Shopping Carts Go Wi-Fi

agentk writes "The Boston Globe reports today that area supermarket Stop & Shop is adding computers with Bluetooth barcode scanners, 802.11 networking and infrared positional sensors to shopping carts in one of its stores. 'The Shopping Buddy automatically displays which aisle you're in, what's on sale there, and what you bought the last time you strolled through.' Most Stop & Shop stores already have automated self-checkout lanes. Is this the future of shopping? What will the impact be on privacy, the cash economy, and the experience of shopping in general?"

Comments

BYOC

[Phosphor3k]

*equips tin-foil hat*

Bring Your Own Cart.

We've heard this before

[diatonic]

Shoppers could steal the Shopping Buddies, but there wouldn't be much point. The custom-built devices can't run ordinary computer software; they're good for shopping and nothing else.

We've heard that before... given a few weeks I'm sure some pimply 16 year old in the netherlands could have a linux kernel on it, using Mozilla to surf the web wirelessly.

The future of shopping

[Anonymous Coward]

I predict that after America nationalizes medical care, the epidemic of obesity will cause government regulation of dietary intake. Each citizen will be given a body scan and will be given specially-blended pellets of federal monkey chow, eliminating the need for super markets and shopping carts altogether.

It was a nice idea, but...

[Realistic_Dragon]

If I look out my window I can see a pyramid of shopping carts 4x5x3 (assembled in a crazy patton to connect the security chains and get the £1 deposit back) collected by my fellow students from under the nose of supermarket security people.

Now, imagine if said trolles were a cheap source of WiFi parts as well, ideal for putting in your own projects...

Just need some tin foil to stop them being locatable, and somewhere good to stash the carts after you have removed the WiFi kit - such as the center of your student halls of residence.

Can I...

[llamaluvr]

Log onto the wireless network and search the web for competitors' prices?

Charleton Heston Says Spin

[malia8888]

But Weiner said the use of Shopping Buddies and self-checkout counters won't cost any jobs....... there's plenty of other work to be done in running a supermarket -- stocking shelves, cutting salami, sweeping up. Weiner said the displaced cashiers will be moved to these other tasks.

One employee task that comes to mind is a big row of bicycles (a'la the movie, Soylent Green) that would run the generators producing electricity for the freezers. Employees would enjoy fitness and a paycheck ;)

Re:They already do, in a way....

[UserGoogol]

A wide majority of products can be only used a rather small number of times, will typically be bought again shortly after that. In particular, food.