Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
Snaptell for iPhone goes 2.0
One of my favorite apps in the early days of the App Store, SnapTell Explorer, has recently updated to version 2.0, and while they've dropped the "Explorer" part and were purchased by Amazon earlier this year, the app still offers the same impressive functionality: take a shot of a book, DVD, or album with the iPhone, and have it pull up ratings, information, and prices on the item in question. Despite the Amazon buyout, it still offers prices from elsewhere, though the Amazon mobile store in the app is the best-looking choice. The app now also lets you share "snaps" (you can email a found item to a friend for, say, a holiday wishlist), and it has a few reporting options for incorrect matches, to make their system even better.I'm still amazed by this app and how it can pull up an object from almost any picture -- more than a few times I've been in a bookstore or music store, and pulled up the app to snap an item, only to find it cheaper somewhere online. The app is a free download, too -- I can't think of a more must-have app for serious comparison shoppers.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
John.B said 5:05PM on 12-08-2009
This is just a ripoff of the Delicious Library app for the iPhone that Amazon yanked the "rights" to in favor or their own app. No need to fawn over a blatant copy when the original was so good...
Reply
Michael Rose said 5:36PM on 12-08-2009
What functionality does this app share with Delicious Library? DL lets you track your own collections; this lets you take pictures of other items and find them online.
Tony said 5:52PM on 12-08-2009
I agree with Michael. Those two apps are nothing (at all) like each other. That's like saying Yelp is a blatant ripoff of Epicurious.
Speed8ump said 11:38PM on 12-08-2009
No, this is functionality that *I wish* was in Delicious Library. The original iPhone app is very convenient (for those who got it). The thing it's missing is the ability to use the iPhone to import new items *into* DL. I'm betting we'd have that now if Amazon hadn't gone into a berserker rage, and instead had worked out some referrer setup with the team at Delicious Monster. *sigh*
Albert said 5:22PM on 12-08-2009
I like your taste in music :)
Reply
Joachim said 5:58PM on 12-08-2009
The screenshot is the one featured on the App Store :)
Tom_R said 6:42PM on 12-08-2009
I just had to comment. You say "more than a few times I've been in a bookstore or music store, and pulled up the app to snap an item, only to find it cheaper somewhere online" -- do you see anything wrong that? How is a local 'brick & mortar' retail store who sets themselves up for you to come in and browse around (and thereby undertaking significant overhead) going to compete with an "online retailer" after you've had a chance to "check it out" in person? How would you like it if that were your bookstore?
Reply
Tony said 8:15PM on 12-08-2009
I use the app in brick and mortar stores, and if the "in person" price is close, I go ahead and buy it even though I may have been able to save a couple bucks online. It's those occasions where the brick-and-mortar store is completely out of whack that I'll say "no thanks" and buy it online.