Looking for the dress you saw on a hit television show or the jerseys worn during a football game or soccer match? An iPad app aims to help viewers shop while watching TV. Unlike television shopping channels, Watch with Ebay is a new feature in eBay's iPad app that lets users buy items related to the program they're currently viewing. “The idea is to provide a new form of TV watching entertainment that includes the possibility of shopping and discovering interesting products people never would have discovered otherwise,” said Steve Yankovich, vice president of mobile at eBay. After entering the network provider and channel, items related to the TV show, the actors, guests or teams in a sporting event surface within the app. A recent study by Yahoo/Nielsen found that 86 percent of smartphone and tablet owners use the devices while watching TV and 25 percent of them are searching for information related to the show. “There's already a natural thing happening where people are using their device like a companion to TV watching,” explained Yankovich. Yankovich said plans for the app are to provide recommendations based on the user's shopping interests, whether it is watches, shoes or autographed memorabilia. When the items are related to the show they're viewing, they will be featured on the screen. “We will be your personal shopper paying, watch TV and we show you stuff you care about on the app,” Yankovich said.
