Hiku integrates voice-enabled shopping device with online grocery services

Hiku button
ON THE BUTTON: Hiku’s shopping device loads items onto a mobile shopping list

US startup Hiku Labs has signed up retail giant Walmart and online grocery service Peapod for a service that lets shoppers scan or speak items onto a mobile shopping list via a US$49 device that includes a barcode scanner and built-in microphone.

“Once scanned or spoken into Hiku, lists are intelligently matched to online availability and can be sent directly to Walmart or Peapod for purchase,” the company says. “Purchased items are then removed from the Hiku shopping list so lists are always up-to-date among household members.

“When a product is running low, press a single button to scan barcodes or talk to it and the item is instantly added to the Hiku mobile shopping list app. The shopping list is always available from the cloud and shareable with others.”

“The Hiku device includes a barcode scanner, built-in microphone and b/g/n wireless connectivity built into an attractive one button magnetic housing designed for the kitchen,” the company adds. “Key new features of the second generation Hiku include instant-on for faster scanning and voice recording, improved audio capture for better voice recognition and greater resistance to spills.”

A video shows how the Hiku device works:

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“By integrating Walmart Online Grocery and Peapod into the Hiku experience, we continue to fulfill our mission of making grocery shopping simple for busy families,” says Rob Katcher, CEO of Hiku Labs. “From day one, our vision has been that Hiku remembers for you and shops for you and we are excited to bring shops for you functionality to consumers here in the US.”

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