Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Consumer reports Handyphone App

Consumer Reports magazine database on your handyphone tells you when an item you are looking at is on the bottom 2/3 of the list, click to microsubscribe for $3, save hundreds
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Consumer Reports magazine is amazing I read a thing on vacuum cleaners

Typical $300 to $400

Costly $400 to $1400+

Cheap $60 to $300

The $140 to $170 vacuum was right near the top as was a $60 model, a $300 version topped the list

thus it appears the vast majority of people spend three times the amount to have a lesser product, unless they read Consumer Reports historically just 4 million out of 300 million people (or, more encouragingly, 4 million households out of 100 million) read their magazine

Now that the US dollar dropped a third, as well as GM being near a fifth of its year ago value It is pleasing to note that a $60 vacuum cleaner outperforms a $900 dollar vacuum cleaner

Cheap stuff can work well, you just have to verify it works.

lets put the Consumer Reports database at the handyphone

Your smartphone could either read the UPC symbol when you aim it or guess what it is seeing

Consumer Reports is adamant about refusing to let firms say "Consumer Reports top item" even when that is true, they like people to get their adless magazine to support research; their database is available online (5.95 per month, or an annual version)

I think they might offer a day pass for a buck or two, plus code a portion of their database so people could spot if the item they were viewing live were on the bottom 2/3

This kind of thing would greatly improve the quality of material life among the financially "recessed " giving amazingly, the capacity to improve it above their pre Consumer Reports on handyphone years

Consumer reports would gain a wider base

Manufacturers would have reason to make better cheaper products with the bonus of a wide awareness distribution channel

beanangel, Oct 13 2008

Consumer Reports http://www.consumer...s.org/cro/index.htm
[beanangel, Oct 13 2008]

which? http://www.which.co.uk/
[xenzag, Oct 15 2008]

[link]






       hey, good idea. i like it. why get the best restaurants on your phone and not product info. it would help with impulse buys and improve consumer standards. the problem is, getting the info that is relevant to the product you are considering buying is the problem.
williamsmatt, Oct 14 2008
  

       [Ian Tindale] I modified the writing a little; does the UK have a consumer review magazine   

       New Zealand has www.consumer.org.nz/   

       having the handyphone look at the cart to guess what is there might be an effective use of distributed computing   

       It could be lots of computer power to glance at a cart full of things to visually identify them
beanangel, Oct 14 2008
  

       I don't subscribe to CR. I just use my experience to judge products, I've made a mental list of companies whose products should be avoided (HP/Compaq and Toshiba are at the top, FYI), and another list of companies whose products performed exceptionally.
Spacecoyote, Oct 15 2008
  

       "Consumer Reports" - called Which magazine in UK.
xenzag, Oct 15 2008
  

       [Spacecoyote] I don't think many people's experience of consumer goods is wide enough to properly judge new ones. I've had very good experiences with HP, which probably just indicates that there's a high variance in quality between different products from the same company.   

       Also, companies can change quite quickly - due to a behind-the-scenes change in organisation, or by resting on their laurels.
Srimech, Oct 15 2008
  

       //a $60 vacuum cleaner outperforms a $900 dollar vacuum cleaner// You're sure the report didn't take price into account? Our 'choice' magazine does so in its final ratings, I think. Just checking. Good idea anyway.
spidermother, Oct 15 2008
  

       //that there's a high variance in quality between different products from the same company//   

       Exactly. A couple of HP's high end products were good to me, but everything else was terrible. I don't tolerate that much variance within one company.   

       Brother is a good counter example. I've used both low end and high end Brother equipment and both were built to last and engineered well, the high end equipment just had more features and higher capacity.
Spacecoyote, Oct 15 2008
  
      
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