Amazon iPhone App Adds Barcode Scanning
Posted in: amazon, apps, iPhone, Phones, Today's Chili
If bricks and mortar retail stores were vampires, then Amazon is a vengeful, ruthless Peter Cushing intent on destroying them. With the latest update to its iPhone app, Peter, er, Amazon has added a sharp wooden stake to the already dangerous tools contained therein: Amazon Mobile now does barcode-scanning.
Simply point the camera of you iPhone 4 or 3GS (running iOS4) at the barcode of a product in-store and you will be swept off to the appropriate product page of the online retail giant’s store. Thus, you can take a long, leisurely demo of that fancy new camera you want down at the local photographic emporium, thanks the salesman for his time and save a few bucks by ordering it from Amazon right there in the store. Hell, if you live in a city with same-day shipping it may even arrive at home before you do.
Amazon’s isn’t the first iApp to scan barcodes, and you have been able photograph an item and have Amazon’s team of worker-monkeys ID a similar item for you in moments. But by integrating the reader into its own app, Amazon is clearly positioning itself as the default store for pretty much anything. Really, why bother carrying something home unless you have to have it right now? Let Amazon deliver it and save some money, too.
Amazon Mobile is available now, as is Dracula, starring Peter Cushing.
Amazon Mobile [iTunes via TUAW]
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