Watch With eBay iPad App Lets You Shop While Watching

eBay's latest app combines two of America's favorite pastimes: shopping and watching TV.

While location-based apps like Glancee, Ban.jo, and Sonar have been stealing the show at this year's South by Southwest Interactive Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, the release of the Watch With eBay iPad app made quite a splash, too.

Originally a feature of the eBay for iPad app, Watch With eBay debuted as a standalone app that will let viewers browse in real time products related to their favorite TV programs. Fashion buffs, for example, will easily be able to find and shop for clothes made by designers featured at a red carpet event airing live on TV.

This unique live viewing experience is made possible by a zip code-based guide embedded within the app, according to Engadget. PCWorld explains further that Watch With eBay syncs up with your area's local cable programming schedules, enabling viewers to become consumers with a tap of a finger. The viewer simply chooses the show she's watching from a list on the app to see available products related to the show.

The new app also offers a feature called Shop Like a Star, which lets TV, film, sports and music fans view and purchase items recommended by their favorite celebrities. Senior manager of corporate communications Richard Brewer-Hay described the feature on eBay's blog, writing,

Through eBay Celebrity -- a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes -- Shop Like a Star provides an inside look at featured celebrities' favorite items, while eBay curates shopping results related to the celebrity picks and provides the option to donate to a benefiting charity at check out.

According to PCWorld, eBay may eventually want to take the app one step further by selling TV viewers products actually used in whatever show they're watching (or at least ones similar to them), which could be great news for TV watchers and frequent shoppers who are always wondering where that one character got that cute dress or cool gadget.

Check out eBay's Watch With eBay ad (above), and make sure to let us know what you think of this new app! If you're dying to get it on your iPad, you can find it on the Apple store.

Take a look at screenshots from the app (below).

Comments

[Sanjana Nuwan Bandara]

06:32 AM on 04/25/2012

use ebuyersedge.com to set up a saved eBay search for it. You'd get an e-mail whenever a match is listed. You can use the price, category, exclude word, etc.

http://shopping.lk

[ILoveGreatDanes]

05:32 AM on 03/15/2012

I was trying to avoid all the Apple articles. I still failed because this one didn't have iPad or Apple in the headline. Time to rename the Tech section Apple Ad.

[Lechiffre]

06:34 PM on 03/14/2012

Kim cardashean's new shows will all come with speech bubbles , where to find kim's earrings, dress and shoes . watch this space.

[robertplsn947]

06:00 PM on 03/14/2012

As far as buying/saving on eBay goes:

If you see an item that you want listed in auction format, send the seller a message asking if they will accept $x to end the auction early and sell the item to you. May be telling them that they would not have to wait as long to get their money . If that doesn't work, use a sniping service such as Bidball.com to bid for you. It'll bid in the last few seconds, helping you to save money and avoid shill bidding.

If there is a particular item that you want that is relatively rare on eBay or goes fast when one is listed, use ebuyersedge.com to set up a saved eBay search for it. You'd get an e-mail whenever a match is listed. You can use the price, category, exclude word, etc. filters to narrow down the results that you get in the e-mails. Excellent for "Buy It Now"s priced right.

If the item that you are looking for is difficult to spell, try a misspelling search site like Typojoe.com to hopefully find some deals with items that have main keywords misspelled in the title. Other interested buyers might never see them, meaning a better deal for you.

[Mark Chatham]

04:42 PM on 03/14/2012

Will eBay provide a link to Buy It Now on Amazon?

[waldopepper]

01:34 PM on 03/14/2012

Hey people! Be a sheep! Baah!

[DungBeetle]

12:03 PM on 03/14/2012

Any word on what the breast implanted woman on late night cinemax will cost me?