Portable Phone Price-checkers: Pricing Power to the People

You know the drill... you're browsing the aisles of your favorite big-box store looking for bargains, holiday gifts, or that impulse item you can't imagine life without. But are you getting the best deal? What if there's a better price at the store next door or online outpost?

New tools for your mobile phone make price-checking as simple as taking a photo -- and they're available for smartphones now.

Launched earlier this week, the Amazon.com Mobile iPhone app (free from the iTunes App Store) helps shoppers identify anything they can take a photo of, and it's backed by a team of human reviewers. Here's out it works: Load the app, select the "Amazon Remembers" function and take a photo -- of anything. Whether it's a product you're researching at the store or that gizmo at a friend's house, your photo will be identified by a team of Amazon helpers and added to your Amazon shopping list. Compare prices and look up Amazon pricing in the easy-to-use iPhone (and iPod Touch) application.

If you're familiar with the popular music-finder application, Shazam -- think of this new iPhone gem as a sort of "Shazamazon".

Taking it to the next-level, users of the T-Mobile G1 sporting the snazzy new Google operating system "Android" can use their phones as a barcode reader. Snap a photo of a product's UPC barcode and the mobile software looks up area pricing, and where you might find the item at a local retailer. The software only works, for now, on the Android platform, and, as I understand, technical limitations (the 'fixed focus' camera to blame) prevent porting this application to the iPhone -- for now.

Now for those that don't have an iPhone or G1, there are still plenty of ways to look up pricing online. Many online retailers (including Amazon.com) have mobile-friendly versions of their website for any phone with a browser.

For lower-tech phones, give Google SMS service (text "help" to 466453) a try... text "product" followed by a description or UPC number to the Google short code and you'll get pricing information from online retailers. (The results aren't nearly as pretty or accurate as the smartphone apps above, but with some practice you can get basic information.)

Finally, you could always do what my own mother does: Call someone in front of a computer to confirm the must-have bargain you're considering.

Want to listen to this story? Hear report originally aired on KOMO 1000 News Radio 4 December 2008. Click here (MP3) to listen now.

Online Holiday Shopping How-To: Essential Money-Saving Tips

It's no secret the hot holiday gadgets this year will be very similar to last year's list: Wii, Wii Fit, many of the Rock Band 2 / Guitar Hero / related accessory packs, automobile GPS navigation units, digital cameras and -- especially this year -- flat screen televisions. To get these must-have items, you're going to need to do a bit of cyber-sleuthing... try these tips:

First tip: Patience. Often persistence, patience and some good-'ole fashioned hard work will land that essential gift. Befriend a local store manager, call the local big box each morning, and shop online - often. There's no telling when a sold-out item will be in stock and as they say: "the early bird..." (you get the idea).

Don't be afraid to use technology to find technology. There are sites that scour the web for you - many will even notify you if an item becomes available at the price you're willing to pay. I used one, NowInStock.net last year to find Wii consoles for friends and family. (Note: the website appears to have turned off mobile notifications (via. Twitter) given improved stock in online retailers... this may, of course, change as the gift-giving season heats up.) Other e-tailers, such as Amazon.com, will have built-in notifiers. Sign up to be alerted and prepare to drop everything and BUY NOW! (Experts recommend having an account created and login information handy to minimize the purchase time.)

Finally, there are four tips EVERYONE should ALWAYS do before hitting the virtual check-out:

A) Shop around. Amazon.com might be convenient, but they don't always have the best price. Use price comparison sites such as pricegrabber.com or even Google itself to check average prices. Be sure to check total price, including shipping and any taxes / fees.

B) Use a rebate site (my favorite, and I've mentioned it on the show before, EBATES.com) or referral bonuses (check your airline website for air mile opportunities for example) for maximum return on your holiday dollar. Seriously, folks, don't buy before you first visit EBATES.com -- you're leaving money on the table.

C) Look for coupons & free-shipping offers. This one's easy: search for the name of the retailer + . For example, if I see the word "Bargain Saver Code" in an online checkout site, that's a clue to search the web for + "bargain saver code". Different retailers use different names for their discounts -- but the logic here is this: Instructions on how to use the code are frequently re-posted by others, or even the retailer itself. The key phrase is often something like this: "Go to supershoemonkey.com and enter Monkey-Saver Code: XYZ123." By searching for "Monkey-Saver Code supershoemonkey.com", you're looking for those deals. Try it. Thank me later. ;-)

D) Check the return policy and save your receipt. Especially in this economy, prices are subject to change. Learn your retailers return policy and price adjustment practices. And check back. Another retailers may offer a lower price (repurchase/return) while some may drastically reduce their own prices. Online retailers with physical stores near you may allow in-store returns (or price adjustments), but check policies carefully before you buy. I spent over $100 at Banana Republic this past weekend only to return the next day to find out they were offering an additional %10 and other savings -- I got a bonus tie with the extra savings!

Happy Holiday bargain hunting!

12/1 Update: Hear this story as broadcast on Newsradio 750 KXL (KXL.com) during our Cyber Monday coverage. Listen to the MP3 now.

Back-to-School Technology Guide

Laptops:
Smaller, faster and less expensive are the trends in portable computers this year. Apple announced this past year the super-slim Macbook Air, and computer makers on the other side of the aisle were quick to match. Look for ultra-portable options from all the key players, including the HP 2133 Mini-Note...

HP 2133 Mini-Note PC -- "Honey?? I shrunk the laptop!" Once you get this (large) paperback-book sized notebook in your hand, you likely won't be able to set it down. Sporting an impressive 8.9" screen, I was especially drawn to the durability of this sub-notebook -- the thing just feels like it can be tossed in a backpack among the school books and gadgets. I will say, use caution when buying -- there are a few different models, the basic configuration comes with an Open Source Linux installation, if you're hoping for a Windows Vista-based machine, it's $100 more. Take a look for yourself here.

On the Apple side, there are two products worth mentioning. The first, my favoritate, is the super-slim Macbook Air. You've probably seen the launch commercials where it slides, no kidding, out of an envelope. It's eco-friendly and made from recycled parts. The keyboard is perfect for long hours of note-taking, and the brilliant display perfect for unwinding with a movie.

Both of these options are best as a second machine. While both are completely capable and run full versions of their respective Microsoft Office software (check with your school for academic pricing), you may consider taking a full-sized computer with large music-storing hard drive and standard keyboard for those all-nighter typing sessions.

Other must-haves?
Top-of-the-list: An external USB hard drive. Western Digital makes my favorites for around a hundred bucks. Cheap insurance against lost, stolen, or malfunctioning computers. Plug it into the campus computer lab and you're back up and running.

Finally, textbooks are an expensive part of any back-to-school budget. There's a great website that lets you rent the essentials, and it works a lot like Netflix. For more information on Chegg.com check 'em out online. They'll even let you keep the books if you decide you can't give it up at the end of the quarter!

Listen to this report, originally broadcast on KXL-AM Friday Aug 22: kxl_techexpert-backtoschool_20080822.mp3 (MP3)

Got questions? Feel free to drop me a line (techexpert (AT) brianwestbrook (DOT) com) and I'll do my best to steer you in the right direction! Happy studying! :-p