Sounds into Coupons

Mobilab has launched a new service with cell phone maker Sony Ericsson that lets users get coupons, special offers and additional information on their cell phones when the phone detects a specific sound.

The service uses Sony Ericsson's TrackID app, recently released at the Android Market, which helps users identify a specific musical artist. The technology has now been expanded so that it can recognize an advertisement from Sweden's Ica grocery store chain, for example.

"Advertisers have been very positive about the service," says Joachim Alvarez of Mobilab, which is a joint company of TV4 and Expressen. "We will be first in the world to package a service around the technology that can be bought directly 'off the shelf' so to speak." Alvarez has already been demonstrating the service to customers and partners. "Just now we have three coupons connected to three different commercials on YouTube."