Declaw your CueCat in 5 minutes

Yes, all CueCat devices have a unique serial number that DigitalConvergence uses to track every item scanned in with their CRQ software. Personally, I like a little privacy (and you probably do, too), so here's an easy guide to removing that pesky number that anyone can follow.

You will need:

- a small phillips screwdriver
- a sharp x-acto type hobby knife
- 5 minutes (though you can probably do it in half that)

Look on the bottom of your CueCat. You will see either 2 screws or 4 screws holding the unit together. Continue on with whichever model you have:

Remove the 2 screws and open up the unit. | Remove the 4 screws and open up the unit.
Inside, you will see a board that looks like this: Look on the top side of the board for the chip indicated by the yellow circle. | Inside, you will see a board that looks like this: Look on the bottom side of the board for the chip indicated by the yellow circle.
Make a cut as indicated by the yellow line in the photo: Make sure to cut completely through the trace. | The chip will be either an 8-pin device or a smaller 5-pin device - make a cut as indicated in the appropriate photo (note that the trace is actually the same no matter which device is on your board) Make sure to cut completely through the trace.
Re-assemble your CueCat and enjoy serial-number free scanning. | Re-assemble your CueCat and enjoy serial-number free scanning.

Questions? Comments? Hack doesn't work? Email me: haveblue at execpc dot com

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