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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."

5 of 274 comments (clear)

  1. Um... so? by PedanticSpellingTrol · · Score: 4, Informative

    All the grocery stores here in Columbia, SC have had systems like this for at least a year and a half... and being south carolina, surely we're well behind the curve.

    1. Re:Um... so? by jacksonj04 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Sainsbury's actually started introducing self-checkouts in larger stores about a year ago, our local one has had them for 6 or 7 months.

      You scan, then bag, and it weighs things as you bag them. If the weight doesn't match then you can't keep scanning, and there's always an 'operator' to do things like keep an eye on people and verify people are 18 when buying alcohol.

      The difference is instead of needing 4 people to run 4 checkouts, you need 1 person to run the same 4 and it's more convenient for the customer who doesn't want to queue.

      --
      How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
  2. FUD by ad0gg · · Score: 2, Informative

    Tell me why linux is more secure than WinCE? These are embedded OSs. What are you gonna exploit on winCE or embedded linux? Also how is it more flexible? WindowsCE comes with source so you can strip out stuff you don't need and customize it. As for cost, it is less than $3 a device.

    --

    Have you ever been to a turkish prison?

  3. Re:Vulnerability in Fujitsu Wireless Shopping Cart by dzarn · · Score: 4, Informative

    The other problem with the system is bagging. When do things get bagged?

    You do realize both the article AND THE PARENT POST said Self-scanning in aisle -- costumers can scan and bag items while shopping, right? I mean, missing the article I can understand, but the post you just read?

  4. UK had these, then got rid of them... by McCall · · Score: 2, Informative

    We had these in supermarkets about 7 or 8 years ago, you scanned each item as you put it in your shopping cart. You could see what you had bought and you could keep track of your total bill. This could easily be brought up to date using RFID etc.

    At the end of the shopping trip you re-docked your scanner in a bank, which printed out a ticket wich you paid for.

    They were pulled after about 3 years of use, I don't know why, my guess is when people keep track of their shopping bill they buy less per trip - I know I did.