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It's a intermediate step towards absolute frictionless purchasing. We went from physical in-store cash payments to online 1-click delivery. The purchasing expe

by bbx 12y ago

It's a intermediate step towards absolute frictionless purchasing. We went from physical in-store cash payments to online 1-click delivery. The purchasing experience has continuously been quickened, to close the gap between the intent and the action. Nowadays, running out of coffee capsules (for example) still requires some interaction, via your phone or your laptop. There's at least a dozen of seconds between the intent and the action. Having a button attached to the products container doesn't only remove that intent/action gap physically but also mentally, because you're actually consuming the product at that exact moment. The ultimate frictionless experience would be for coffee capsules to be delivered before running out of them, through a prediction system à la Google Now. But that would require some kind of physical tracking system... Some people think it's an April fools joke. I'm not so sure. It makes sense to me.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
gitah 12y ago
This just seems like a stop-gap solution before the true solution which is wearables (or Amazon Echo/Glass). Saying the name of what you want to buy into your smartwatch/glass/echo is going to be a lot more frictionless and scalable than putting these buttons all over your house.
elevensies 12y ago
If you think about what a butler would do, that's the logical endpoint, it could mostly be done in software I think. Given a budget and a set of goals (keep certain things stocked, fresh, replace when used) it would try to satisfy them. It might warn you if it can't, and you could adjust criteria if you don't like the results. Given the API that appears to be behind the buttons I think we're already at the point where you could create a device so you could just yell in frustration "GODDAMMIT I NEED MORE TIDE™" and then it shows up an hour later (in select cities).
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  > Given the API that appears to be behind the buttons I think we're already at the point where you could create a device so you could just yell in frustration "GODDAMMIT I NEED MORE TIDE™" and then it shows up an hour later (in select cities). http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo/ http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo/
  - elevensies 12y ago
    oops, forgot that was real, I only remembered the parody: https://youtu.be/GijLoiVkmYI https://youtu.be/GijLoiVkmYI (nsfw language)
- minthd 12y ago
  They also released an API: https://www.amazon.com/oc/dash-replenishment-service https://www.amazon.com/oc/dash-replenishment-service
smacktoward 12y ago
(Fast forward to 2025) "Wait, you expect me to actually PUSH A BUTTON?"
- epochwolf 12y ago
  Hey Siri, order more tide.
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    Hey Google (through my Nest), am I low on anything? If so, go ahead and order it through (whomever is cheapest|whomever can get it here today).
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
    - oneeyedpigeon 12y ago
      Now that door-to-door supermarket deliveries are a thing (at least, they are here in the UK) it actually seems that a lot of items would just be more convenient to order on a subscription basis. For example, I'm pretty much always* going to need toilet paper, soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, tea bags, salt, pepper, etc. at about the same rate as I need them now. None of those things will spoil fast enough for it to be a problem if they're not delivered exactly when I need them. I would be delighted to just not have to think about the essentials and leave grocery shopping for the more interesting, impulsive decisions. These buttons seem to be just for the former, though. In other words, I'd rather not have the button OR the auto-running-out-sensing thing when a regular order would just be easier all round.
      - freehunter 12y ago
        Amazon here in the US does that. You can even get a single package of gum sent to you once a week, and you'll get a discount on it. There are other services like ManPacks, Dollar Shave Club, etc that offer subscriptions to everyday essentials.
iNate2000 12y ago
The data generated by even a few dozen people using these buttons will greatly improve prediction algorithms for consumables. This is totally creepy and awesome.
lvs 12y ago
I don't currently feel any "friction" to purchasing laundry detergent.
- k__ 12y ago
  I have to buy it in the supermarket and carry it home. Or I have to order it online.
- quadrature 12y ago
  As someone without a car, it is annoying buying new detergent along with the week's groceries.
- HCIdivision17 12y ago
  It's pretty annoying to strap on a motorcycle.
- robwilliams 12y ago
  I've got to drive to the store, find it, wait in line, check out, put it in my car and then drive home. That's much more friction than just pressing a button.
hammock 12y ago
> But that would require some kind of physical tracking system... Package RFID tags with every item, and a smart fridge/smart cabinet. It's not that hard. A retailer like Walmart might even pay for the manufacturer to install these RFID tags, as they can be used double-duty in the retailer's own inventory process.
- imroot 12y ago
  Or, you can do what I do -- a barcode scanner near my trash can that scans the UPC codes of everything that I throw away (or recycle) and adds it to my shopping list for the next time that I'm out.
  - bduerst 12y ago
    Are you the guy who runs the Oscar github repo? https://github.com/danslimmon/oscar https://github.com/danslimmon/oscar
  - jgrowl 12y ago
    You still have to make the effort to scan it though, right?
  - shiftpgdn 12y ago
    This is pretty clever. Where is your database of UPCs coming from?
benihana 12y ago
I think the end game is delivery of a good by robotics in under an hour. I'm not sure what the next step in that is. But this doesn't solve the main problem Amazon faces that their traditional competition solves: I don't have a good, say laundry detergent, and I need it now. I'd wait an hour for a drone to deliver something to my apartment if it meant not having to go out to the store. Like you said, and intermediate step.
nicholasjon 12y ago
> Nowadays, running out of coffee capsules (for example) still requires some interaction, via your phone or your laptop. Just taking a moment to enjoy that the above quote would have sounded exactly "like the future" to childhood me, and yet is both true and how I live my life today.
gravity13 12y ago
| The ultimate frictionless experience would be for coffee capsules to be delivered before running out of them But it's not like people can't be this, without much mental overhead. If I know it takes two days to ship something, and I use it daily, and recognize I'll be out in three days - I'm gonna push that button. It's frictionless because it integrates perfectly with the use of the product. How long before automatic cat-feeders automatically purchase cat food for you?
samspot 12y ago
If you click through the innovators link, they have a form of this tech that you can build into the device so that it can order automatically for you.

by bbx 12y ago

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

gitah 12y ago

This just seems like a stop-gap solution before the true solution which is wearables (or Amazon Echo/Glass). Saying the name of what you want to buy into your smartwatch/glass/echo is going to be a lot more frictionless and scalable than putting these buttons all over your house.

elevensies 12y ago

If you think about what a butler would do, that's the logical endpoint, it could mostly be done in software I think. Given a budget and a set of goals (keep certain things stocked, fresh, replace when used) it would try to satisfy them. It might warn you if it can't, and you could adjust criteria if you don't like the results. Given the API that appears to be behind the buttons I think we're already at the point where you could create a device so you could just yell in frustration "GODDAMMIT I NEED MORE TIDE™" and then it shows up an hour later (in select cities).

toomuchtodo 12y ago
> Given the API that appears to be behind the buttons I think we're already at the point where you could create a device so you could just yell in frustration "GODDAMMIT I NEED MORE TIDE™" and then it shows up an hour later (in select cities). http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo/ http://www.amazon.com/oc/echo/
- elevensies 12y ago
  oops, forgot that was real, I only remembered the parody: https://youtu.be/GijLoiVkmYI https://youtu.be/GijLoiVkmYI (nsfw language)
minthd 12y ago
They also released an API: https://www.amazon.com/oc/dash-replenishment-service https://www.amazon.com/oc/dash-replenishment-service

smacktoward 12y ago

(Fast forward to 2025) "Wait, you expect me to actually PUSH A BUTTON?"

epochwolf 12y ago
Hey Siri, order more tide.
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  Hey Google (through my Nest), am I low on anything? If so, go ahead and order it through (whomever is cheapest|whomever can get it here today).
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - oneeyedpigeon 12y ago
    Now that door-to-door supermarket deliveries are a thing (at least, they are here in the UK) it actually seems that a lot of items would just be more convenient to order on a subscription basis. For example, I'm pretty much always* going to need toilet paper, soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, tea bags, salt, pepper, etc. at about the same rate as I need them now. None of those things will spoil fast enough for it to be a problem if they're not delivered exactly when I need them. I would be delighted to just not have to think about the essentials and leave grocery shopping for the more interesting, impulsive decisions. These buttons seem to be just for the former, though. In other words, I'd rather not have the button OR the auto-running-out-sensing thing when a regular order would just be easier all round.
    - freehunter 12y ago
      Amazon here in the US does that. You can even get a single package of gum sent to you once a week, and you'll get a discount on it. There are other services like ManPacks, Dollar Shave Club, etc that offer subscriptions to everyday essentials.

iNate2000 12y ago

The data generated by even a few dozen people using these buttons will greatly improve prediction algorithms for consumables. This is totally creepy and awesome.

lvs 12y ago

I don't currently feel any "friction" to purchasing laundry detergent.

k__ 12y ago
I have to buy it in the supermarket and carry it home. Or I have to order it online.
quadrature 12y ago
As someone without a car, it is annoying buying new detergent along with the week's groceries.
HCIdivision17 12y ago
It's pretty annoying to strap on a motorcycle.
robwilliams 12y ago
I've got to drive to the store, find it, wait in line, check out, put it in my car and then drive home. That's much more friction than just pressing a button.

hammock 12y ago

> But that would require some kind of physical tracking system... Package RFID tags with every item, and a smart fridge/smart cabinet. It's not that hard. A retailer like Walmart might even pay for the manufacturer to install these RFID tags, as they can be used double-duty in the retailer's own inventory process.

imroot 12y ago
Or, you can do what I do -- a barcode scanner near my trash can that scans the UPC codes of everything that I throw away (or recycle) and adds it to my shopping list for the next time that I'm out.
- bduerst 12y ago
  Are you the guy who runs the Oscar github repo? https://github.com/danslimmon/oscar https://github.com/danslimmon/oscar
- jgrowl 12y ago
  You still have to make the effort to scan it though, right?
- shiftpgdn 12y ago
  This is pretty clever. Where is your database of UPCs coming from?

benihana 12y ago

I think the end game is delivery of a good by robotics in under an hour. I'm not sure what the next step in that is. But this doesn't solve the main problem Amazon faces that their traditional competition solves: I don't have a good, say laundry detergent, and I need it now. I'd wait an hour for a drone to deliver something to my apartment if it meant not having to go out to the store. Like you said, and intermediate step.

nicholasjon 12y ago

> Nowadays, running out of coffee capsules (for example) still requires some interaction, via your phone or your laptop. Just taking a moment to enjoy that the above quote would have sounded exactly "like the future" to childhood me, and yet is both true and how I live my life today.

gravity13 12y ago

| The ultimate frictionless experience would be for coffee capsules to be delivered before running out of them But it's not like people can't be this, without much mental overhead. If I know it takes two days to ship something, and I use it daily, and recognize I'll be out in three days - I'm gonna push that button. It's frictionless because it integrates perfectly with the use of the product. How long before automatic cat-feeders automatically purchase cat food for you?

samspot 12y ago

If you click through the innovators link, they have a form of this tech that you can build into the device so that it can order automatically for you.