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Amazon Dash Keeps Shoppers From Leaving the House

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Here's a new scanner Amazon is testing.

Image: Amazon

Amazon has quietly announced a new gadget that should make it easier on AmazonFresh shoppers to purchase goods. Called Amazon Dash, it's essentially a barcode scanner that is 6.375 inches long, 1.125 inches wide and features wireless connectivity so that customers can add to their shopping list on the fly.

"Every member of the family can use Dash to easily add items to your AmazonFresh shopping list," reads the product page. "Keep it on your kitchen counter or hang it on the refrigerator. Did your kids just eat the last of the cereal? Conveniently refill and restock your home's everyday essentials, and have fun doing it."

Amazon's Dash has two input modes: microphone and scanner. The microphone allows users to simply say what they want to order by pressing the microphone button and speaking into the built-in mic. "It's a voice search that actually works," reads the product page, which is what Amazon said about the just launched Fire TV set-top-box. Could they use the same voice tech?

To scan a barcode, users merely hit the scan button and point it at the product box. Users can scan in a week's worth of groceries in mere minutes. According to the company, Dash recognizes millions of items available on AmazonFresh and Amazon.com.

"Dash connects to your home Wi-Fi network and works directly with your AmazonFresh account," reads the product page. "Say or scan items into your Dash, and then view the list on your desktop or mobile device to purchase and schedule delivery."

Unfortunately, Amazon Dash can only be acquired by invitation. Even more, AmazonFresh is currently only available in Southern California, the San Francisco area, and the Seattle area. Still, with the launch of both Fire TV and Amazon Dash, it's clear that the company wants customers to stay at home to get their blockbuster movies and popcorn from one online source.

AmazonFresh provides same-day and early morning delivery of a huge selection of items, including fresh grocery and local products. This service provides doorstep delivery and attended delivery, the latter of which means the customer schedules a 1-hour appointment to personally accept the delivery. For Doorstep Delivery, customers choose a three-hour window, but they are not required to be at home.

"We're branching out as fast as we can while being careful not to sacrifice the quality and convenience our customers expect from AmazonFresh," reads the AmazonFresh FAQ.

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15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jimmysmitty 09 April 2014 17:29
    Funny thing, yesterday I watched a cartoon about 4 aliens who had just found the internet and became addicted. They used it to get everything they need and never left their computers. In the end they ended up lazy, dirty and fat.

    Looks like we are on the verge of just that.

    Soon Amazon will have a service to wipe out butts clean.
    Reply
  • wardler 09 April 2014 17:44
    Funny thing, yesterday I watched a cartoon about 4 aliens who had just found the internet and became addicted. They used it to get everything they need and never left their computers. In the end they ended up lazy, dirty and fat.

    Looks like we are on the verge of just that.
    How about, "we are on the verge of wasting less time grocery shopping and using fuel to go to the store and instead have products shipped -once- directly to our door"?
    Reply
  • bmwman91 09 April 2014 17:49
    Funny thing, yesterday I watched a cartoon about 4 aliens who had just found the internet and became addicted. They used it to get everything they need and never left their computers. In the end they ended up lazy, dirty and fat.

    Looks like we are on the verge of just that.

    Soon Amazon will have a service to wipe out butts clean.

    If Amazon tries that, butt-wiping will be classified as medical care by the government and will require oversight. By the time it all gets sorted out, the government will have penned a 1150 page guidance and limitations manual for the butt-wiping process. The government mandated process will be tolerant of all lifestyles and ensure that nobody feels offended by the required tasks. This thorough government procedure will ensure that all bums are equally clean, although people may elect to take a shower afterward to get the poop out of their hair.

    /slowwednesdaymorning
    Reply
  • wardler 09 April 2014 17:52
    Funny thing, yesterday I watched a cartoon about 4 aliens who had just found the internet and became addicted. They used it to get everything they need and never left their computers. In the end they ended up lazy, dirty and fat.

    Looks like we are on the verge of just that.
    How about, "we are on the verge of wasting less time grocery shopping and using fuel to go to the store and instead have products shipped -once- directly to our door"?
    Reply
  • jimmysmitty 09 April 2014 20:57
    13063778 said:
    Funny thing, yesterday I watched a cartoon about 4 aliens who had just found the internet and became addicted. They used it to get everything they need and never left their computers. In the end they ended up lazy, dirty and fat.

    Looks like we are on the verge of just that.
    How about, "we are on the verge of wasting less time grocery shopping and using fuel to go to the store and instead have products shipped -once- directly to our door"?

    I am guessing the trucks doing said delivery do not use any fuel.

    As well going shopping burns calories as does driving so it is another way to be lazy in my eyes.
    Reply
  • Duckboy_the_1st 09 April 2014 21:08
    Lazy mofo's, nothing like a jog to stretch those lungs!, then Internet shop all you like lol
    Reply
  • Duckboy_the_1st 09 April 2014 22:23
    13065451 said:
    Lazy mofo's, nothing like a jog to stretch those lungs!, Internet shop all you like lol

    Can you be anymore ignorant? My fiance and I work over a 40 hours a week and the last thing we want to do with what little down time we have is go grocery shopping. This service is invaluable for us.

    wow I think you read it wrong, or i said it wrong! lol, I love the service! some people just got to go for a jog! some people really need it!. lol
    Reply
  • Duckboy_the_1st 09 April 2014 22:28
    13065451 said:
    Lazy mofo's, nothing like a jog to stretch those lungs!, then Internet shop all you like lol

    Can you be anymore ignorant? My fiance and I work over a 40 hours a week and the last thing we want to do with what little down time we have is go grocery shopping. This service is invaluable for us.

    Is that better? or has your 40hr week killed you? lol
    Reply
  • bmwman91 09 April 2014 22:35
    Lazy mofo's, nothing like a jog to stretch those lungs!, Internet shop all you like lol

    My initial knee-jerk reaction was similar to yours, but a few seconds of thought do indicate that this sort of thing has some big positives. Say a dozen households in a neighborhood order groceries on a Tuesday. Rather than having 12 individual cars clogging the road and burning fuel, the distributor (Amazon in this case) can chain the orders together and put one truck on the road to deliver the goods.

    Tons of sci-fi movies have shown a future where people get whatever they want without having to go get it. Really, it would be a pretty sweet future where "shopping" becomes fully automated and takes a couple of minutes rather than tens of minutes (or even hours). I get the argument that this just makes people lazier, but honestly, tons of people don't do jack besides watch TV after work anyway. A 30 minute break from TV to get groceries isn't exactly the cure for a sedentary lifestyle, so I don't think that this actually enables people to be any more sedentary than they already are. In fact, not having to go to the grocery store makes for more time to go for a walk so it could do the opposite.
    Reply
  • Duckboy_the_1st 09 April 2014 22:49
    13065564 said:
    Lazy mofo's, nothing like a jog to stretch those lungs!, Internet shop all you like lol

    My initial knee-jerk reaction was similar to yours, but a few seconds of thought do indicate that this sort of thing has some big positives. Say a dozen households in a neighborhood order groceries on a Tuesday. Rather than having 12 individual cars clogging the road and burning fuel, the distributor (Amazon in this case) can chain the orders together and put one truck on the road to deliver the goods.

    Tons of sci-fi movies have shown a future where people get whatever they want without having to go get it. Really, it would be a pretty sweet future where "shopping" becomes fully automated and takes a couple of minutes rather than tens of minutes (or even hours). I get the argument that this just makes people lazier, but honestly, tons of people don't do jack besides watch TV after work anyway. A 30 minute break from TV to get groceries isn't exactly the cure for a sedentary lifestyle, so I don't think that this actually enables people to be any more sedentary than they already are. In fact, not having to go to the grocery store makes for more time to go for a walk so it could do the opposite.

    This is my thinking! go for a jog/walk whatever! its all good!
    Reply