We just released version 1.3 of ShopSavvy for the iPhone and it seems to be working for almost everyone.  We have several test phones – 2G, 3G and 3GS.  We even have 3GS phones running OS 3.0.  In each case we have tested ShopSavvy over the past week without any sort of crash.  However, almost everytime we update the app someone finds a crash.  If the crash is obvious (as it was in 1.1) we don’t really need much help – just a release to the iTunes store (i.e. it take about a week).  If the crash is NOT obvious (i.e. we can duplicate it) we need help.  There is a way you can help if you are seeing a crash in 1.3 (or higher).  Just send us the crash report.  Aleksandar Vacić wrote a great instructional post on how to get the report for those of you who don’t know how to extract the report.  Read it here.  Email results to support@biggu.com

I think we are now on our 3.6 version of ShopSavvy for Android and it seems as though about 1% of users have the ‘force close’ issue.  For most a simple uninstall, reinstall and reboot solves everything.  For some of you this doesn’t work. Again, we have never been able to repeat this force close issue (and we have a LOT of Android phones).  If you can go to the Android market and download the Log Collector App and then run ShopSavvy the app will collect the crash report.  Get ShopSavvy to crash a couple of times and then open the Log Collector App and email the results to support@biggu.com.

In both cases users that send us a crash report with a ShopSavvy issue will get a ShopSavvy t-shirt and associated schwag.  Just send us your address and shirt size.

Architel is the 2010 sponsor of the monthly Startup Happy Hour.  The regular get together of between 20-80 entrepreneurs began in 2008 when Alexander Muse, my business partner sent an email to a few of his friends suggesting they invite a few entrepreneurs to the High Tech Bar in our building for a get together.  Over the past couple of years more than 2,500 entrepreneurs have shared a beer (or two) with us.  As part of their 2010 community engagement effort Architel is becoming the official sponsor of the event.

Are you an entrepreneur? Do you work for a startup or small business?  Looking for a job?  Looking for a partner?  Looking for angel investment?  Come on by for a drink and some fellowship with like-minded folks from North Texas.  The event is in the Building (1950 Stemmons Freeway) at the corner of Oak Lawn and I-35.  We get started around 5PM, hope to see you there.  Just RSVP here.

If you have a 3GS you will LOVE version 1.3 of ShopSavvy.  This version of ShopSavvy is FASTER than our Android version (again only for 3GS users).  It seems like version 1.3 is live in the iTunes market for most users.  The early reviews from 3GS users are very positive.  If you are a 3GS user please take a minute to give this release a new rating (i.e. 5 stars would be nice as we have a lot of negative comments to overcome).  The speed increase is only the first of MANY very cool things yet to come.  Over the next few weeks ShopSavvy is going to get much more useful for shopping.  Check it out:

(2G/3G users will have to wait a few weeks for the same speed 3GS users are experiencing)

Earlier today we announced that ShopSavvy would be one of the first iPhone applications available on Apple’s new iPad.  The native version of ShopSavvy for the iPad will allow users to interact with ShopSavvy through the tablet directly (i.e. manual entry of title, upc or part number) or in concert with the iPhone or Android version of ShopSavvy.  ShopSavvy offers one of the most complete catalogs of local and online sources for products and the iPad enables us to share more than just price and availability with users.  ShopSavvy for the iPad is more of a product dashboard – sure you will still find the best online and local prices for products, but on the same screen users will find:

• product reviews
• product videos
• wishlists
• price alerts
• side-by-side product comparison
• product news
• maps and store contact details

This rich experience isn’t possible on the small screen size found on the iPhone and Android smartphones – but fits easily on Apple’s new iPad.  While the iPad doesn’t come with a built-in camera, it does have a slot that can be used for an aftermarket web camera that ShopSavvy can exploit for scanning barcodes.  While running ShopSavvy the iPad treats the user’s iPhone or Android device as a barcode scanning peripheral.  Fire up ShopSavvy on your iPhone (or any smartphone running ShopSavvy), scan a barcode and the results show up on your iPad.  Users can now use ShopSavvy as a tool for compiling lists of products including: groceries – i.e. to build a grocery list, books – i.e. to build an index of books, dvds – i.e. to build an index of your dvds and so on.

Here is the full release:

Big in Japan, a Dallas-based idea factory for mobile applications, announced today that it will release a native version of ShopSavvy for the Apple iPad. The iPad version of ShopSavvy will retain all the features the application’s millions of users have grown to love, while incorporating new functionality to enhance the shopping experience.

ShopSavvy is a barcode-scanning mobile application that enables users to comparison shop on the go.

After downloading ShopSavvy for iPad, we anticipate that many cost-conscious consumers will carry the tablet with them as a constant shopping companion

“The iPad enables ShopSavvy to really spread its wings as an application for users who want the power, ease of use and size of this touchscreen tablet,” said Alexander Muse, co-founder of Big in Japan. “After downloading ShopSavvy for iPad, we anticipate that many cost-conscious consumers will carry the tablet with them as a constant shopping companion.”

ShopSavvy for iPad will extend the application’s price-comparison focus with new capabilities, including video product reviews, side-by-side comparisons of scanned products, in-depth product information and other features, the company said.

Big in Japan also said that it has added the iPad as a prize option (in addition to the Google Nexus One) in the recently announced ShopSavvy video testimonial contest.

Ranking as one of the most popular apps on Android phones since its launch in September 2008, ShopSavvy became available on the iPhone in November 2009. More than 1 million ShopSavvy users scanned more than 18 million products on Black Friday weekend alone, Nov. 27-29, 2009.

ShopSavvy enables users to comparison shop on the go for more than 20 million products at more than 20,000 retailers worldwide, simply by scanning the product’s barcode using the phone’s built-in camera. Using the barcode information, ShopSavvy searches the Web for the best prices on the product, displaying the lowest prices online as well as at nearby brick-and-mortar retailers. ShopSavvy looks up product reviews to further assist with purchase decisions.

Mobile users may download ShopSavvy at one of the following links:

ShopSavvy for iPhone: bit.ly/shopsavvyiphone
ShopSavvy for Android: bit.ly/shopsavvyandroid

Do you have a story about ShopSavvy saved you money?  We are giving away an unlocked Google Nexus to someone with the best ShopSavvy story.

• record a short video telling your story (2 minute max)
• make sure you show your phone running ShopSavvy at some point
• you need to be in the video (no actors)
• give us the details (your location, the store, the product, the savings)
• include your name, address and shirt size in your email)
• email to sales@biggu.com

We will select the winner from the first 100 entries (the 101st and greater entries won’t be eligible for the Nexus, but will get the schwag as supplies last).  For sending us your ShopSavvy story on video we will send you a bag of ShopSavvy schwag (i.e. t-shirt, stickers and other stuff).

The ShopSavvy team is looking for Advertising Sales Agents to join our team to sell advertising for our location based mobile application.  Email your resume to sales@biggu.com.

• Applicants who have sales experience and a college degree are preferred.
• Effective communication and persuasion skills are important.
• Compensation is primarily performance-based with a base salary.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Including commissions, median annual wages for all advertising sales agents were $43,480 per year in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $30,750 and $64,320 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,620, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $93,600 a year.  Depending on education and experience you can expect to earn between the median and top 10%.

Holy cow, you have to see this video of the latest version of ShopSavvy to be submitted to Apple (they should approve it in the next few days). The 1.3 version update is ONLY helpful for iPhone 3GS users. Our scanning enhancements on 2G/3G will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. Finally, super fast scanning on an iPhone. How about some good ratings?

Video showing scanning on 2G iPhone (same as 3G) using version 1.2:

Our account rep at Apple said our update was STILL in review today.  Ug. We were hopeful when we heard that Apple was approving updates in as little as thirty hours.  Of course we use a private api so I guess we can’t complain much.  We are hoping that it will be available tomorrow – keep your fingers crossed.  The new version of ShopSavvy includes:

• Get Directions Update – now you can get turn-by-turn directions (in map view) inside of ShopSavvy without leaving to to the Maps application (of course you can still open the Maps.app if you really want to). This is pretty huge – not sure of any other apps doing this (if you know of one let me know ASAP so I can call Jake’s bluff).
• Augmented Reality Feature – we call it ‘Radar’ inside of ShopSavvy.  Now you can view products in list view, map view or RADAR view.  Try it out, it is lots of fun.
• Web Browsing Feature – this new feature allows you to browse retailers websites inside of the app without leaving (i.e. you don’t have to open MobileSafari each time) making browsing faster.
• Email Feature – this new feature allows you to email products to yourself (or friends) without leaving the app and launching the Mail.app – again making the experience faster.

The thesis of this update (besides fixing our bugs and making scanning work better) is to keep users inside of the app as much as possible creating a seamless shopping experience.  Let us know what you think.

On January 13th we submitted an updated version of ShopSavvy to Apple for review.  Yesterday we got a note saying that our update was not being accepted because our description included a note about our current version suggesting that if it was crashing you would need to reboot your phone.  Evidently that is against the rules.  We explained that the update fixed the problem and that as soon as the update was accepted we planned to update the description.  But just to be safe we resubmitted the binary and removed the offending note from the description in iTunes (sorry to those of you who are still downloading the old version).  Anyway, it is now the 16th and we are hopeful that it will be accepted on Monday.  So much for the 30 hour review for updates.  The new version of ShopSavvy includes:

• Get Directions Update – now you can get turn-by-turn directions (in map view) inside of ShopSavvy without leaving to to the Maps application (of course you can still open the Maps.app if you really want to). This is pretty huge – not sure of any other apps doing this (if you know of one let me know ASAP so I can call Jake’s bluff).
• Augmented Reality Feature – we call it ‘Radar’ inside of ShopSavvy.  Now you can view products in list view, map view or RADAR view.  Try it out, it is lots of fun.
• Web Browsing Feature – this new feature allows you to browse retailers websites inside of the app without leaving (i.e. you don’t have to open MobileSafari each time) making browsing faster.
• Email Feature – this new feature allows you to email products to yourself (or friends) without leaving the app and launching the Mail.app – again making the experience faster.

The thesis of this update (besides fixing our bugs and making scanning work better) is to keep users inside of the app as much as possible creating a seamless shopping experience.  Let us know what you think.