Amazon just launched a new product called Dash, a little gadget that lets you scan bar codes or speak into its internal microphone to create a shopping list on-the-go.
The idea is that you can order items that you're running low on as seamlessly as possible. Just scan the bar code of your half-empty bottle of milk or say "chocolate chips" into the microphone, and that data will be sent to your AmazonFresh account, where you can log in, refine the list, and officially purchase everything you need.
Because that's the big catch: To use Dash you need to use Amazon's same-or-next-day delivery service, AmazonFresh. And to do that, you must live in either San Francisco, Southern California, or Seattle — at least for now.
But if you do, it's your lucky day, because the device is completely free. Amazon's game plan with Dash is ultimately to encourage people to buy more stuff from the site. Like the Kindle makes money for Amazon because it gets users to buy more books, and the Fire TV will make money for Amazon by getting users to buy movies and games, the Dash will likely amp up the number of products that people order through AmazonFresh.
Check out Amazon's (adorable) video:
