Michael Johnston
December 3rd, 2008, 01:59 PM
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Shortly after denying <a href="http://emptyfactory.com/mazo" target="_blank">Mazo</a> access to its API, Amazon has released an iPhone application which directly ties into the Amazon.com store. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=297606951&mt=8" target="_blank">Amazon Mobile</a> provides an interface to quickly search Amazon, read reviews, compare prices, and even purchase items. Members can access their wish lists, carts, and a myriad of other incredibly useful items right from the app.
The most exciting feature is "Amazon Remembers". The feature allows you to take a photo of a product and save it to your personal Amazon.com account. Additionally, Amazon will attempt to match up the photo to products in their database. If a match is found, you're notified by email and the app is updated with a link to the product.<!--break-->
In our limited testing of the app's item recognition feature, it seems incredibly accurate. Both product packaging and items themselves were recognized within minutes of their submission. According to Amazon, the photos are researched by a community of real people who match them to actual products. The process does take a few minutes, but having a real person at the helm certainly increases the chance of getting it right.
<center><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/november08/amazonphotos.jpg" /></center>
The app is available for free in the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=297606951&mt=8" target="_blank">App Store</a>.</div>
Shortly after denying <a href="http://emptyfactory.com/mazo" target="_blank">Mazo</a> access to its API, Amazon has released an iPhone application which directly ties into the Amazon.com store. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=297606951&mt=8" target="_blank">Amazon Mobile</a> provides an interface to quickly search Amazon, read reviews, compare prices, and even purchase items. Members can access their wish lists, carts, and a myriad of other incredibly useful items right from the app.
The most exciting feature is "Amazon Remembers". The feature allows you to take a photo of a product and save it to your personal Amazon.com account. Additionally, Amazon will attempt to match up the photo to products in their database. If a match is found, you're notified by email and the app is updated with a link to the product.<!--break-->
In our limited testing of the app's item recognition feature, it seems incredibly accurate. Both product packaging and items themselves were recognized within minutes of their submission. According to Amazon, the photos are researched by a community of real people who match them to actual products. The process does take a few minutes, but having a real person at the helm certainly increases the chance of getting it right.
<center><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/november08/amazonphotos.jpg" /></center>
The app is available for free in the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=297606951&mt=8" target="_blank">App Store</a>.</div>