 ohms) But with the addition of the extra LED's I had to lower the resistance to only 10ohms. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The new Hacked finally has some eyes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little bit of vinyle dye, and you just turned your CueCat into a barcode reading Black Panther. (The entire tail/cable was dyed later)
Once hacked you can use them as a plain barcode scanner. For example I scanned in my whole DVD collection in no time using DVD Profiler software. You can still get them off eBay and www.allelectronics.com (Search Froogle there are TONS) Or just ask a friend
$7.95 at B.G. Micro, and its the USB version. http://bgm.bgmicro.com/prodinfo.asp...227&prodid=COM1161&page=1&cri=cue+cat&stype=3 I just noticed it's pre-modded, too.
it just looks like it want to eat souls.. the evil red eyes and, the mouth looks like it's just there to 'absorb' things (beyond only barcodes)
hmmm I had an idea of a barcode log on system for my computer... looks like this could be the babeh for the job!
Get the proper access code tattooed to your hand...that would OWN....Think about bringing friends over for a lan, and have them try and turn on your puter....then you just rub it across yer tat, and voila.
cool idea... untill A: I get a sun tan... or B: I get old and wrinkly (thats if I don't electrocute myself first)
Well...you could also have a special transmitter chip placed under your skin, mark of the beast style when you put the chip up to the receiver, it connects the power switch
Linear....that SOOOOO owns...I would get that tattooed on me...I really would...and to be able to interact with a PC using it would even be that much more cool. w00t
that barcode isnt actually 666 tho is it... i mean, it just doesnt look like it could be, theres no repetition.
Thank god for some sense.... Guys, just chill out a bit... not everyone likes everyone elses mods, but there's no need to go dickwaving about it... Please don't turn these boards into ocuk
<moderator>This and the other threads have undergone major cleanup. Anyone with issues with that, talk to me: linear@bit-tech.net, kna and I are the ones responsible.</moderator>
hey, zap - great mod! got a few questions for ya if ya don't mind, sir! i've got a ps/2 port one also, but it's an older model. it's model number 68-1965, whereas yours is 68-1965a. from what i've read, they're basically identical, except in yours, the internals have been cleaned up, etc. and the mouth part is slightly larger. but i can't find any pics of someone modding one like mine, nor can i for the life of me find resistor 29 on the circuit board. any ideas, or any helpful links? again, great mod, along with all your other stuff!
I've never really seen barcode readers as anything but a toy to play with on my PC, and then I got bored with it pretty quick. The mod looks quite good though.
i must say, that is extremely cool, and i have about 7 of these cat scanners because everytime i went into a radioshack, they would add one to my bag, so now i finally have something to do with it, great job zapwizard
