Microsoft tries to reinvent the bar code

C|Net | at | by Mike

Remember the CueCat--the quirky bar code reader that was going to connect magazine readers with digital material?

Well, apparently Microsoft does too. And while the CueCat meowed into obscurity, the software maker thinks that the idea made sense--that is, using a digital scanner to link printed materials with online content.

You can think of Microsoft Tag as CueCat 2.0, though this time, it doesn't require a special device. Instead, Microsoft tags use a cell phone camera for scanning the bar code, and the digital content can pop up right there on the phone.