Digital:Convergence Corp. has released a version of :CRQ software for the Mac. CRQ software is a free software program that lets your TV serve as a remote control for your computer on the Internet. :CRQ software interacts with any form of broadcast and print media by decoding a cue and directing the user to a specific Web page.
“The Macintosh software will have all of the same features as the Windows version, including print-to-Web and broadcast-to-Web software,” Joshua Siegel, Digital:Convergence spokesperson, told MacCentral.
The Windows version of the software has garnered nearly 1.4 million registered users since its initial release last September. Print or broadcast cues remotely control a computer by driving a Web browser to relevant content. Your TV sends your computer to pertinent Web pages, “eliminating the need to type in lengthy Web addresses, wander aimlessly through multi-layered Web sites, or add a set-top box to your home for a costly monthly fee,” according to the folks at Digital:Convergence.
:CRQ technology uses embedded “cues” to lets publishers, broadcasters and manufacturers help consumers access relevant Web-based content quickly and directly, Siegel said. Print cues, which look like product codes, can be inserted into most print material and are read through the :CRQ software with a :CueCat device.
The :CueCat optical reader, available in a USB version compatible with most Macs, is a free hand-held device that attaches to your computer. About the size of a mouse, the :CueCat reader interacts with Digital:Convergence’s proprietary codes, ISBN codes, UPC codes, and others. The technology is used in a variety of industries, including magazines such as Forbes, Parade, Gear, Verizon Yellow Page directories, RadioShack and IBM E-servers catalogs, credit unions and in more than 47 college textbooks available this fall, Siegel said.
The :CueTV broadcast-to-Web application of the technology uses short audio prompts linking users to relevant Web pages. NBC is launching :CueTV enhanced programming nationally this summer.
Minimum requirements for the Macintosh version of :CRQ software are: a Power Mac with a 100MHz processor or better; Mac OS 8.6 or higher; Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or later, Netscape Navigator 4 or later, AOL, or comparable browser; Internet access; 32MB of RAM; 5MB of free hard drive space; CD-ROM drive (if installing from a CD-ROM); an available USB port; and an available sound input jack.
The software can be downloaded for free from the :CRQ Web site. A Mac OS X version is planned, though there’s no release date set yet.