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Wireless Shopping Carts Run Windows CE

Posted by Zonk on from the carts-go-mad,-wreck-local-shopping-center dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Fujitsu has introduced a self-service retail scanner that could make long checkout lines a relic of the past. The U-Scan Shopper is a ruggedized XScale-based wireless computer with an integral bar code scanner, running Windows CE 4.2, and mounted on a shopping cart. The company even suggests that customers might upload a shopping list to the store's website before leaving home, and then download the list to the shopping cart upon arriving at the store."

14 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. The only downside is... by ravenspear · · Score: 4, Funny

    When a buffer overflow occurs a trap door on the underside of the cart is triggered and all your groceries spill out onto the floor.

    1. Re:The only downside is... by Quantum+Fizz · · Score: 4, Funny
      Or it would give a new take on those Total cereal commercials.

      You'll have to eat 12093749283745 bowls of Raisin Bran to get all the nutrition of one bowl of Total.

    2. Re:The only downside is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Unrelated to the idea of a crashing shopping cart, but I'm reminded of a little stunt many university friends and I pulled at one of our local supermarkets, Coles.

      about a year ago I went through the checkouts and when a pack of jellybeans was scanned, the register bluescreened. I sniggered a little, but hey - I'm accepting - sometimes these things crash. It took the register guy a few minutes to get the attention of a supervisor ("It's gone blue again!") to reset the register, call up the previous parts of my shopping, and get things going again.

      Supervisor re-scanned the jellybeans, and it bluescreened again. Ha!. Next time around he just entered a generic confectionary code and I went on my way. That was kinda cool, and getting back to dorms we had a laugh about it, and decided to all head down at some random busy time and try the same again.

      It was cool! eight of us all went through different registers at about the same time, all bluescreening one after another with packets of Candy Lane Jellybeans.

      DDoSing a supermarket, it was cool!

    3. Re:The only downside is... by ralinx · · Score: 2, Funny

      a story like that is bound to impress the ladies ;)

  2. Can I get my items for free... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Can I get my items for free if there's a BSOD? :D

  3. Express Lane - 15 Items Only by hndrcks · · Score: 4, Funny

    Absolutely no Beowulf Clusters.

    --
    Everyone will start to cheer when you put on your sailin' shoes.
  4. So now cities can Gripe about... by CygnusXII · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now Cities that have fines for shopping cart being off the premises, can fine a business for Toxic Materials being improperly stored, retained or looked after. On the other hand, the homeless can really look forward to retasking the devices and get internet access.

    --
    My cat's picked up a Hammer. HEY! Put down that Hammer. Put Down that Hamm...THUNK!
    1. Re:So now cities can Gripe about... by lukewarmfusion · · Score: 2, Funny

      Because we all know that most homeless people are laid-off programmers.

      Damn you India!

  5. No surprise. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    The shopping carts are always crashing into cars in shopping mall parking lots.

  6. Re:Um... so? by slagdogg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Really? No such luck in Seattle, WA ... or Redmond, WA for that matter :)

    We do have valet parking at one grocery store though ... something tells me SC does *not* have that.

    --
    (Score:-1, Wrong)
  7. Re:Dynamic pricing by metoo34 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hmm... As long as they know you're coming, let them get your groceries and have them ready when you get there. Waiting by the curb. I think this is already being done with robotic "pickers" in more of a warehouse/factory type setting with bins and conveyor belts but they also deliver. Pricey. Maybe a regular 'Kroger' type store could pay the laid off baggers to wear roller blades and do the 'picking'? I'd pay extra if I never had to set foot in the store.

  8. I can't wait for the upgrade... by stienman · · Score: 2, Funny



    clippy: (In a loud voice) I see you're buying hemmoroid cream. Would you also like to purchase Tucks(tm)?

    clippy: I notice you're buying a lot of antihistamine products. Would you like me to take you to the facial tissue aisle, or would you like a new meth recipe?

    clippy: You're passing a great sale on bright red lipstick. Are you sure you want to pass this opportunity up? Buy some for the kids! It also makes a great marker for the person who keeps taking your parking spot.

    -Adam

  9. Re:Won't someone think of the children. by T-Ranger · · Score: 3, Funny

    I invision a world when we need exactly two employees for the entire planet.

    A dog.
    and
    A Person.

    The dogs job is to make sure the person doesnt touch the computer.
    The persons job is to feed the dog.

  10. Re:Vulnerability in Fujitsu Wireless Shopping Cart by grolschie · · Score: 2, Funny

    Grow your own. It's the best way. I get up nice and early to tend me turnips before reading /. each day. ;-)