I’ve never really gotten the point of the Apple Store app for iOS. I mean, do you really find yourself shopping for iPhones, iPads, and other Apple products so often that you need to install an app on your mobile device instead of just visiting the website?

But now it looks like Apple could be rolling out an update that will allow you to use the Apple Store app in a novel way in bricks and mortars stores. According to MacRumors, you’ll be able to use it for self-checkout.

In other words, you walk into an Apple Store. Pick up an item off the shelf and scan it with your phone’s camera and your iTunes Store account will be billed. You can now walk out with your item without ever going up to the cash register.

While you’ll be able to pick up cables, cases, and other accessories this way, big ticket items will still hang out in the stock room. You won’t be able to walk out with an iMac or a MacBook Air without asking for assistance. But you will still be able to pay on your device and just stop a staff member to help you collect your item before leaving.

I suspect that friendly employee standing near the front of the store might also want you to flash your digital receipt before you exit, but if the rumor is true, it’s a pretty remarkable way to blur the lines between digital shopping and real-world shopping.

Amazon has released a mobile shopping app for the Windows Phone 7 platform. As you’d expect, you can use the app to browse or search for pretty much anything available from Amazon.com.

The user interface has also been designed to fit the look and feel of Windows Phone 7. For instance, you swipe left or right to view additional information about a product including reviews and related items.

If you sign into your Amazon account you can also use the app toplace -click orders, add items to your wish list, or track packages.

Amazon for Windows Phone 7 is available as a free download from the Windows Phone Marketplace.

via Windows Blog

At its most basic level, Google Shopper is a price comparison tool for Google Android phones. You can search for products by text, voice, or by scanning a barcode and Shopper will let you know where you can buy the item online or in a local store and how much it will cost you.

Scan to download

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because Shopper also features product reviews, history (for keeping track of the items you lookup, and in the latest version Google has also added related products and YouTube product videos.

You won’t find related products or videos for every item you look up. But when they’re available, videos can definitely give you a better sense of whether you really want to plunk down cash on that particular item, while the related product links will help you find alternatives. For instance, when I searched for the Eee PC 1005PE netbook, Google showed me listings for several other netbooks from Asus, Acer, and HP, with the average reviews and prices listed in the details.

Google Shopper is a free app that’s available for all versions of Android, but you’ll need to be in the US or UK to find relevant product listings.

Google has rolled out a new feature for its mobile shipping site: Now you can tell if the items you’re looking for are in stock at partnering stores near your location.

The feature only works in the US. But if you’re in the States and you happen to have a iPhone, Android, or WebOS phone, here’s how it works. Just fire up your mobile browser and navigate to google.com. Click the “more” button and select “shopping” and enter a search term.

If the item you’re looking for is available in a nearby store, you should see a little blue dot in the search results. Right now Google has a small list of retailers signed up, including Best Buy, Sears, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma. But I have a feeling Google will be adding new partners soon.