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Amazon Go is the inevitable evolution of supermarket retail
Amazon's cashierless "Go" markets have popped up in San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago, promising patrons the "future of shopping": a frictionless grocery buying experience that relies on high-tech tracking technology instead of human interaction to get products off the shelves and into your canvas totes. This indeed may be the supermarket of the future, at least as Bezos envisions it, but not one that we couldn't have predicted. The development of the Go shopping experience is little more than the latest step in the logical evolution of retail.
Cut the barcode scanning cord with CLZ Barry for iPhone
Did you have a New Year's resolution to organize your book collection (again)? It's definitely on the list in our household, but it's a daunting job; we have thousands of books (literally and literarily) scattered across many shelves, basement boxes and a home office, plus another whole library at my wife's office in desperate need of some database love. A bit of luck, though: bibliophiles have a leg up on most other varieties of packrat, as almost all modern books have an ISBN, a number that purports to uniquely identify them. Capturing that ISBN may be a manual process for older titles, but for anything published in the last few decades there's almost certainly a UPC or EAN barcode on the cover with the ISBN encoded in it. Getting serious about cataloging might prompt you to consider a Bluetooth hardware barcode scanner like the US$149 Intelliscanner mini, which can be used with its own bundled media database or with powerful software tools like Readerware, Book Collector or Bookpedia. One well-known Mac app lets you scan UPC barcodes with your Mac's iSight camera alone. But you've already got a powerful camera attached to your touch and voice-activated pocket computer. Why not scan barcodes with your iPhone, and use them to populate your desktop catalog app? That's where the special talents of CLZ Barry ($7.99 for iPhone, also for Android) come into play. CLZ Barry, made by the same folks behind the Collectorz.com Book Collector and other media database apps, is a barcode scanning app with a twist. The core functionality for scanning codes in Barry is built atop the RedLaser SDK, so it scans quickly and accurately. You can keep a running list of codes locally in Barry, and share them out via email, text message or iTunes download. The magic is in the fourth sharing mode for scans: Barry cleverly pairs with a buddy application running on your Mac or PC. If both the iPhone and the computer are on the same WiFi network, your scans from Buddy instantly appear in the active text field of the foreground app, just as if you had typed the ISBN on the keyboard. Assuming your catalog app has a quick entry or multiple entry mode (all the ones listed above do), you can blithely scan away as you climb the ladders/dig in the boxes/roam the stacks, and have all the cataloging done by the time you get back to your desk. (Bruji's $3.99 Pocketpedia can do a similar trick, but only with the company's own desktop apps.) This sounds a bit Rube Goldberg, but in practice it works extremely well. The iPhone's camera is plenty accurate for scanning, and the Barry app supports older hardware down to the iPhone 3GS and the fourth-gen iPod touch. You get clear audible and visual feedback on a successful scan, so you don't have to glance at your computer to see if the code made it over. I've tested Barry with both Bookpedia and Delicious Library, and it works great; a trifle slower than a dedicated USB handheld scanner, but more than adequate for the task. Now, you could manage your entire book collection on your iPhone, but the biggest source of book catalog information won't necessarily be available. Back in 2009, Amazon began enforcing a restrictive clause in its API agreement that forbade licensees from using "Product Advertising Content" -- book images and descriptions -- on any mobile device app. This immediately put an end to popular iPhone apps like the iOS version of Delicious Library and Bruji's original Pocketpedia. Pocketpedia 2 actually made it back to the store for about two months before Amazon sank it again; it was more than two years before Pocketpedia 3 arrived (with a new model for Amazon search that skirts the earlier issues), and it's coming up on its first anniversary this April.
IBM turns 100, brags about bench pressing more than companies half its age
IBM is quite possibly the only tech company around that might have genuine difficulty whittling a list of its industry defining contributions down to a mere 100. And it's an impressively diverse collection at that, including the floppy disk, the social security system, the Apollo space missions, and the UPC barcode. All of this self-congratulation is not without cause, of course. IBM was born 100 years ago today in Endicott, New York, as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, a merger between three companies, all peddling different technologies. That diversity has helped define IBM from its inception, and has offered a sense of flexibility, making it possible to keep in step with technology's ever-quickening pace for a century. In 1944, the company helped usher in modern computing with the room-sized Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, and 37 years later, it played an important role in defining the era of home computing with the much more manageable IBM Personal Computer. In 1997, IBM introduced a machine that beat the world's reigning chess champion, and earlier this year, it created one that trounced two of the greatest players in Jeopardy history. These days, when the company is not building machines dedicated to outsmarting mankind, it's looking to promote sustainable development through its Smarter Planet program. So, happy centennial, Big Blue, and here's to 100 more, assuming your super-smart machines don't enslave us all in the meantime.
Cyclops bar code scanner for iPhone 3GS
One of the problems with some previous bar code scanners for the iPhone has been a lack of good close focus (helped somewhat for owners of the iClarifi case), but the new and better camera in the iPhone has greatly improved the situation. It is, therefore, no surprise that new software is rolling out to aid in your shopping by scanning bar codes and connecting you to Amazon to allow you to comparison shop.Cyclops [App Store link] requires the new 3GS camera, and in my tests it worked pretty well. It correctly identified 9 of 10 products on the first try, although I was doing the test at home under pretty good lighting. I tried some poorer lighting and mixed tungsten and sunlight, and it did 6 of 10 scans correct. The challenge is still to hold the camera steady and try to make sure you get a sharp image, but the software did pretty well even with imperfect focus.The software is free, so it is not a very risky proposition. I can't guarantee you'll be popular at a retailer while you price check, but I think it most cases the software will work for you. Be careful to get the distance right so the bar code pretty much fills your screen. It gives the software the best chance of interpreting the scan.One weakness is you can't get the info out of the program easily. It would be good to be able to email the Amazon data to yourself or others. If you need this sort of information, and don't mind nasty looks from store clerks, I'd suggest you give it a try.Here are some screen shots as I put the program to work today: %Gallery-68028%
RedLaser for iPhone scans for bargains
I wouldn't have thought it was possible to get an iPhone to capture barcodes clearly, but Occipital has done it with a new $1.99US iPhone app called RedLaser [App Store]. Why capture barcodes? One good use is to find better prices for a product. Scan a product in the store, then RedLaser captures the barcode and does a quick Google or Amazon search to give you quick price comparisons. I tried the app at a bookstore and my local Best Buy and was surprised how well it worked. You need pretty good light to capture a barcode, which is an issue with the iPhone camera, not the RedLaser software. You need to hold the camera steady. The best way is by holding down the button to take the picture, then release when you are steady. RedLaser gives you the option to try again, and guides you on how far the camera needs to be away from the barcode. Then RedLaser instantly goes out to the internet and gets you the price comparisons. In practice I had some misses. The camera wasn't at quite the right distance, or I was a bit shaky holding it. In most instances, however, I was able to get the barcode and see the price comparisons I was looking for. It's also important that the camera not be tilted in relation to the barcode. Try to keep everything lined up. And the app will not work at all unless you have an internet connection. It would be nice if it could store the barcodes, then go out and identify them when you have a good signal. You also get the ability to mail your product list to yourself or a friend to read it on a bigger screen when you get home. The clever technology in the app is able to sharpen the image a great deal, making the iPhone camera a feasible platform for this app. When you take the picture the barcode will look pretty fuzzy, but after a couple of seconds of processing it looks quite good, which is the magic that RedLaser accomplishes.I'd expect this will work fine for most people, but there are some negative comments at the iTunes store as well, largely, I suspect, from people who couldn't hold it steady, had bad light, or glare falling across the barcode. When I eliminated those issues, it seemed to work fine.Note: This app only recognizes US and UK UPC and EAN barcodes. It works works best on standard-sized barcodes, but I had success with some smaller ones as well.Here's are some screen shots of RedLaser in action: %Gallery-63612%
TVP HD begins airing Olympics in HD
Heads up, international HD mavens. A kind tipster just alerted us to one TVP HD, a channel that just started broadcasting Olympics coverage and will continue to throughout the 2008 Games. After the spectacle has concluded, it will reportedly morph into a station much like BBC HD. Currently, the channel is available via digital cable in Poland on carriers like Multimedia Polska, Aster and a few other smaller companies that provide HD receivers. We're also told that it'll launch shortly on UPC Cable, ITI's digital satellite platform N and (in trial form) via DVB-T. In somewhat related news, the European version of MTV HD just starting testing yesterday on the Hot Bird satellite, with an expected go-live date sometime in September.[Thanks, Arsenal]
Sword of the New World expands with Nocturnal Sonata
IGN has a scoop on the new 'Nocturnal Sonata' expansion to Sword of the New World, an MMO also known as Granado Espada in Asia. Sword of the New World is a free-to-play title brought to North America and Europe by the K2 Network. Massively has looked at this game in the past and found it to be a quirky title; IGN describes its setting as 'the European Baroque period if it was designed by a modern anime artist'. Sword of the New World becomes even more surreal given that its old world setting is juxtaposed with a techno soundtrack. Surreal qualities aside, the game has some interesting features, particularly the use of collectible UPCs, or Unique Player Characters. The concept is somewhat comparable to the Heroes in Guild Wars. You control up to three characters at once who are members of your 'family'; certain NPCs for whom you've successfully completed quests offer themselves up to be added to your family as UPCs and called upon to aid you in your adventures. They provide access to special hybrid classes with unique powers to match. There are over 40 such UPCs, and two more are initially being added in the Nocturnal Sonata expansion: Vincent Rio (who inflicts damage with music) and Baek Ho (martial artist extraordinaire). Yet more UPCs are to follow in the coming months, adding new gameplay possibilities to Sword of the New World. The Nocturnal Sonata expansion will be released on June 25, and closely follows the 'The Land of the Dead' expansion released only three months ago.
Man attempts LCD TV theft using water bottle UPC, fails
Oh, shoplifters of the world -- you're not going to unite and take over with these kinds of tactics. A Kirksville, MO. man was arrested on Thursday for trying to boost a $517 Viore (yeah) LCD television by swapping the UPC tag with one from a $3.16 bottle of water. Apparently, cashiers weren't fooled by the admittedly paper-thin maneuver, and after four swipe attempts, a replaced paper spool, and one PA announcement for a store manager to come to register 14, they had the super-genius switcher thrown in the big house. If convicted, the man faces up to seven years in prison plus a hefty fine... and the lifelong shame of having tried to pull this stunt off.[Via Fark]
Paramount's Transformers showing up in Blu-ray attire?
Per usual, we'd recommend not getting too riled up over this until it's proven definitively true or false, but considering that pallbearers actually hoisted up HD DVD's casket already this morning, maybe there's not too much sense in doubting. Nevertheless, an eagle-eyed Circuit City employee has apparently located Transformers in its internal database completely doused in Blu. You heard right -- a Blu-ray 2-disc edition of the Michael Bay flick is reportedly showing up with a UPC code different than the HD DVD version. 'Course, this really isn't quite as surprising today as it would've been yesterday -- you know, considering that BD and HD VMD are really the only options left for studios to run to -- but feel free to make of it what you will.[Thanks luvincharity and Kyle] %Gallery-16204%
Another failed smart shopping cart concept shown off by EDS
At this point we've seen so many variations on the "smart shopping cart" concept bubble up and fail we're pretty jaded, but the latest version, from Electronic Data Systems, seems like it almost maybe has a chance. Unlike previous concepts, the EDS model is built around the humble bar code: swiping items as you place them in your cart lets you keep a running tally of nutritional information, ethical sourcing, and environmental impact, letting you modify your purchasing decisions simply and quickly. Keeping it simple might be the winning strategy here, but we're not going to be convinced until the carts at our local can do more than just veer straight left.[Via Vegetarian Organic Blog]
UPC filing reveals possible new Wii SKU
We've seen products make their first appearance in the form of a UPC filing before, and it looks like Nintendo may now be following the trend, with a recent filing of its revealing what looks to be an awful lot like a new Wii SKU. According to Codename Revolution's "distributor contact," the mystery product is described only as the "New Pack," and it apparently boasts a $289.99 Canadian retail price (which is the same as the current Wii SKU). While the UPC database unfortunately doesn't have any other details, speculation on the internets points to either a new bundle (possibly including the Wii Zapper or another game) or a new color, a rumor we've seen come and go in the past. Whatever it is, it seems safe to bet that it'll hit store shelves just in time for the holiday season.[Via Pocket-lint]
Rumor: 40GB PS3 shows up in UPC database [update]
We received a tip that a UPC database website is now listing a UPC for the "Sony PlayStation 3 40GB." Apparently the site gets its info from GS1 sites, which give UPC information to the public. We're not certain how reliable the database is, so we're tacking "rumor" on this story for now. Interestingly, we did test various UPCs we had lying around, like the one on our copy of BioShock (710425299636) and another on a carton of Half & Half (075457427007), and all showed up correctly -- the website claims not to allow user generated data.If the PS3 40GB UPC listing is correct (we're attempting other avenues of verification at the moment), it would be another log on the rumor-fire that just won't die. The key "feature" of the 40GB PS3 model would be its alleged $399 price tag, bringing the system into much more financially-friendly waters, and hopefully increasing system sales. If this UPC code holds up, it'll be hard for Sony to keep a lid on the 40-gigger much longer, but for now it's still very much in rumor territory.Update: Engadget's got word of the 40GB model appearing in Best Buy's internal inventory.Update 2: PS3 Fanboy shows Play.com has it now too.[Thanks J. Jenkins]
WoW goes mobile on the OQO!
No, this isn't the wireless property that we saw Blizzard hiring for recently. This is a completely seperate thing. The OQO is a "uPC" (ultra-portable computer) that you can take anywhere for wireless on-the-go access. "Cool," you say. "But what does it have to do with WoW Insider as opposed to going on one of your sister blogs like EngadgetMobile?" Not only is it cool new tech, but the OQO can run World of Warcraft -- and surprisingly well, considering!Check out part one:
SKUpidity: When did SKU become gamer parlance?
Insert Credit makes an excellent point today about gamers' widespread adoption of the inventory management term "SKU," seemingly overnight. Why are gamers suddenly talking like PR droids? Probably because it makes us sound more like the robots we've always wanted to be, free from such pesky human concerns as emotions, girls, and bathing. Or, as usual, this may all be Microsoft's fault; adding a third SKU console bundle to their lineup seems to have reinvigorated our use of the term. Hey, let's all go one better and refer to games by their UPC bar codes instead of their titles! Anybody played 096427014874 yet?
