Get a Clue

We’ve seen a couple of reports on our Snap.Send.Get mobile marketing solution that bring up that bizarre little gadget from the late ‘90’s -- the late and unlamented CueCat. We aren’t really offended, because it’s such an obviously wrong and silly analogy. But we thought we’d set the record straight anyway.

The CueCat was an annoying extra device with limited functionality and extremely limited information-offering capabilities. Snap.Send.Get works on any camera phone (Over 70% of phones sold in the U.S. have cameras on them, and the camera is already rated by consumers as the most important feature on a cell phone after voice and text) and lets users request and receive information about a wide variety of products, services and entertainment. Some brand owners also provide unique content to Snap.Send.Get such as ring tones, wallpapers, games, and movie trailers.

Wikipedia, in its article on the CueCat, quotes reporter Debbie Barham of the Evening Standard as saying that the CueCat "fails to solve a problem which never existed." That about sums it up, we think.

When we first began developing Snap.Send.Get we wanted to create a service that would solve problems for its users. Something that would be both useful and fun to use, something that would make life a little more friction-free. We think we’ve achieved that with Snap.Send.Get, and as we push the image-recognition technology frontier we will provide more solutions that help consumers with their day-to-day decisions.

One example is our newly launched Mobile Entertainment Explorer which now offers access to information on over a million movies, music CDs and video games right from your camera phone. Just Snap a picture of any DVD, CD or video game cover with your camera phone, Send the picture to SnapTell (fun@snaptell.com) using MMS messaging and instantly Get back information including reviews, prices, run times, descriptions of the content and links about that DVD, CD or video game on your cell phone.

 

Comments

[Jane McPherson]

What is the source for the stat you featured in this blog posting - that 70% of phones in the US have a camera?

Interesting technology - I am interested in how widespread the application really is...