I don't know about you, but when I go shopping, there is usually at least one thing I forget. For example, in my case, Q tips. This is because one box lasts me about 5 years. So when I do run out, there I will be, in the store, asking myself, what did I forget, and I can guarantee you, Q tips will not come to my mind. Because, like I said, it has been 5 years since I last thought about them.

Sure, you can tell me, just write it down. To which I reply, you have not seen my desk, or you would not be recommending that I add another single scrap of paper to it. More often than not, this scrappy-list method results in me standing in the store, saying to myself, I forgot the dang list again!

Wandrous and the End of the Paper Shopping List

Well, I'm here to tell you that if you use Wandrous, those days of shopping hang-doggery are over. Because Wandrous will tell you what you need to buy.

How does it do that? Simple.

• First, you set up your grocery store (or whatever shopping place you need a list for. Could be a lot of them). You only need to do this once.
• Then you add your list to it. Update that list whenever and wherever you want to. You've got your phone with you just about all the time, right? More likely than a scrap of paper.
• Then, when you go shopping, you start your Wandrous trip that includes that store or stores.
• When Wandrous detects you are at that particular place, it reads the list to you.

Let's take that one step at a time.

1. Set your Store GPS Location

This step only needs to be done once. The simplest approach is to do this the next time you go to The grocery store.

For your convenience, every copy of Wandrous comes with a My Travels book, and The Usual Places trip, built in.

It's easy to find this trip. From the Home screen, just tap Explore, and then, either Books or Trips.

Since we already know we are looking for The Usual Places, we'll just tap Trips, then scroll down to that row. When we tap on that row, the trip is listed.

Now, if you are not already at The grocery store, go there. Then, get The Usual Places displayed, and longpress on the row, The grocery store.

This pops up a menu, and one of the choices is Set GPS location. Tap this selection.

The GPS will begin working, first saying "Waiting for GPS", then, "Getting accurate location", and then finally, "Updated The grocery store". At that point the GPS location is stored, and The grocery store is displayed on a map.

Notice that the Command Bar has changed to include a "play" icon. This is the Start button. When you press it, Wandrous starts listening to your GPS location for every place in your trip that has a GPS location.

Don't press it yet.

2. Add the Shopping List

Press the Back key on your device so that you leave the map and redisplay the trip list.

Now tap The grocery store row. You'll see a display that tells you to edit the story and replace it with your shopping list. To do that, press the Menu button on your device, then tap Edit.

3. Start Guiding your Shopping Trip

Ok, NOW you can press the Start button in the Command Bar. When you do, the display changes. The map is shown, and the buttons in the Command Bar change.

The Start button is replaced with a red Stop button. If you press that, the guided trip is stopped, and Wandrous will not listen for The grocery store.

A blue Speedometer button appears. Pressing this will switch the display to a speedometer view.

The important thing about your guided shopping trip is that Wandrous is now listening to the GPS signal, and will be able to determine when you have reached The grocery store. Once you do, Wandrous -- well actually, Josie the Voice Assistant -- will read the shopping list, out loud, to you.

What Does it All Mean?

Naturally if you had to go through all of these steps every time you had a new shopping list, back to that old scrap of paper you'd go. But in fact, once you set it up, all you need do is edit your existing list. So, wherever you are, whenever a thought occurs to you, if it is about shopping, just pull out your phone and bring up Wandrous. Tap The grocery store, and edit the list. You can add to the list -- you don't have to replace the whole thing.

A Quick Way to Find The Grocery Store List

Go back and take a look at our illustration for step 2. Notice the green push pin icon at the bottom of The grocery store story. If you tap that push pin, it changes to a "pushed" image. What this does is tag that story.

All of your tagged stories can be quickly displayed from the Home screen. Whenever the push pin appears at the upper right of the Home screen, just tap it. A thumbnail view of all tagged stories appears. Tap any thumbnail, and that story is instantly displayed.

So just tag your shopping list, and you are only two taps away from it anytime you start Wandrous.