Smartphone Software Gets Smarter, More Interactive

Context-aware computing draws on vast amounts of data to help consumers buy from vendors that know more about them, too

From BusinessWeek, December 7, 2009

Ellen Tanowitz has uncovered what may become the envy of every budget-conscious, working parent. She found a simple way to save time and money—while keeping a brood of kids occupied—as she shops for groceries at her neighborhood Stop & Shop.

Her secret? Tanowitz, an attorney from Newton, Mass., uses a hand-held device that lets her scan items the instant she takes them off the shelf; that means no more long waits in a checkout line. The scanner also knows her buying history and whereabouts in the store, and it uses that information to deliver coupons for the items she purchases most. (Her family loves cream cheese, for instance.) Best of all for this mother of three, the device is so easy and fun to handle that it keeps her children busy till shopping is done. "My kids fight over the scanner. They have to take turns because they all love to use it," she says.

Read the Full Article: BusinessWeek