When you're browsing in a bookshop, do you ever wonder: "Is it cheaper on Amazon? Does Amazon have that edition in stock?" This is the Amazon Dilemma The past year has seen a new breed of websites that have arrived to help consumers address this problem and find the best price and availability, whilst on the move, for the price of a text or phonecall.

The first is a US site, www.ringfo.com, which allows mobile phone owners to call a dedicated phone number and enter, via the phone's keypad, a code found on the bar code of the book (International Standard Book Number or ISBN). A computer-generated voice then reads the current price and customer reviews at amazon.com.

British site www.SMSprice.co.uk relies on SMS text messages to communicate with consumers, this time the ISBN code is sent by SMS and a reply is sent straight back containing the price and availability, from Amazon