Online Purchases Can Give You Away 243
Abhishek writes "New Scientist reports that Retailers could guess your age, sex, birthday and wedding anniversary simply from the types of gifts purchased for you online and their timing, according to a patent granted to online retail giant, Amazon.
The information could be used to remind your loved ones of an impending special occasion and offer gift suggestions.
Currently Amazon makes personalised suggestions to customers based on previous purchases by that customer, previous web pages browsed and comparisons between customers who have bought similar products. But the company may vastly increase its predictive capability in the future."
This just in: (Score:5, Funny)
Does that take into account... (Score:5, Funny)
Can it tell if you are gay? (Score:4, Funny)
Hey! (Score:5, Funny)
Wife: "WTF?"
This could be fun! (Score:2, Funny)
And as we can See.... (Score:5, Funny)
1. Childrens clothing (young female)
2. Childrens Videos (Mecha fighting robots IV)
3. 'Fairy' Wand
4. 'Young Princess' wings and headband.
Indicate that you are a 40yr old Male, Single... probably naked right now...
Re:Too Bad (Score:1, Funny)
a patent on guessing.... sweet (Score:1, Funny)
from your [and your wife's] recent purchases we think you may like the following recommendations:
Marriage on the Rocks [Book]
Cheaters [DVD]
Re:This just in: (Score:5, Funny)
Scihpargomed?
Re:Can it tell if you are gay? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:*Puts on his tin foil hat* (Score:3, Funny)
Sure, I'm paying for random crap for people I don't even know, but let's see them find a pattern in that!
Re:Does that take into account... (Score:2, Funny)
can we make them stop ? (Score:5, Funny)
Wow! (Score:0, Funny)
I guess we will all strive to be like Data. (Score:3, Funny)
Amazon 2501: I'm sorry, I'm not able to profile you. Please fill out these forms so we can get to know you better and allow the purchase to flow quicker (wink wink).
Data: I'm an android. I have no data profile that you can use.
Amazon 2501: Drat.
Shows what they know! (Score:5, Funny)
Haha!
Ha...
ha...
Oh. Dammit. I don't 'any' either.
I want to change demographics now.
As long as they don't use the "Clippy" interface (Score:5, Funny)
1. Buy an expensive gift?
2. Buy a really expensive gift?
3. Spend $50 for the special "have the invoice dated last week" HubbySaver(tm) feature?
4. Cringe in abject terror?
5. Sleep on the couch?
Re:Can it tell if you are gay? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Brick & Mortar purchases can give you away, (Score:5, Funny)
However, it's only slightly less annoying than the mailing list I'm on where they've confused me with my Dad, and I get AARP and health care mail all the time.
Put them together, and somewhere, there's a database that thinks I'm a 70 year old that's having tons of kids.
New kind of form letter (Score:5, Funny)
I'm buying... (Score:5, Funny)
Random out-of-context quote from parent (Score:1, Funny)
Hehehehehehehehe
Re:Brick & Mortar purchases can give you away, (Score:5, Funny)
Re:This just in: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Previous art exists (Score:5, Funny)
Re:You can waste this time guessing.. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Brick & Mortar purchases can give you away, (Score:1, Funny)
the models are ATTRACTIVE and don't look like they are pumped full of silicon
you can find things to buy for the GF
they send it to you for free
how can you go wrong?
Predicting the future. (Score:5, Funny)
Given Amazon's unerring ability to recommend only books that already own, I imagine this means that they will begin recommending the ones that I have just added to the cart.
Re:And as we can See.... (Score:2, Funny)
going by the name "M. Jackson".