Pongr: Making Shopping Easier One Text At a Time

Some call shopping a sport. And I agree. I mean, think about it. In order to get the job done right, one needs skill, technique, timing, and so much more. The only equipment you really need is a good, comfortable pair of shoes and a nice big purse (preferably with a fully-stuffed wallet and possibly a granola bar for some nourishment), and now there’s a new piece of equipment that’s going to make shopping a whole lot easier.

By Sues

To get this new piece of shopping equipment, all you have to do is pull out your cell phone! No, not so you can chat it up with your friends as you bargain hunt, but so you can find the best deals on everything you’re shopping for. A new service called Pongr automatically tells you where you can get the best price on almost any item. Um, amazing?

According to the Pongr website, all you have to do is take a camera phone picture of the item you want (if it’s a book, CD, DVD, or video game) or type the UPC code or product description into a text message (if it’s clothing, shoes, electronics, or purses) and either e-mail your query to ping@pongr.com or text it to SHOPP. You’ll automatically get a text message back telling you where you can get the item for cheapest. If it’s online, you can purchase the item right from your phone and if it’s a brick and mortar store, Pongr will give you directions to the store.

I’m not quite sure how Pongr knows I’m taking a picture of The Wedding Planner DVD (Uh, favorite movie ever) but it does, and it knows I can get it at Amazon.com for $8.49, which is a better deal than the $9.99 it sells for at Newbury Comics. Not that I’m not willing to pay extra to get my Matthew McConaughey and JLo fix, but saving money is always a good thing (more for shoes! And alcohol! And cute fall jackets!). Pongr doesn’t seem to be perfect, at one point thinking my picture of the Napoleon Dynamite DVD was Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner? Jon Heder? Hmm I can see the confusion), but overall it does a good job of recognizing images and sending results.

From now on, I won’t leave home without Pongr for all my retail expeditions. If shopping is a sport, then I say GAME ON!

[photo from Corbis]