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Today, TheFind launched its anticipated iPhone application, called “Where to Shop.” The biggest selling points of the application involve the product search that combines location awareness with inventory feeds from Krillion and NearbyNow.

As we’ve written, the iPhone and its local search apps will bring mobile local search closer to the mainstream and create new standards, sets of expectations and overall comfort levels with searching for things locally on a mobile device. Nowhere is this more conducive than searching for specific products when out and about and away from your computer.

Part of this proposition has reached mainstream levels online, in terms of product research. But companies like NearbyNow and Krillion have taken this to the next level with actual inventory information for specific items and specific local outlets (TheFind has already partnered with these companies for its online site). iPhone Apps like Where to Shop will take this it to yet another level by enabling this same functionality when users are out shopping.

Many possible scenarios come to mind, such as checking inventory of other stores to see if there are better deals when standing in a given store. You can also imagine the edge this type of application would give during those cliche holiday season scenarios when cutthroat competition to get that hot new toy sends legions of parents frenetically driving around town and getting into fights.

But during the rest of the year, it can still be seen as a great utility and something that will be wrapped up in the iPhone’s changing standards on the mobile device world, and assimilation of mobile local search.


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The application was announced today but won’t be available in the App Store until later this month. In the meantime, you can get a sneak peek at SES San Jose, where TheFind CEO Siva Kumar will demo it during a TKG-run session on iPhone mobile local applications.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. I am hoping for the sake of TheFind that their application is actually available this month. It is a brilliant idea. Certainly not original but if they are first to market then congrats and best luck. We at DoApp, Inc. had approval on an app in June and I still don’t see it on iTunes. Let’s hope for the sake of all of us developing for the iPhone that Apple picks up the pace a bit. Oh, and I like the design of this app. Simple and clean. Nice work.

  2. Nice. Thanks for your feedback. I’m sure the folks at theFind appreciate it. Also interesting to hear of your story with the app store approval process. I’ve talked with a few companies that are waiting on an approval. It seems like we can’t get these great search apps fast enough. It’s an exciting time and Apple is always good at innovating and launching products, but not so good at fulfilling the early demand (even if foreseen). Longstanding problem with Apple. Anyway, best of luck with the approval process and launch and let us know when its out if, if i don’t find it myself first. Thanks.

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