Amazon Releases Dash, a Home Barcode Scanner for Groceries The new device lets Amazon Fresh subscribers add items to their online shopping lists by scanning a product's barcode or simply by saying its name.
By Laura Entis
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Amazon remains hard at work building a world where shopping doesn't require leaving the house. First came news of the drones, and now, the Seattle-based company has unveiled Dash, another tool to keep shoppers away from actual grocery stores.
Dash is essentially a 6-inch LED scanner that can capture the barcode of any product you have lying around the house, and automatically add it to your Amazon cart. The device can also add unscannable items – apples, spinach etc. – to your electronic grocery list courtesy of a voice-recognition system.
Related: Amazon Could Ship Your Next Purchase Before You Even Order It
The catch: While completely free, Dash is available only for shoppers who have Amazon Fresh, the company's same day delivery service currently only available for residents in San Francisco, Southern California, and Seattle. And even if have the service (which costs $299 a year) there's no guarantee you'll be scanning cereal boxes in your kitchen anytime soon; for now, Dash is only available "by invitation."
Like Amazon Fresh, however, this could eventually be rolled-out nationwide.
Related: Changing Channels: With Fire TV, Amazon Enters the Blazing Set-Top Box Arena
Amazon has released a video introducing the product, making the hard push that not only will Dash ensure that you never run out of anything ever again, but it will save you buckets of time "so you'll never miss those special moments."
