What happened??

[curly]

A couple of years ago I had read several articles on how PDA's would be used for this and for that and how they would make our lives so much more organized and easier.

The example came to mind of one article in particular....using your PDA in a grocery store to do your shopping. Having filled out a list before leaving home using a compatable software program. Upon walking into the market the computer detects your PDA and downloads that list which responds with prices, location of items and even specials. At the checkout you simply hit a button to tally up your bill and its applied to your card! You bag and go!!

What happened?? Where did the innovation go? Was it a lack of interest on the consumer part or was it that next quarters profit was more important then bling?

Just a thought on my part. I wanted to hear what others thought on this was too.

Have a good week,

Curly~

[BAB2000]

You must have blinked when they blinged.

They now perform facial ID when you enter the door, determine your total liquid assets, adjust prices to maximize return, stock shelves in manner you can only find higher price stock, intermix aisles to cause confusion and then at checkout let you make the choice "paper or plastic", even though they already knew.

No PDA required, pick your pockets without you being the wiser.

I even think they can even debit accounts with out cards being removed from the wallet/purse.

Also send tempting coupons to home, of items you do purchase, but items never are in stock when you visit. No PDA required.

[Nine]

Nice idea. Technical nightmare - but nice idea. It would be dependent on muich greater PDA use by the general public to make the huge set-up costs viable. Although I would be disappointed that my PDA couldn't also bag up the groceries...

[TA-t3]

Well, I'm happy enough to be able to just add an item (or un-tick, for standard items like milk) in the grocery category task list, whenever thinking "I'm out of this, better buy it next time". Then I tick them off as soon as I find them in a shop.
I saw this procedure suggested in a magazine, looked silly to me but in practice it's great. And I don't really need that futuristic version with automatic interrogation of PDA etc.

-Tor

[StuBee]

Where's my flying car? They said I'd have a flying car by 2005!

[BAB2000]

Originally posted by StuBee
Where's my flying car? They said I'd have a flying car by 2005!

I was told that plan was scrapped when all air traffic controllers were replaced back in the 80s. Delorean was so close only prototype lost when that train destroyed in the "Back to Future" third segment, forgot to use the mock up!

[internetpilot]

I also just use Notepad or Tasks to create a simple grocery list. Last weekend I was so annoyed by lack of inventory and the rather slow checkout lines at Circuit City that I actually used my T|C and their in-store Wi-Fi connection to buy the items via their website, and then didn't even pick it up at the store...I just left since they didn't have all of it in stock so I sent it to my house. The clerk in the car stereo are was watching me do the entire thing and thought it was very funny.

I guess if I would've picked everything up right then before leaving the store, it would've been something similar to what you were talking about.

I guess if they were to offer what you're talking about, they would need to put out Palm devices with MUCH better security features.

[Deej]

The dot com bubble burst, technology prices never came down enough, and there wasn't good standards created for interoperability.

Companies were trying to use proprietary standards as to lock in their consumer base, and therefore, nothing would interact correctly. Not an open source rant here, mind you, just the plain truth... you can't become an all encompassing technology if every store doesn't buy into it. Can you imagine, you need a different PDA from different "services" to shop at both Albertson's and Costco because they chose competing standards?

If it isn't transparent and user friendly to the user, it will not be adopted. It will not be transparent until it is everywhere. If there is competition, it can't be everywhere.

Now investment companies are sitting on that patented intellectual property, not wanting to try it again because of the money lost.

As an example... remember that never released product/idea for a removable touchscreen display with wireless that was in the door of the refrid? I was working at one of the companies making that product (I actually worked on that specific product at the company). We were displayed all over in "home of the future" shows and even at Disneyworld, and had a deal with Whirlpool penned.

The idea was a removable webtablet that would have an easy interface to keep track of your household inventory, and automatically print up shopping lists for you on demand based on what was running low. It was also going to be able to read news, check email, browse the web, etc.

Great idea, IMHO. Aside the fact that the cost of such technology still has not come down, 5 years later, enough to get serious market penetration.

The investors (a large company that did tons in the dot com venture investment area) chose not to re-invest when we ran out of money. They were out several million. They now own the Intellectual Property of the company. I don't think they are looking to invest several more money into an idea that already lost them money (and thus, failed). The patents and ideas will sit with them, likely until some other company does something similar enough for them to pull up the IP in court and sue for patent infringement. :/

Deej

[curly]

Sapago.

I found this while surfing this morning.

When new products come out you always hear about possibilities that technology can provide and see the lists of products that may come about because of the advancements in this technology. I remembered reading about some of those possibilities (One of which I described in the first post) and how these little devices (wireless PDA's) were going to help push this into reality. But what happened along the way??

Anyway, I found this and thought I would share it with you all. Let me know your impressions and if this might be one possibility that could make it.

Have a good Sunday,

Curly~

[BAB2000]

Let me know your impressions and if this might be one possibility that could make it.

Yes, it could, and have already experienced similiar type use. a trade showm allow attendees to obtain a printed floor/exihibitor layout, or recieve a download via IR of same info.

The download consisted of single file download, when selected installed on my m515, (4k of memory required), with reader type app and database. I could enter in exhitor's name or type of product/service interested in, and it provided a list of booths #s and exhibitors.

It also included a questionaire you were asked to complete on each booth visited, when done, you would return to the enterance and IR back the file (included with the program), and you were automatically registered for the next show, and immediately notified of any extra gifts that were awarded.

The next year it was not implemented, and no one could explain why? My thought was a different promoter utilized but that was to obivious? That trip booth reps were interested in beaming and receiving contact info, missed opprotunity previous exhibit.