Online killer app hasn't killed anybody yet

Wired: A plethora of new mobile phone applications allow users to type in a code or snap a picture of a product to find out exactly how much their local retailer is gouging them for that tube of toothpaste.

They've been dubbed killer mobile apps because they would empower a buyer to get real-time pricing information from other vendors — including, perhaps, competing brick-and-mortar establishments displayed on a local Google map (Oh look! It's $5 cheaper right across the street!) and online sellers who would be happy to deliver it to your door cheaper, postage-free and without collecting any sales tax.

But while the Web 2.0 promise is tantalizing, these programs have a long way to go before they put anyone out of business.

Click to continue