Scanbuy Shopper - Luxist

Scanbuy Shopper - Luxist: "Just because you have a little cash in your pocket that's no reason to make unadvised purchases. The Scanbuy Shopper is a free application you download onto your cellphone. Enter the barcode of what you are about to buy and you can comparison shop, get reviews or buy it online. It takes a bit of the thrill out of the impulse buy but I think the future of shopping definitely involves the cell phone. "

A new way to shop by phone: in the store by The Christian Science Monitor

A new way to shop by phone: in the store
By Tom Regan

I hate shopping, So when I head out, I tend to go where I think I can find what I need in a hurry. I seldom worry about price. I am to comparison shopping what Paris Hilton is to modesty - it's something I never consider.
The problem is, I often feel buyer's remorse. Many times, after returning home with my purchase, I discover (thanks to an ad in the newspaper or an Internet search) that I paid too much.
If only there was a way I could discover that fact while I was still in the store, I could save a bundle.
Lo and behold, that technology now exists. It's called Scanbuy Shopper. And some very smart people are suggesting that it has a very bright future that will make many retailers very, very nervous.
But more on that later. First, let's look at how it works.
According to the New York company's website ( http://www.scanbuy.com/), Scanbuy is a technology that "enables camera phones to capture and immediately decode printed or electronically displayed bar codes." Currently it works best with books, electronic equipment, and CDs.
When you're in a store and find an item of interest, simply take a picture of its bar code using an Internet-capable cellphone with a built-in camera. Then connect to the Web. (You don't have to take a picture. Instead, you can just punch the bar-code numbers into the phone.) Scanbuy checks prices at comparison-shopping websites such as PriceGrabber.com and Amazon.com's Marketplace. It then sends you information on the best prices.
I downloaded Scanbuy software onto my data-enabled cellphone (it's a pretty simple process - connect to the Internet on your cellphone and go to wap.scanbuy.com) and tried it at a local electronics store. I checked on the price of a video camcorder, which sold in the store for about $399. Scanbuy indicated that I could purchase the same camcorder online for about $30 less.
Pretty cool, eh?
Scanbuy, however, does have a few shortcomings. Not every cellphone is compatible with the service. And spending too much time on your cellphone conducting price searches can be costly, depending on the terms of your cellphone contract. Other people who have reviewed Scanbuy have written that many retailers use proprietary bar-code systems that don't show up in any of the search engines used by Scanbuy - at least not at the moment.
But as I mentioned earlier, some people see bigger things in Scanbuy's future, particularly working with the search industry's 800-pound gorilla, Google.
Mark Otuteye, a researcher at Stanford University, writes the GoogleWatch blog, which follows the various areas and industries into which Google is expanding. He recently posted a piece called "Ten Products That Google Could Develop." Along with ideas like Google Billboards (as you walk by a digital billboard, a signal from your cellphone would tell the board to show items that might interest you) and Google Travel Sing and Draw Search (where you would sing a few bars of a song you don't know into your cellphone, and Google would find the song, and give you the chance to buy a copy), Mr. Otuteye also proposed Google Bar Code.
Working with Google's Froogle shopping service, and combined with Scanbuy's online-shopping technology, Google Bar Code would not only find better prices online, it would find them in the vicinity of where you are shopping - and show you how to get there. Otuteye wrote that this kind of service could also signal the merchants in the store where you are shopping, so they could offer you a lower price to buy the item there.
If it all sounds too good to be true - it is, a little, says Tamara Mendelsohn, an analyst on Forrester Research Consumer Marketing team. It's not that this kind of shopping by cellphone is a bad idea, she says - in fact, one day it will be widely accepted, as it is in Europe and Asia.
But right now, the idea has some big obstacles to overcome.
"It took the Web about 10 years to gather mainstream acceptance," Ms. Mendelsohn says, "and while many people use cellphones, not many are ready to use them for this kind of activity yet. Only about one-quarter of cellphone users in the US even use text messaging." The number of consumers using a "data enabled phone" needed for this kind of activity is even smaller.
Even so, Mendelsohn says the technology holds the potential to significantly change the way people shop, especially since "the one thing the Internet has taught us is that people like to have control over their shopping experience."
Note: Scanbuy is not the only company developing this kind of technology. NextCode Corp.'s ConnexTo ( http://www.connexto.com/) can also read digital bar codes on packaging, as can NeoMedia's PaperClick ( http://www.paperclick.com/).
I can already see that I will use Scanbuy more often when I go shopping, especially when I haven't had the opportunity to look for a cheaper deal online before I head to the store.
Who knows? I might actually start to like shopping ... OK, maybe I won't go that far. But at least I won't hate it quite so much.

SCANBUY on FOX 35 Orlando

SCANBUY on CNN Headlines News

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Colorado Springs Business Journal

Colorado Springs Retail
Briefs: June 2, 2006
Johnson, Joan
2 June 2006
Colorado Springs Business Journal

The discount cards cluttering consumer's key chains play a vital part in getting the coupons and products shoppers want while boosting sales at supermarkets and drugstores.These loyalty cards are used as research tools for what's called data mining, the same tool used by the National Security Agency in culling through Americans' telephone records to uncover terrorist plots.Retailers use the cards to assemble computerized collections of customers' purchases, along with their names, addresses, income levels and other tidbits, giving businesses clues to people's buying habits on a giant scale. When the card is used at the checkout register, details about what is in the customer's shopping cart are recorded and stored in a computer, giving the retailer a purchase profile of the customer as well as help with inventory control, product placement and other strategic decisions.In-store credits and favorite coupons based on a percentage of purchases made the previous quarter are some benefits shoppers receive by using the cards.Retailers offer differing views about the use of the discount cards. Publix Super Markets discontinued the use of the cards based on privacy concerns. However, a spokesman for Albertsons says customers like the discounts they receive from the company's targeted marketing program.Some experts say data mining can improve the odds of coupon redemption, for example, helping predict when shoppers might be receptive. Plus, computers have the capacity to pinpoint patterns that human analysts might be unlikely to spot.Online sales to exceed $200 billion Computer and auto sales will top this list of online sales this year. Three years ago, online sales passed the $100-billion mark, and this year sales will top $200 billion. According to The 2006 State of Retailing Online, the ninth annual Shop.org study conducted by Forrester Research Inc. of 174 retailers, 2006 online sales (including travel) are expected to rise 20 percent to $211.4 billion. Sales excluding travel will reach $138 billion. The largest non-travel categories include computer hardware and software ($16.8 billion), autos and auto parts ($15.9 billion), and apparel, accessories and footwear ($13.8 billion). Pet supplies, cosmetics and fragrances are expected to experience growth rates of more than 30 percent, higher than any other categories. According to the report, online sales last year rose 25 percent to $176.4 billion. Excluding travel, online retail sales rose 28 percent to $113.6 billion, representing 4.7 percent of total retail sales in 2005.More than two-thirds of retailers have consistent pricing across channels (79 percent) and almost half (46 percent) allow their customers to buy and redeem gift cards online and in stores. Additionally, many companies give customers the ability to accrue loyalty program points across channels (33 percent) and offer in-store product information online (26 percent). Retailers recognize the importance that the Internet plays in overall sales. Retailers reported that 22 percent of offline sales are influenced by the Web. Also, more than one-third (38 percent) of online customers are new to a company's business. Retailers understand that some shoppers may be concerned about the safety and the security of their personal information when shopping online. In response, companies continue to increase the security of their Web sites and are beginning to offer a variety of payment methods to online shoppers. According to the report, 63 percent of retailers surveyed require card verification value (CVV) codes at checkout. For payment, 25 percent of retailers accept private-label cards, 12 percent offer third-party e-mail payment options, 9 percent accept e- checks and 7 percent offer third-party credit accounts.Bargain shopping made easyMobile commerce or mCommerce has been exploding during the last few years and with that, camera phones are making bargain shopping a futuristic luxury. Technology companies, such as Scanbuy's Optical Intelligence software, transform any camera phone into a personal barcode scanner.This allows shoppers to scan a product they are interested in, then through the phone's Internet connection, gain access to a complete list of the product's availability and prices at other retailers. The software also allows companies to play a radio or television ad for the product.An entire shopping list can be stored, then compared across different stores. Shoppers can then select the supermarket with the best price. And with the touch of a button on your phone, you can buy the item or have it delivered. Rumbi Island Grill opening June 12Rumbi Island Grill will open in the Falcon Landing Shopping Center at 7395 N. Academy Blvd. on June 12. The hours of operation will be Sunday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.Rumbi Island Grill blends Hawaiian, South Pacific and Caribbean cuisine. The Springs store is third to open in Colorado, joining locations in Longmont and the Denver Tech Center.
The discount cards cluttering consumer's key chains play a vital part in getting the coupons and products shoppers want while boosting sales at supermarkets and drugstores.These loyalty cards are used as research tools for what's called data mining, the same tool used by the National Security Agency in culling through Americans' telephone records to uncover terrorist plots.Retailers use the cards to assemble computerized collections of customers' purchases, along with their names, addresses, income levels and other tidbits, giving businesses clues to people's buying habits on a giant scale. When the card is used at the checkout register, details about what is in the customer's shopping cart are recorded and stored in a computer, giving the retailer a purchase profile of the customer as well as help with inventory control, product placement and other strategic decisions.In-store credits and favorite coupons based on a percentage of purchases made the previous quarter are some benefits shoppers receive by using the cards.Retailers offer differing views about the use of the discount cards. Publix Super Markets discontinued the use of the cards based on privacy concerns. However, a spokesman for Albertsons says customers like the discounts they receive from the company's targeted marketing program.Some experts say data mining can improve the odds of coupon redemption, for example, helping predict when shoppers might be receptive. Plus, computers have the capacity to pinpoint patterns that human analysts might be unlikely to spot.Online sales to exceed $200 billion Computer and auto sales will top this list of online sales this year.

Bar codes let shoppers compare prices on cell phones

Bar codes let shoppers compare prices on cell phones
12 June 2006
DSN Retailing Today
By Doug Desjardins

Nationwide RT Report's

Bar codes have been relegated to tracking prices and inventory since they went mainstream 30 years ago but now cell phones are putting them to use in a new way.
High-tech companies are hoping to get shoppers in the habit of using their cell phones to scan bar codes and go online for things like coupons and price comparisons.
The technology is relatively new in the United States but it's attracting attention from several players who want to test its potential, including Scanbuy, NeoMedia and cell phone giant Nokia. At a recent ACNielsen consumer conference, Microsoft technology expert Tom Litchford explained one way the technology is currently used in stores.
"You can take a picture of a bar code with your cell phone then download it to Amazon.com, where they'll identify the product and give you their price so you can make a comparison," said Litchford.
That's an application Scanbuy offers shoppers who download its Scanbuy Shopper service to their cell phones. Others like NeoMedia, which plans to introduce its PaperClick platform in the United States this fall, also see it as a way to access exclusive online coupons and links to ads. And later this summer, Nokia will jump into the fray when it introduces two new camera phones with built-in bar code readers.
Other companies see the potential for using bar codes as a branding tool. Seattle-based Pacarc signed a deal in May with a Japanese firm to sell custom-designed bar codes to suppliers and retailers.
"We're seeing a remarkable change in how bar codes are used," said Pacarc co-founder James Allard. "That trend and the growing prevalence of self-scan technology leads us to believe there's a growing interest in the brand-ability of the bar code itself."
And a recent report from research firm M.Metrics estimates that 15% of cell phone users accessed the Web using their phones last month, showing there's a built-in base of consumers ready to go mobile while they shop.
But there are drawbacks. Many bar codes still can't be read by any of the existing readers, making scanning a hit-or-miss process that can burn cell phone minutes. And, like all new technologies, there's no telling whether the payoff will be enough to get consumers into the habit of using it.
"I think it's a technology in search of an application," said Retail Management Consultants president George Whalin. "At this point, I don't see consumers begging for it or retailers willing to spend money on it." Whalin also doubts that retailers will like the idea of shoppers doing price comparisons online while they're in stores.

Cool Cellphone Tricks

By Kelli B. Grant Published: June 21, 2006

THESE DAYS, LEAVING home without your cellphone could be as foolish as leaving without your wallet.

Two weeks ago, we reviewed ScanBuy Shopper, new software that lets you use your cellphone as a price comparison tool. Since then we've spotted two different types of services available that make your mobile even more indispensable:
Instant PaymentThe next time you head out to dinner with a group of friends, splitting the check can be easier than piling up big bills and then calculating change. Just text message one person in the group your money. "Turning your cellphone into a payment device is as easy as sending somebody a text message," says Ed Kountz, a senior analyst for financial services at Jupiter Research.
The three services currently available — Obopay, PayPal Mobile and TextPayMe.com — all let you send and receive money via text messages. You can send cash to anyone with a mobile phone number. With each, you'll need to sign up for an account online, linking a bank account or credit card. (Worried about security? You'll create a four-digit PIN to enter every time you request a transaction.) You may pay a small fee for the service, as well as a fee to your service provider for sending or receiving data.
· Obopay.com creates an account that you can fund using a linked bank account or credit card, or by mailing a check. You'll pay 10 cents to send money via phone, and nothing to receive it. The software works with all service providers and phones.
· PayPal Mobile works with your existing PayPal account to send and receive money. You can use your PayPal balance, or send cash from your bank account or a credit card. Text messaging features can only be used with select carriers, but anyone can call 1-800-4PAYPAL to place a request. You can also send money to someone's email address. All transactions are free.
· Textpayme.com creates a separate account that you fund using a linked bank account or credit card. Right now, sending and receiving money is free, though fees may later be imposed. For 50 cents, you can opt to receive the money in the form of a mailed check, rather than claiming it online. The service works with all service providers and phones.
Coupon ClippingForget cutting coupons out of your Sunday paper. Savvy consumers can now download discounts to their cellphones. The process is easy — visit the coupon web site and select which coupons you want sent to your phone via text message. (You won't get spammed with unwanted ones.) Then, when you're at the retailer, bring up the coupon on your phone. It has a code that can be scanned or typed in at the store just like any paper coupon. The service is free, though you'll pay your service provider to receive the coupon text message or access the coupons via the Internet. Both of the services out there are relatively new, so you may find the pickings slim for your area.
· CellFire is software for your cellphone that stores coupons from major retailers. You can use it in stores and, in some cases, over the phone — say, while ordering a pizza. Right now, the software works only on select phone models using Cingular. Current deals include one free movie or game rental at Hollywood Video (California), $5 off a $15 purchase at T.G.I. Friday's (select locations in Arizona, Kansas and other states) and 15% off orders at 1-800-Flowers.com (nationwide).

· Quickpons offers downloadable coupons nationwide from both big-name chains and individual local businesses. The site works with most service providers and phone models. Current deals include a free donut at Dunkin' Donuts (Orlando, Fla.), a 99-cent spicy chicken taco at Taco Bell (Youngstown, Ohio) and 30% off any dry-cleaning order at Woodlake Professional Dry Cleaning and Laundry (Tampa, Fla.).

SCANBUY on NBC 9 Denver

Scan Buy Shopper

An estimated 61% of consumers use comparison shopping sites. This site allows you to punch a product's barcode into your cell phone while your in the store, with product in hand. Then, within seconds it connects you to the internet to display price comparisons, so you'll know if you could buy it cheaper somewhere else online. It'll also give you buyer reviews of the product like you see on Amazon.com.
It's only been out for about a week and they say they've had "several hundred" downloads already.It's free, but depending on your cell phone plan, you may be paying for minutes and for accessing the Internet. They recommend you have an unlimited data plan. In order to use the service, you need to download the ScanBuy Shopper software to a compatible cell phone. See the site for the details. http://www.scanbuyshopper.com/

Komando.com, Website for The Kim Komando Radio Show®, Kim's Cool Sites

I'm a thrifty person. I work hard to earn my money. So I like to spend it wisely.
That's where today's Cool Site comes in. It helps me make sure I'm not paying too much for something.
I downloaded SCANBUY Shopper to my phone. Now, when I'm at a store, I can easily check prices at online merchants. I just open the program and type the barcode. Then, I can find the cheapest prices on the Net!

SCANBUY also lets you check out reviews. That way, you know if something is worth buying. Not only do you know if you're getting a good deal, you know if you're getting a good product.
Unfortunately, not all cellular providers are supported. And, you have to have a compatible phone. But hopefully other providers will sign on.

http://www.scanbuyshopper.com/

CBS 3 Philadelphia - 3 On Your Side: Cell Phone Price Check

3 On Your Side: Cell Phone Price Check

Jim Donovan
Reporting
(CBS 3) PHILADELPHIA When going shopping, many often bring some cash and maybe a credit card or two. 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan reports you may want to take along your cell phone to ring up savings.

Does it drive you crazy when you buy something here and then see it on sale over there?

Well now there's a way to check before you buy using your cell phone, plus technology called 'Scan Buy Shopper'

'It takes the camera's that are built in on the cell phone and essentially uses them as a scanner,” said Peter Shirley of Independent Mobile.

Simply take a picture of a product's barcode and connect to the internet.

'The server will then take the bar code, will interpret it, will match it against an online price matching service, and then send you back a message.'"

Shop With Your Cellphone (Deal of the Day: Personal Finance)| SmartMoney.com

IT'S HAPPENED TO EVERY bargain lover: You spot something in a store, and can't decide whether to buy it then and there, or head home for some online comparison shopping.
Choose the latter, and there's a good chance you'll find it cheaper. Or course, you might also end up losing money after high shipping fees eclipse that seemingly lower price. Then it's — sigh — back to the store, hoping that item is still in stock.
Thanks to new software for your cellphone, those days of are over. Launched June 7, ScanBuy Shopper uses barcodes and Internet price comparison search engines to tell you on the spot how much an item is going for online. Best of all, it's free.

Using ScanBuy Shopper

1. Get the Right Phone Not every phone is capable of using the software. Currently, you can download ScanBuy Shopper to 95 models of Motorola, Nokia and Sony-Ericsson phones. You'll also need service from either T-Mobile or Cingular, as well as a data plan to link to the Internet. For our test, Nokia sent us a flashy Nokia 6682 test phone serviced by T-Mobile.

2. Download the ProgramUsing your cellphone, visit wap.scanbuy.com. If your phone is supported, you'll automatically be asked to download the program. Or sit down at your computer and head to scanbuyshopper.com. Follow the download instructions. A text message will be sent to your phone with the download link. Either way, the process takes just a minute or two.

3. ShopSimply open the program and manually type in the barcode. Information will be loaded from the search engines, including best price, other online prices, used item prices, reviews and product info. You can click on each option to get more details. We found that most searches took just 30 seconds or so.
Your last five searches are saved in the history folder, with results updated each time you view them. Window shopping? Email results to yourself or someone else.

NY Times: Walmart is Scared of Google

New York Times
By STEVE LOHR
Published November 6, 2005

Search engines, combined with other technologies, have the potential to drive comparison shopping down to the shelf-by-shelf level. Cellphone makers, for example, are looking at the concept of a "shopping phone" with a camera that can read product bar codes. The phone could connect to databases and search services and, aided by satellite technology, reveal that the flat-screen TV model in front of you is $200 cheaper at a store five miles away.

Ten Products Google Should Develop

Mark Otuteye - January, 14th 2006

1) Walk into a store (grocery, clothes, computer)
2) Take a picture of the barcode of an item
3) Get Froogle Local Search results of which nearby stores carry the same item more cheaply.
Google BarCode would even add in the cost of time and gas and only show those products which were lower overall.
In a twist on the system, merchants would be automatically informed if you located cheaper products and could then bid for your business by offering you an electronic coupon, a discount on the product in their store if you bought it in the next say, half hour.

Ten Things Google Should Do

Nathan WeinbergExpert Author Published: 2006-06-05

Mark Otuteye writes about ten products that Google should be developing, all based on existing technology that they could leverage to expand their reach (without copying their competitors).

There are some good ideas on the list, and others that we know might already be in development, like Google TV Search and free Google Storage. Google Genetics might be a little far-fetched (and likely to start a congressional inquiry), but most of them are solid and realistic.

I was particularly interested to see Scanbuy in the list of technologies Google should take advantage of. Scanbuy is a company that develops software that lets you take a picture of a barcode with your mobile phone, and then look up things like prices, share personal information (via a 2D barcode on the back of a business card) and develop barcode/camera applications using an SDK for all the major mobile platforms (Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm, Java, others).

I am an investor in Scanbuy, and have, on occasion, an advisor. The reason: I see so much untapped potential in this space, providing a cheaper, more secure and easier system than RFID, and I hope to see someone do some great things with it. Certainly, Google's the type of company to develop some powerful mobile applications that involve camera phone pattern recognition, and could at the very least use it to improve their current mobile offerings, like Froogle.

Check-in per barcode at Haneda - Tokyo's most advanced airport

At Haneda, passengers can order a ticket online via the internet and the airline will send a barcode by SMS to the customer. The passenger just has to hold the phone under one of 52 scanning devices at the airport and they are checked in.
According to ANA, passengers will need just eight seconds to check-in compared to the usual two minutes for passengers who check- in at the gate. Already 70 per cent of passengers at Haneda use these electronic tickets.
Presently, the only international destination served from Haneda is Gimpo near Seoul in South Korea. But that number of destinations is set to increase from 2009 onwards when a third landing strip is due to open with a length of three kilometres.

iTWire - Skype latest victim of patent suit

Newark-based internet telephony company, Net2Phone has taken on eBay and its subsidiary peer-to-peer VoIP provider Skype in a lawsuit, alleging that Skype has infringed its patent for the placing of calls over the net.

The law suit, filed in the US District court of Newark, alleges that Skype infringed a patent filed by Net2Phone under US Patent Class 704, which broadly covers data processing encompassing speech signal processing, linguisitics, language translation, and audio compression/decompression.

Reality Acquisition Devices by Bill Gates

At the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference, Bill Gates was talking about the future of mobile phones that handle many other functions including video, writing, etc. He referred to these gadgets as “Reality Acquisition Devices” that will be used to connect digitally to various stuff, such as using the phone to read product bar codes to learn more about the product.
Again!

SCANBUY on CBS4 - Search For Bargains With Your Cell Phone

(WCCO) When many people go shopping, they like to walk away knowing they got the best deal and now there is a new tool for bargain hunters.

A click of a cell phone camera is the new sound of savings.

The latest technology offered by a company called Scanbuy allows consumers to snap a picture of a product's barcode and within seconds, consumers are connected to the Internet.

Video here