• WHAT: A simple, effective way to get information about products using your camera phone
• WHY: It's easier than using bar codes or product codes, or entering information on a phone's keypad
• COST: Absolutely free (text message rates apply) 

After being involved with, and following, the wireless industry for more than 20 years it has become pretty rare for me to look at a product and go, "Wow! That is SO cool!"  First of all, I'm not big on exclamation points, and secondly, well, most of the new stuff that I see is an improvement on an old idea and not something truly, totally new.  But I did have a "Wow!" moment (yes, including the exclamation point) when trying a new service that works with any camera phone. 

There have been implementations of camera phone software before that would give you information about a product if you'd take a photo of – or manually enter – the UPC or bar code.  Those services never seemed to work right, though, as they either didn't recognize the code or it wasn't in their database or some other weak excuse like that.  But one that I tried just the other day has pretty much knocked my socks off – and it doesn't have anything to do with the bar code on the product. 

A company in (where else?) Silicon Valley called "SnapTell" has come up with an ingenious use for a camera phone that could prove to be as ubiquitous as calling a toll-free number once was or visiting a web site is today.  The process is so stunningly simple that even the most technophobic phone user could still make good use of it.  If you know how to use the camera in your phone you already know how to use about 90% of their system. 

The slogan that the company uses is "Snap. Send. Get" and I'd like to personally shake the hand of whoever came up with it.  I LOVE a slogan or tagline that is short, clear and descriptive.  This one is perfect.  You "snap" a photo of a product or advertisement, "send" it to them via a standard email from your phone and "get" a reply via return email in seconds with information about that product. 

Of course, the company hasn't had time to enter every product and every advertisement into their database – nor will they ever… the business model for the company, as best I can determine, is to get the advertiser to pay them (either by a flat fee or a percentage of sales) for the service and to then put a special logo on their ad.  You can see the example of what I'm talking about in the image at the top of this post, but if you read the Wall Street Journal keep your eyes open for the Wine Enthusiast ads. 

Once SnapTell has an arrangement with an advertiser they'll put their logo at the bottom with easy "Snap. Send. Get." Instructions in the ad (to which address the photo gets sent, for example) are straightforward and easy.  The whole process takes seconds – literally. 

They've just announced that their service works with DVDs so I tried it with one of the DVDs in my house – took a photo of it (in pretty low light, actually) and sent it to DVD@snaptell.com and within a minute I had an email back from them with an accurate identification of the DVD and a live link that could be clicked in the email (or on your phone, if you like) that gives ratings, more information, a link to the DVD on Amazon.com, etc. 

Too totally cool.  I can't wait for them to do the same thing with everything from books to bike parts to bakery pans.  Having the ability to get complete information – and a receive a discount – on a product that you are already interested in via a quick photo and email is the bomb.  Try it with a DVD you've got nearby and you'll see what I mean.

SnapTell is, to the best I can tell, privately funded.  I don't give investment advice to anyone – especially on my blog – but if the company was public I'd sure be buying in.