Passwords on a :CueCat

by SARain

Do you still have one of those old keyboard-connecting :CueCats from Digital Convergence?  Well, if you do then you can use it to create a very hard to crack password for most programs or services and it won't even take you ten seconds to enter it.  All you need to do is connect your :CueCat to your computer and open up gedit, Notepad, or some other editing program.

Now look around your house - or computer desk if you're lazy - and find a barcode that you can always have available (I used by student ID barcode).  Scan the card with your :CueCat and a string of numbers and letters should appear in your typing program.  Do this several times to make sure you get the same string most of the time.  Now copy the string that appears the most and paste it into the new password prompt for whatever you want to use it for.

I could recommend writing this string down somewhere or saving it to a file (you could encrypt the file with an easier to remember password) just in case your :CueCat or barcode ever gets lost or damaged.

I order to use it, all you have to do is open up the program or service that you have set to use the password and, with the blinking cursor in the dialog box, scan your barcode.  You will see it enter the string and then it will automatically hit 'Enter.'

Just a few precautions when using your :CueCat for passwords:

1.)  Your :CueCat has a unique serial number included in the string it displays so you can only use that particular :CueCat to enter the password.

2.) You passwords are only as strong as their weakest like.  If you leave your barcode laying around, other people could use it.

Overall, I have found it to be very handy for password entry and often faster than entering a shorter password on the keyboard.

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