[/caption]We're reaching the point where retailers are going to forbid you to take out your cell phone, or ask you to leave if you need to make a call... Why? Because we've now reached a point in the mobile industry where your phone can literally do the shopping for you. The only required effort on your part is taking a picture of whatever it is you want, and watch the magic happen.
For example, Amazon released an application for the iPhone where you can take a picture of any product, and Amazon will scan its picture library and match whatever it is you took a picture of and show you their pricing.
Another program (currently in testing for the Android phones) called Android Bounty scans any picture you take of any barcode, and have it pull up the results associated with that barcode on The Pirate Bay. Here's a video demonstration below:
[flashvideo file=http://mitalis-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/torrent-droid.flv /]
With this type of technology evolving, it's only a matter of time before this becomes mainstream. Retailers are going to need to change their strategy and start offering their products at a more competitive price if they're going to want to remain in business. Either that or start banning people from using their cell phones while in their stores... Which won't go over well...
In any event, retailers, you better come up with a strategy soon!
