Filed under: Retail, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Target releases 'Gift Globe' iPhone app
Target has decided to release released its own iPhone application a couple of weeks ago, possibly to encourage holiday shopping online. Stepping beyond the basic web application that Walmart released, the Target application [iTunes link] offers an interesting concept -- like an Urbanspoon for gift ideas.
The idea is to generate gift ideas quickly. First, select the gender and age of your recipient. Then shake the iPhone and the snow globe will display a potential gift. Don't like the recommendation? Shake the iPhone again, and another item will be displayed.
You can tap the item to access actions: add it to your favorites, purchase online, or start your selection over. With the favorites list, you have the ability to create a personalized holiday shopping list that you can carry with you. You can mark off items on the list as you purchase them. The application also allows you to find the nearest Target store.
The Target Gift Globe application can be found in the iTunes App Store for free.
Gallery: First Look: Target Gift Globe
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mel said 8:21AM on 12-17-2008
This has been out since November 25th. This site has seriously been slacking lately on information and also putting up reviews of iPhone apps that have either better free counterparts that are not mentioned, or reviews 3 weeks after an App is released.
Disappointment-ton.
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Big Dave said 8:28AM on 12-17-2008
I agree, lets hope this changes in the new year.
Frankfurter said 8:36AM on 12-17-2008
Ooooh, burn!!!!!
Elias said 8:35AM on 12-17-2008
Yeah, this app has been out since forever. What's strange is that you guys have been getting a ton of new bloggers for the site.
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gB said 9:03AM on 12-17-2008
It's called a "filler" ... They want to give the appearance of tons of new blogs, but there's not a lot going on in Apple Central to continue on about right this second - So they bring in this... An application we've been playing with, erased and rated, for over a month now...
It's okay - we still read it though!
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Andres Quijano said 9:12AM on 12-17-2008
I read this and though it was a different app that Target had released, but to no avail. The bloggers need to get their act together so as to not make TUAW look like fools.
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puhsitch said 9:17AM on 12-17-2008
Not to jump on the bandwagon, but it really does seem like product-mentions here are becoming more like ads than analyses. You're not getting kickbacks from the developers, are you? :)
For things like this or, say, that recently-mentioned Wikipedia app, readers will probably be a little less crotchety if you include a simple intro like, "This has been out for a little while now, but we thought it could use a mention," or "We know there are a number of others similar to this, but [...]"
Just a little qualifier of subjectivity, that's all we need!
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james said 9:44AM on 12-17-2008
test
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Mel said 10:19AM on 12-17-2008
I'm glad pretty much everyone is agreeing with me.
Let's see how long it takes them to report that SimCity for iPhone is released. It was this morning. Like an hour or two already.
Mel
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Michael Rose said 10:52AM on 12-17-2008
a) We already sent out a bulletin about SimCity http://twitter.com/TUAW/status/1062763015
b) We aren't the Associated Press, don't expect wire-service speed.
c) Cory thought the Target app was interesting, so he blogged about it (and I adjusted the lead paragraph to reflect that it's not a new introduction to the store). If you are looking for obsessive coverage of every iPhone app on day-of-release, you have other options.
Galley said 10:25AM on 12-17-2008
The snow globe portion is kinda corny, but the store finder part is great.
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Elias said 12:05PM on 12-17-2008
For breaking Apple news, Engadget is better, and they're supposed to cover a little bit of everything, not just Apple news.
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Alex said 5:18PM on 12-17-2008
Yeah you guys have been doing horrible lately on reporting on EVERYTHING.
It's not just iPhone apps.
I have Tuaw and a bunch of other tech sites in my RSS feeds and you are consistently days or sometimes weeks behind the competition.
It's so bad that I have to do a double-take thinking that there is something wrong with my RSS feed.
But no, then I just realize that you guys have just become incredible slow on reporting Mac news.
Like I was smacking my head when you reviewed the Facebook app for the iPhone like two weeks ago. ARE YOU SERIOUS!?
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