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Amazon Go

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1247 points mangoman | 2 comments | 05 Dec 16 14:57 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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elicash ◴[05 Dec 16 15:31 UTC] No.13105963[source]▶
I worked at a grocery store for several years, and one thing I recall is customers CONSTANTLY putting items back in a random aisle, rather than where they found it.

I wonder how this tech deals with that? Maybe they figured that out, too. But I was amused in the video when I saw the customer putting it back where it belonged, because that's not how I remember that going...

All that said, this is fantastic and exciting.

Edit: I also hope they're already thinking about EBT cards and WIC.

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Cthulhu_ ◴[05 Dec 16 15:38 UTC] No.13106046[source]▶
I really wouldn't trust 'picked up off the shelf' detection, not without the whole thing looking like a giant vending machine. RFID tags on products probably works better.
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jpalomaki ◴[05 Dec 16 16:23 UTC] No.13106494[source]▶
RFID has some privacy concerns, since the tags continue work when you are outside the store and somebody can scan what you are carrying.

Using these as EAN barcode replacement also has the problem that the system can't tell if you bought the product from Amazon GO or if you just happen to be carrying it with you when you enter the store.

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1. moftz ◴[05 Dec 16 18:10 UTC] No.13107657[source]▶
Someone can already walk around a grocery store and see what's in my cart or they can just watch me checkout. Buying groceries isn't exactly a private experience unless you buy your stuff online. Securing tags in things like a passport or credit card is important since identity theft is real and hardware to read the tags is cheap. Knowing what things I buy in the grocery store might help some marketers know what sells but I can't really think of any nefarious use of that kind of data.

Maybe you could use it to make some guesses about a person. An older guy buying frozen dinners, beer, and not much else is probably single or divorced. A woman buying prenatal vitamins is probably pregnant. Someone buying both Special K and Fruit Loops might have a family. But someone can already make these determinations from using their eyes. RFIDs might make it a bit easier but don't really add any new infosec facet to this grocery store experience.

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2. majewsky ◴[06 Dec 16 10:07 UTC] No.13113527[source]▶
> Someone can already walk around a grocery store and see what's in my cart or they can just watch me checkout.

The problem with electronic surveillance is never the surveillance part. It's the part where we can surveil billions of people at once without the need for billions of spies.