Lifehacker reported earlier today that the latest version of Woolworths’ Android app sought far more permissions than seemed necessary for a shopping application. Woolworths has acknowledged the problem, which it says was due to a bug during development, and says a new update ditching the unwanted permissions will be released soon.
Shoppers were happy when Woolworths added an Android app to its range, but they’re less than impressed with the most recent update. Why on earth should a shopping list app have the ability to make calls from your phone and monitor all the other apps running on it?
When Woolworths launched its Woolworths Mobile month-by-month mobile service in August, it said it also planned to maintain its Everyday Mobile prepaid option. But there’s obviously been a change of heart, with Woolworths stopping new subscribers signing up to the prepaid service at the end of October and planning to switch off the service altogether at the end of March 2012.
Woolworths’ iPhone and Android apps have proved popular, and the retailing giant appears to have a bunch more mobile enhancements up its sleeve. As well as rolling out a Big W price comparison app for iPhone users, it is also planning future enhancements including direct shopping from its apps and click-to-collect services.
Supermarket 101: just because there’s a big sign suggesting a bargain doesn’t mean there’s actually a meaningful discount. Yes, little savings add up, but the difference between $10 and $9.88 hardly seems worth printing this particular poster. For more practical supermarket shopping tips, check out our top 10 ways to save on supermarket shopping. Thanks Wendy for the pic!
The newly-announced Kindle Fire and Kindle price reductions mean Amazon is offering more choice in its e-book reader range than ever. The Fire tablet and the other new models can only be pre-ordered by US customers at this stage, but even so, that could be bad news for Woolworths, which has recently begun selling the device through its Big W and Dick Smith brands.
Coles’ FlyBuys has recently joined Woolworths’ Everyday Rewards in offering “activated rewards”: deals which only apply if you click on a link to activate them and then spend a specified amount of money within a specified time frame. Lifehacker’s advice on these remains unchanged: they’re a good idea if they offer you a saving on something you actually needed to buy anyway, but not otherwise.
Ever since Woolworths released its full iPhone app, Lifehacker readers have been crying out for an Android equivalent. The app appeared in the Android market over the weekend, offering the same broad set of features to make shopping easier (list construction, product scanning and access to special offers).
Its latest mobile deals are decidedly Android-centric, but Woolworths has stuck to the familiar iOS path for its first official mobile app. The newly-released app covers pretty much what you’d expect in a supermarket assistant: a GPS-based store finder, a shopping list creator which includes barcode support, a weekly catalogue update and a recipe database.
Another in the ongoing series of Vodafone mobile broadband deals at bargain prices: Woolworths is selling a basic dongle for $50, including 3GB of starter downloads and a 4GB recharge (technically you’re paying $49 for the recharge and $1 for the dongle). That’s a generous allowance, though the usual strictures about Vodafone coverage need to be considered. [Woolworths via OzBargain]
