CueCat Patent Granted, Finally 184
RobertB-DC writes "Who could forget the :CueCat, the amazing device that would bring 'convergence' between the real world and the online marketing Utopia of the late '90s? Belo, the Dallas-based newspaper and TV conglomerate, spent millions of dollars on the project, only to be ridiculed from the start and eventually becoming a sort of poster kitty for the Dot-Com Bust. Well, the device's inventor and chief cheerleader, J. Jovan Philyaw, didn't forget. His patent application, in progress since 1998, has finally been granted. The story comes from a Dallas alternative weekly, since the local Belo paper is still smarting from its $40-million-dollar black eye."
Maybe I should take advantage of the situation... (Score:2, Funny)
and write the book ":CueCat for Dummies"? I'll be an instant millionaire!
Schrodenger's cueCat (Score:5, Funny)
So, the cueCat was in a box (the patent office) and its state was unknown for years until someone finally opened the box and looked at it? I can only assume the cueCat was dead, but that assumption probably changed the outcome.
First again?
Re:Schrodenger's cueCat (Score:5, Funny)
First again?
You assumed you were first, and by doing that, you changed the outcome.
Brilliant!! (Score:5, Funny)
A barcode scanner at every normal person's PC that "allows" them to view advertisements on products they've already purchased? Count me in!
A day late and $40 Million Dollars Short (Score:5, Funny)
I didn't get one (Score:5, Funny)
The plastic bag that my copy of Wired came in had a big hole in it when it got to my house. The CueCat was either stolen or it fell out.
Re:I used one (Score:4, Funny)
Still have mine.... (Score:4, Funny)
What do I do with the box of these that a frustrated Radio Shack manager gave me?
I went in asking for one and he told me I can't have one unless I take his entire inventory of them. I ended up with dozens of them.
On a side note, I then went to the bank and asked for a dollar, but they didn't give me a boxful of them... no fair...
Still have mine! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Maybe I should take advantage of the situation. (Score:3, Funny)
Ummm....Most authors only get paid if their books actually sell...(Hence the reason JonKatz lives in abject poverty.)
Re:Schrodenger's cueCat (Score:2, Funny)
I guess the cueCat is out of the bag... You know, I'm glad this is anonymous.
i still have mine (Score:5, Funny)
it looks like a sex toy
all its good for anymore
i guess
i said i guess!
Re:I didn't get one (Score:5, Funny)
Perhaps it became self-aware and clawed its way out. Did you ever think of that?
Re:I used one (Score:3, Funny)
What happens when your Access DB is what needs to be recovered from the backup tapes? What then?
He gets stuck in an infinite loop!
Re:Crap patent (Score:2, Funny)
> That is, if I set up a server which returns a redirect for "8972" of
> http://www.cat.example.com/ [example.com] and "1513" to
> http://www.dog.example.com/ [example.com] and I send you
> (via US mail) "8972", which you then enter at my site and get
> redirected to the cat site, the patented method has been used.
Are you saying that makeashorterlink.com and tinyurl.com (for example) are infringing on this patent? Holy vague claims, Batman!
Re:Crap patent (Score:4, Funny)
Maybe their business plan is to sue tinyurl?
Re:Maybe I should take advantage of the situation. (Score:5, Funny)
Oh no! Are you saying that the book that I read "Writing Dummy Books for Dummies" was inaccurate on how much money I can make?
Re:Maybe I should take advantage of the situation. (Score:4, Funny)
You should have looked at the book next to it on the shelf, "Reading about Writing Dummy Books for Dummies". It explained in great detail that it's usually a bad idea.
Sorry, But I Can't Un-Think This (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sorry, But I Can't Un-Think This (Score:3, Funny)
A fast way to Tweet "here's what I'm consuming right now".
I can't help but feel that I just made the world a worse place.
Re:Schrodenger's cueCat (Score:3, Funny)
Unfortunately, it's still going to be a few hundred years before a movie such as Ass hits the big screen, or shows like "Ow! My Balls" begin to air on TV.
Until then, you will have to be content with shows where the director cares that you care about Whose ass it is. [wikipedia.org]