Making Life in the Check Out Easy

You're not alone with that thought. Big Blue, for one, thought up something along those lines. Also, some stores around here use customer-operated hand scanners. Customers scan items as they load their trolleys, and pay on exit.

I need to watch more TV! I assume that was a commercial that you provide a link to. But, thats one other item I have little use for.

How do we get away from the "greeter"?

I don't watch commercial TV - I found that with Google.

"greeter"??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxFc1RMbko4

Ah. Don't get many of them in Britland. Asda (Walmart UK) has one sometimes.

It's happening.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/03/rfid/

The down side are

1) How is the tagging system effectively works? Thieves are thieves, new scam might arise by simply tampering the sensors/tag that it might not work and pass along the cashier uncounted.

2) Is the IR/other system to be used for this, totally safe?

3) How much will you be willing to pay for the time save employing such system. Will this new system be feasible and accounts to per unit product sold more or less same than the old?

Definitely, this system will still be inconvenient for doing cash payments and change.

No. 1 is really the challenge though.

End of an era though. As a kid I bagged groceries at the commissary for tips. Bought my first car with those savings.

Shopping carts are already expensive enough without adding computers to them. The last I heard about automating shopping - could have been last millenium - was to use RFID to just scan and automatically debit your money as you exit the store. That might allow you to put the items directly into your bag (in the cart so you don't have to carry them around though we all need the exercise...)

I wouldn't be surprised if this sort of thing is happening somewhere in the world now.

With smart phones, we're "this close" to letting you check out as you shop. You can scan the UPC with your phone, have it talk to the store, track your total and then tell the bank to give the store your money when you're done. You'd need a secure account with the store.