A Look at Apple’s Spot-the-Shopper Technology (opens in new tab)

(bits.blogs.nytimes.com)

24 pointsnjohnw14y ago11 comments

11 comments

I was hoping this would be a detailed look at how Apple implemented their buy-it-from-your-iPhone-using-your-AppleID-without-ever-talking-to-a-salesperson option in the Apple Store App.* I suppose it's in Apple's best interests to not reveal details of that system to would be thieves though.

* I used this feature when it first came out and found the experience pleasant, and was even prompted to flag down an employee and ask for a bag if I wanted (sure that partly defeats the purpose, but I did it anyway to see what would happen—I received a smile and a bag and a thank you with no hint of suspicion and no double checking of the receipt showing on my phone. I did have to enter the security code from my linked Credit Card.

user2414y ago

I was hoping it was some awesome machine learning system which separated people who were just browsing from people who actually wanted to buy.. oh well.

X-Istence14y ago

The system knows when you are in an Apple Store (it is a feature built into the location API apparently (it's an option in the emulator!)) and after you "take a picture" of the barcode it simply communicates with iTunes and charges your card.

Very awesome system in that it removes yet another bit of friction from the buying experience. I no longer have to wait for someone to be available to pay for my purchase, I simply pick it up, pay for it using my iTunes account, and leave the store.

throw_away14y ago

this explains how honest people get billed, but says nothing of how they manage loss-prevention.

1 more reply

flyt14y ago

This is almost certainly not approved by Apple PR, and is one of the rare instances where any information about Apple's internal operations are released to the public.

I would guess that Diego is about to be out of a job before Christmas :[

joezydeco14y ago

I really didn't see anything in the article that you can't glean by going to a store in person and watching the employees work.

Last time I was there I even asked the blueshirt to show me the battery pack/scanner apparatus attached to his phone. It was no big deal and he was happy to talk about it.

mjs14y ago

I tried the "request assistance" button in Apple's Covent Garden store a month or two ago, and it didn't work. No-one came, and when I asked a real person about this, he said they were aware someone needed help, but the system isn't able to tell them exactly where the person was. But maybe they've fixed it now...

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