Now Reading
Hey Brainiac, Your Shopping Cart is Smarter than You
Slut for Slicha
A Very Jewcy Rosh Hashanah
Snipped and Satisfied
Schtupless in Seattle
Gefilte Guilt
Messy Meshugane. Again.

Hey Brainiac, Your Shopping Cart is Smarter than You

The question isn't if the machines will take over, it's when and where. The answer? Now, and in the supermarket. Apparently we've all grown so feeble-minded that we're incapable of reading ingredients lists. Likewise, we seem to be having trouble with the concept of "too much" when it comes to junk food. The solution? Literacy mentoring? Help from a nutritionist? Puhleez. The solution, obviously, is to let someone else do the thinking for us–ideally a smart cart.

Supermarket shoppers may soon be cruising the aisles with "intelligent" shopping carts that warn them if they are purchasing too much junk food, technology experts say.

Some shoppers are already using the advanced shopping carts. Trials of touch-screen computers on them have been conducted in stores in the U.S.

While many people probably would be happy enough if they could simply get their cart to travel in a straight line, the high-tech model is fitted with a computer screen and bar-code scanner.

It can read each product's individual code to give customers information about calories, nutrition, ethical sourcing and the environment.

I'm really not some neo-Luddite opposed to this sort of technology overall. In fact, I'm all for technology that enhances convenience and facilitates our ability to gather information, learn, and grow. But this just strikes me as a cop out. Carts that scan each item, keep "a running total of how much you are spending — and actually eliminate the need to wait in line at the check-out" sound great, and guess what: they already exist.

Shopping carts that do the thinking for you, though, don't make anybody smarter, and don't really address the dangerous disconnect between people and the stuff we call food. People who need a smart cart to tell them when they've loaded up with too many bags of chips, cartons of cookies, and tubs of ice cream have a bigger problem than a barcode scanner can fix.

Agree? Disagree? Tested one of these suckers? Bring it on in comments.

View Comments (8)
  • Pretty component of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I get actually enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I will be subscribing on your augment or even I achievement you get right of entry to persistently fast. [Reply]

  • The subsequent time I learn a weblog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as a lot as this one. I mean, I do know it was my choice to learn, however I truly thought youd have one thing attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about one thing that you possibly can repair in case you werent too busy searching for attention.

  • Don’t think in which simply because it will be free would not necessarily suggest that must be good! Anytime you are searching for the numerous different choices around people, will not disregard this place.

  • Considerably, this post is really the sweetest on this notable topic. I harmonise with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your incoming updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the phenomenal clarity in your writing. I will directly grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. Admirable work and much success in your business dealings!? Please excuse my poor English as it is not my first tongue.

  • Undeniably imagine that that you stated. Your favorite reason appeared to be at the internet the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get irked whilst people consider concerns that they plainly don’t recognise about. You controlled to hit the nail upon the top and outlined out the whole thing with no need side-effects , people can take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top