Amazon has found an interesting new way to integrate online shopping into your offline life. This week, the company has introduced a curious new offering called the Dash Button – a physical, real-life button that can be pressed to place an Amazon order of certain grocery items and brands.
The Dash Button itself is a rather small object, about the same size as your finger, that mounts where you want it via adhesive backing. It connects to Wi-Fi via the Amazon mobile app. The app is also where you’ll be able to access the button’s specific settings, so the button gets connected to the specific version or size of the product you want delivered.
Each Dash Button is made available by a partnering household brand – there’s a Tide button, a Bounty button, a Huggies button and even a Kraft Mac and Cheese button. This limits the number of products you can request by button press, but as of this writing, there are 258 relatively popular products available that can be linked to one. You can browse or search the full list of available press-to-order products by clicking here.
When you’re about to run of Glad bags, Larabars or whatever product your button is linked to, you simply give the tiny gadget a quick press. That’s all there is to it – your order will automatically be submitted, and a confirmation alert will be sent to your mobile device. It’s designed by default to only respond to the first button press until a product is delivered, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally winding up with a ton of product you don’t need. You can also cancel an order before it ships – a good feature if a child gets a hold of the button and starts mashing it for fun.
For now, the Dash Button is only available to Amazon Prime members on an invitation-only basis, so if you’re interested in giving the tech a try, keep an eye out for the invite in your email inbox. Each invitee can request up to three separate buttons at no charge. You can learn more by visiting the Dash Button landing page on Amazon, or by watching the short promotional YouTube video embedded below.
[Image credit: Amazon]
From billcaz on April 01, 2015 :: 6:39 pm
For hard-core Amazon grocery purchasers this is actually a good idea, especially if one (or more) members of the household are in the habit of putting the empty box, bottle, container etc. back in its place and failing to notify the shopper of the household of its “demise”.
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From Josh Kirschner on April 02, 2015 :: 9:58 am
And I agree, it is a good idea for certain products. We would definitely use it for cleaning supplies, and would love to have it for our milk supply, too. Between our three kids and my wife’s latte habit, we might as well own our own cow.
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