NEW YORK
Forbes magazine hosted a party to help
DigitalConvergence.com, a Dallas-based tech firm, introduce its new product at
Bar Code, the new
neon-fortressed arcade in Times Square. The guests--mostly lots of guys in suits-took advantage of the
open bar and the rows of electronic games. (We found that the driving games can get considerably more difficult to navigate after
a few glasses of champagne.)
Most guests paid
more attention to the games than to the new product, a wand-like device called
CueCAT that connects to a user's computer, reads specially printed bar codes and routes the user's browser directly to a specified Web page. (Starting with its September 11 issue,
Forbes will print the bar codes in its editorial and ad content.)
But the gadget we had the most fun with was the tiny radio included in the gift bag guests received on the way out (labeled a
"Forbes Capitalist Toolbag" by the mag). Bought from
Company Boutique, the device fits in the palm of your hand--and you don't have to walk through the tourists in Times Square to use it.
--Chad Kaydo
