But the game goes deeper. As personal digital assistant apps such as Google Now become widespread, so does the idea of algorithms that can not only meet but anticipate our needs. Extend the concept from the purely digital into the realm of retail, and you have what some industry prognosticators are calling “ambient commerce.” In a sensor-rich future where not just phones but all kinds of objects are internet-connected, same-day delivery becomes just one component of a bigger instant gratification engine.

On the same day Google announced that its Shopping Express was available to all Bay Area residents, eBay Enterprise Marketing Solutions head of strategy John Sheldon was telling a roomful of clients that there will soon come a time when customers won’t be ordering stuff from eBay anymore. Instead, they’ll let their phones do it.

Sheldon believes the “internet of things” is creating a data-saturated environment that will soon envelope commerce. In a chat with WIRED, he describes a few hypothetical examples that sound like they’re already within reach. Imagine setting up a rule in Nike+, he says, to have the app order you a new pair of shoes after you run 300 miles. Or picture a bicycle helmet with a sensor that “knows” when a crash has happened, which prompts an app to order a new one.

Now consider an even more advanced scenario. A shirt has a sensor that detects moisture. And you find yourself stuck out in the rain without an umbrella. Not too many minutes after the downpour starts, a car pulls up alongside you. A courier steps out and hands you an umbrella — or possibly a rain jacket, depending on what rules you set up ahead of time for such a situation, perhaps using IFTTT.

“Ambient commerce is about consumers turning over their trust to the machine,” Sheldon says.

Ref: One Day, Google Will Deliver the Stuff You Want Before You Ask – Wired