“Mobile enables consumers to make impulse buys and convenient purchases wherever they are, and eBay is constantly innovating to make mobile shopping easy and reduce the friction in commerce,” said Mark Carges, chief technology officer and senior vice president, global products, eBay Marketplaces, in the press release. “With RedLaser’s innovative technology, eBay is continuing to help shoppers quickly find the best deals online, and eBay sellers will be able to list their items faster.”
eBay plans to integrate RedLaser’s barcode-scanning technology into its leading iPhone applications, including its eBay Marketplace, eBay Selling, StubHub and Shopping.com applications, providing more than 10 million users with access to product information for fast and easy selling and comparison shopping. The technology is designed to help consumers find great deals online for virtually any product with a barcode, and for eBay sellers to quickly create listings by accessing pricing trends and product details for millions of items in eBay’s catalog. The eBay Selling application for the iPhone will be the first iPhone application to take advantage of RedLaser’s barcode-scanning technology for mobile users to sell items online.
eBay is immediately transitioning RedLaser from a paid application to a free standalone application. The company also plans to significantly increase selection on RedLaser by integrating more than 200 million listings from eBay, as well as product inventory from over 7,000 global merchants on Shopping.com, including 95 of the top 100 online retailers.
The RedLaser technology is being used in a wide variety of applications including grocery shopping lists, gift registries, and nutritional tracking. eBay plans on increasing developer support of the RedLaser technology in the future.
The acquisition of the RedLaser application builds on eBay Inc.’s momentum and innovation in mobile commerce. In 2010, eBay released an iPad application and three new iPhone apps: eBay Selling, eBay Classifieds and StubHub. eBay Inc. is a global leader in mobile commerce with $1.5 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) expected in 2010 through its mobile platforms. eBay’s mobile applications are available to millions of iPhone, BlackBerry and Android users in more than 190 countries and eight languages. A mobile purchase is made every two seconds via eBay’s mobile applications.
Source: eBay Inc.
More info about RedLaser (free) via Apple’s iTunes App Store here.
Cool tech.
Anyone know if this will let me manage equipment in my high school video lab (camera check out/in)? If not, is there such a beast?
I thought of Red Laser before the iPhone ever came to market. They stole it from me!
Bought it yesterday. 🙁
Two things:
1. RedLaser will now be a tool to forward you to the appropriate E-bay store front to buy from THEM instead of the poor SOB trying to run a local store.
2. As you can tell, I have a problem with the ethics of this application. Most people see it a harmless method to make their shopping more efficient. What they miss is the long term erosion this will have on retail outlets. No business can operate strictly as a “showroom” for the latest gear. An owner of a camera store needs to pay for the store or stores (to be conveniently close to us), his inventory (so we can examine real objects and maybe leave the store owning something new), and the staff (that helps you make a buying decision). Is fair or ethical to go to this store, do comparison shopping, perhaps engage the sales person to learn more about the various models, and then scan the product code and buy from some online warehouse for a $10 savings?
It saddens me that there isn’t more critical thinking on this. It’s one of those new technology questions of “just because we can, does that mean we should?”
I will miss the option to go to a store and view the real product before making a purchase. Technology like Redlaser will make that a thing of the past. And when there are no stores left, where will you go to scan a bar code?
I wish eBay would consolidate all their apps. Retarded.
@spark
What do you suggest? That we create artificial barriers to prevent this? Personally I hate ebay and I dont’ buy or sell there anymore, they are a giant with no ears to hear.
But this technology is great and its use is free and open, its not of question of should we but more a question of how you live with it.
eBay sucks. The majority of valuable item auctions are fraudulent. And, if you weren’t aware… PayPal is the devil. >=(
@Spark
I hear ya… but what can be done. The West has sold his soul to the Chinese slave owners to make all their stuff cheaper, faster.
Where is the end?
@Speedyg
You can’t do much other than to refuse to be a part of the destructive behavior, and to speak out about as I have.
I ask people to just think about the ramifications of large numbers of consumers using this method to shop for a product and then buy somewhere else. Play it out over time. It is corrosive behavior. It is kind of like a Ponzi scheme where a few people early in the cycle reap benefits, but ultimately a much larger group is damaged.
I know most here won’t agree with me because it is seductive to “get a bargain”; be part of “hunt”. But mark my words, this activity will hasten end of the local retail store. No window shopping. No “feeling the material”, or trying on clothes before buying. No stereo shops. No local camera store where the sales guys REALLY know the pros and cons of every product. Be fair to your local business owners, even if it cost a few extra bucks.
@Spark
Your point about dangers to local small business from apps like RedLaser is valid. But is the solution to saving local small business keeping their customers ignorant? I hope not.
For a small retailer to survive against big box stores and Internet shopping, they must offer something special. That something special is typically service. Service means catering to your customers, special ordering what they want, keeping them informed on the status of orders, and being available to answer their questions.
Unfortunately, many small retailers never learned these skills and those are the guys that go belly-up when the newest Home Depot or Walmart opens nearby. To them I say good riddance, don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. Their exit will make room for new retailers who specialize and offer great service.
Now if only our government would take the same approach with banks.
I wonder how long MacDailyNews will ignore the following stories:
1) iPhone 4’s glass back can scratch
2) iPhone 4’s screens are showing up with small discolorations/blotches
3) Holding the iPhone 4 in certain ways causes the phone to lose all bars and eventually to drop the connection (speculation being that it’s because you are directly touching the antennas in this design – hence the Apple bumper case, some have cynically postulated)
Tough to give these the Apple can do no wrong spin.
@Bill
Did you ever considering posting your comment on one of the news stories that might actually relate to the new iPhone?
Good move.
Bill:
you are the epitome of methodical and thourough , I’m sure you’ve witneesed all of these enourmous issues personally on at least 5% of the pruduction run. Run….
I really hope that Ebay knows its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to this product. Red Laser started becoming a bad product when they stopped linking to Amazon. Something that it seems Ebay is going to do also.
Ebay stinks when it comes to books and non auction items, so will they do the right thing and open this up to other stores for comparison pricing? Or will we be stuck with Uncle Dan’s Garage sale items on Ebay for best pricing?
Amazon should be the listing for books and small independent markets should be opened up also with Ebay getting a commission for sales. For example, if my local store has the best price and you order through the program, then Ebay should get a 2-5% cut of the gross or net. That way even the small stores that are local or small web stores can get a piece of the pie.
Congratulations to the Red Laser team though on making a great product. And for getting a deal done. Let’s just hope that Ebay does the right thing with this….
Rick.
@84 Mac Guy
“Your point about dangers to local small business from apps like RedLaser is valid. But is the solution to saving local small business keeping their customers ignorant? I hope not.”
Ignorant? Stores that carry actual product that you can touch and examine do more to eliminate ignorance than any website. I don’t mean to denigrate websites, or online stores. Not at all. This has to do with individual buyers. You and me. Let’s say I decide to buy a digital SLR, but I’m not sure if I’d be better off with a Nikon or Canon. I can read sales materials and reviews on the web until I am blue in the face (and I probably will). But this is a major purchase, so I go down to my local camera store where the sales guy shows me the models I’m interested in. Shows me the variety of lenses and other accessories available. Talks to me about the nature of my photography and perhaps suggests a different model that will serve my needs better. I get to hold the cameras. Look through the viewfinders. Feel the weight and balance. So, after spending 45 minutes to an hour learning what my best buying decision will be, how do I reward my local camera store? I scan the bar code on the camera body box and find an online store that can sell me the same camera for $20 less. Is that the “right” thing to do? The ethical action? This guy is not keeping me “ignorant”. In fact he is enlightening me. Is it his responsibility to match the price of the warehouse that has no showroom and no sales support? I have nothing against buying cheap on the web, but the Redlaser product is designed to acquire its barcode info from the poor son of a bitch trying to provide a valuable buying environment, and I see too many people that just think “Cool, now I can go into a store, find what I want, and then look for the cheapest price on the internet.” I think that is poisonous to all concerned.
“For a small retailer to survive against big box stores and Internet shopping, they must offer something special. That something special is typically service. Service means catering to your customers, special ordering what they want, keeping them informed on the status of orders, and being available to answer their questions. “
My point about Redlaser has nothing to do with non-quality stores succumbing to superior competition. It has to do with individuals understanding that when they go into a store to do comparative shopping, they owe that store something. If you don’t find anything you want or can use in the store then fine, walk out. But if the store has what you want and by reviewing your options at that store you were able to come to a buying decision, then that store has already provided a service to you and they deserve your buying dollars. Bottom line is that if you are determined to have the rock bottom price that a product can be had for, find it on your own via the internet and stay out of local retailers. In my mind, using an app like Redlaser to go into a store and scan code so you can find a cheaper price online is not much different than stealing. Maybe a White Lie compared to a Big Lie, but even so, most of know that even White Lies can be damaging.
</soapbox>
“It has to do with individuals understanding that when they go into a store to do comparative shopping, they owe that store something.”
Says who?
“If you don’t find anything you want or can use in the store then fine, walk out. But if the store has what you want and by reviewing your options at that store you were able to come to a buying decision, then that store has already provided a service to you and they deserve your buying dollars.”
Only if that is their stated policy in doing business… that they charge for advice or recommendations. Otherwise no one owes them anything.
Do you also feel that TV viewers are obligated to watch commercials because broadcast TV is free? (Don’t laugh. I’ve had discussions with people who truly believe broadcast TV viewers have an obligation to watch commercials.)
I have been in business for myself most of my adult life, and I consider myself to be a laisse-faire capitalist swine, but I have to ask myself, where do people come up with these ideas?
Let me ask you this. What if this didn’t involve an online store vs. a B&M;store, but two (or more) B&M;retail businesses?
Which store would a person be obligated to do business with? The first one they contacted? The one that gave them the best deal? The one that spent the most time with them?
i read this news and get information arround the world. i think whenever any body read this hopefully those will be happy.
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/free-business-cards-online-where-to-get-free-business-cards-2337616.html
@leodavinci
“Says who?”
Says me of course. It’s an opinion. I’m not talking about “stated policies” or obligations to buy something just because you went in to shop. I’m talking about the person with a smartphone and the Redlaser app who is entering a B&M;store for the sole purpose of finding a product and scanning the barcode so they can search for the best price to buy elsewhere.
Everyone has a right to “shop” for best product, price, service, etc. But if a shop owner has inventoried the product you want… has it right there for you to walk out with… and has provided his/her time to aid in product selection… and you have intent to buy the product, I think that barring some evidence of price gouging you should reward that shopkeeper with the sale.
Seriously, how can one argue with that premise. It is fair, and a win/win transaction. Going into a store with no intention to buy, but only to scan a bar code is NOT a win/win transaction. My point is that without mutually beneficial transactions there will be a breakdown in the the current way retail works. You think your local lamp store is going to continue hanging all those lamps in their showroom and setting up all those fake little room settings so you can see how the lighting works just so folks can stroll through with their Redlasers scanning the products to find the best price on the web? Seriously… get real.
You do what you want, but I would be a bit ashamed using Redlaser in a store. I’d be ashamed to learn that my son was doing it. To me it is just common decency, and treating people the way that I would like to be treated. I can’t explain it any better.
@ El Guapo
My wife bought me a program called Delicious Library 2 for Christmas. It keeps track of all the books, CDs, DVDs, Blu Rays, tools, and other gadgets that I lend out and then puts a reminder in iCal to tell me that I should be getting it back. I totally recommend it.
Mike
@spark:
In my opinion, a person who enters a store with the sole purpose of finding a product and scanning a barcode so that they can search for the best price to buy elsewhere is, simply, an idiot. They’re likely to spend more on transit and the opportunity cost of their time in chasing around, just to save a penny or two.
As to my experience, I’ve been in stores, seen a product that I decided that I would like to own, and used an app like RedLaser (actually the ShopSavvy app from Big in Japan, which was free as opposed to costing money – notice a theme here?) to see what the market price for the item was. Sometimes, I’ve found that the store had a reasonable price for the item; sometimes, I’ve found the store was charging a hefty premium. I’ve bought from the store in the first case, and not bought from the store in the second.
I can honestly say that if it weren’t for ShopSavvy, I wouldn’t have bought some of those items from the store – I would have assumed that I could get them cheaper on-line and ordered them from Amazon after I went home. So, I’ve used the app to reward merchants that offer fair pricing, rather than to penalize merchants that gouge.
@Spark, it works both ways. Sometimes items are CHEAPER locally, as “quietly please” just said… when you factor in shipping costs and all that. This is often true for small, inexpensive items. Comparison shopping can benefit local business.
I agree that it is crass and obnoxious for someone to walk into a store, use up all the salespeople’s time, and then walk out and buy elsewhere. I feel the same about kids (and adults!) who go into stores and play the video game demos just for fun, not even considering actually buying something. But we live in a world full of crass, obnoxious people. That will never change.
What could change is that these local store owners that you say such glowing words of praise about could start to charge modest fees for their services. I believe some could really make it work. Unfortunately, not everyone in a local business is the experienced, connoisseur-genius-professional that you make them out to be. The benefits of buying locally do not exist in every case.
Your scenario does not really fit into what Spark has been trying to say. There is a huge difference between buying a high-end camera versus shampoo. In the former, the salesman’s process can be very crucial to the buying process and that is what the “extra” money goes to: the luxury to make an informed decision on a product. The latter is simply a product in a store in which you want to make sure the store has a reasonable price on the product. These are not necessarily the same thing.
As you stated, if you are shopping in a store and see a book or some simple product there is nothing wrong with checking to make sure that the product is not unreasonably priced and, I do not think that Spark would disagree in these cases. However, morally it seems the “right thing to do” in rewarding a store when you are heavily utilizing that store’s resources to make an informed purchasing decision.
“I agree that it is crass and obnoxious for someone to walk into a store, use up all the salespeople’s time, and then walk out and buy elsewhere.”
This is the root of the problem which is what I believe Spark was pointing out. “Quietly please” gave us us the other side of the coin. Your comment nicely ties them together. That said, I have been noticing that the quoted behavior is becoming more and more common which, frankly, is quite sad and says a lot about the general public.
@quietlyplease
The only problem with that is sometimes what people consider a reasonable markup doesn’t take into account the realities of running a retail store. There’s a ton of costs involved, and 10% markup doesn’t usually cover that.