CNET Launches Shopping App to Aid Shoppers this Holiday Season

To help consumers shop with confidence this holiday season, CNET and CBS Mobile today announced a new mobile shopping application that lets shoppers easily access CNET editor reviews, user reviews, product specs, and pricing info instantly from any AndroidTM-powered mobile device.  The CNET Scan & Shop app is now available for free in Android MarketTM.

Technology and consumer electronic products are expected to top holiday wish lists this year; according to CNET's Annual Holiday Shopping Survey (Nov. 2009), on average, consumers plan to spend up to 41% of their total holiday purchases on consumer electronic gifts such as digital cameras, smart phones, and laptops.

The CNET Scan & Shop app gives consumers a fast, convenient, and easy way to look up products and compare prices among local and online retailers via their Android devices. While shopping, consumers can search for products by name or scan product barcodes directly from the device's built-in camera and instantly access all the key information needed to make purchasing decisions. 

"Shopping for consumer electronics at this busy time of year is confusing and stressful," said Scott Ard, Editor in Chief of CNET. "As the leader in providing information about technology, CNET is now using the latest technology to let consumers save time and shop with confidence.  Our Scan & Shop app lets buyers easily access CNET's trusted reviews to make sure they are buying the right product at the right price."

 "Even when the most prepared shoppers get to the store, they're presented with new products and lured with special offers," said Rob Gelick, Senior Vice President and General Manager, CBS Mobile.  "The CNET Scan & Shop app takes the guess-work out of spontaneous shopping and makes every purchasing decision an informed one."

CNET Scan & Shop app features include:

• Comparison Shopping: Easily access product information and compare prices among local and online retailers. When searching for a specific product, consumers can view a list of nearby physical retail stores that carry the product, as well as a map of their locations.

• Trusted Reviews: Access expert, unbiased reviews from CNET's trusted editors. Shoppers can also benefit from opinionated user reviews, sorted by star ratings.

• Wish Lists: Create, update, and save wish lists of favorite tech and consumer electronic products for future reference.

• Price Alerts: Sign up to receive email notifications when the price of a product drops to a certain level.

• Share: Automatically share scans with friends and family by email or via postings to Twitter and/or Facebook.

CNET Scan & Shop is powered by ShopSavvy, the market leader in mobile barcode scanning technology.  CBS Mobile and ShopSavvy partnered to develop the app, which is now available for free in Android Market and Android-powered devices.