Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots

openspot.googlelabs.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–29 of 29 posts

Re: Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots

#21

Post by moe »

InclinedPlane wrote: post #20
moe wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, the current implementation is unlikely to work where it matters - in dense areas. Now if they'd find a way to couple this to realtime satellite data...

If any company had realtime satellite data over even a handful of major metropolitan areas there would be a lot better uses for that data than finding open parking spaces.

Probably, I could also imagine various applications that would turn into instant cash cows - the parking spot problem being one of the most obvious.

I wonder what the barrier is here, as the data very likely exists. The usual terrorist fears? Privacy?

Or is satellite coverage still an "wait a day to get updated image"-affair?

Re: Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots

#22

Post by jonasvp »

jrockway wrote: post #16

Is this actually a problem? I usually just park my bike at the nearest pole, of which there are always plenty.

I wish I could upvote you more... the price we all pay for free (car) parking is incredible and the "driving around until you find a spot"-part of it is actually neglible. Check out "The High Cost of Free Parking" if you're interested in the topic: http://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking/dp/1884829988

Re: Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots

#23

Post by aw3c2 »

sanj wrote: post #7
alexyim wrote: post #4

Does anyone else find how disgustingly in your face earning "karma points" is? Game mechanics should be more subtle.

I'm more disappointed that they passed on the obvious pun.

What pun? The "karma" "mark a" anagram or what?

Re: Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots

#25

Post by superk »

dolinsky wrote: post #9

I haven't used any of these apps, but being that I live in a high-density area (Hoboken) I know very well how useless this kind of an app would be. Parking in Hoboken (and NYC) consists of the following - circling. Even if you had a realtime stream of all of the metered spots and each meter had some means of determining if it was available or taken, the demand almost always outweighs the supply, so when you really ne…

> Do they have an expiration on these spots that are marked empty by the person leaving?

Not exactly. But if you look at the top of the example image they provided there is some indication of how long the empty spot is expected to last.

Re: Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots

#27

Post by diN0bot »

kqr2 wrote: post #11

In dense parts of San Francisco where this would be most useful, by the time I'm getting into my car, usually someone is already waiting for the space. This summer, San Francisco is launching a pilot program with wireless sensors that will also produce a data feed that can be used to find parking: http://sfpark.org/how-it-works/data-feed/

> "by the time I'm getting into my car, usually someone is already waiting for the space."

then this wouldn't be _that_ useful :-)

the user has to manually tap that the parking space is free, right? bummer.

Re: Google Labs launches Android app for finding open parking spots

#28

Post by InclinedPlane »

moe wrote: post #21
InclinedPlane wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If any company had realtime satellite data over even a handful of major metropolitan areas there would be a lot better uses for that data than finding open parking spaces.

Probably, I could also imagine various applications that would turn into instant cash cows - the parking spot problem being one of the most obvious. I wonder what the barrier is here, as the data very likely exists. The usual terrorist fears? Privacy? Or is satellite coverage still an "wait a day to get updated image"-affair?

The data likely doesn't exist. The Earth is big, there are only a few Earth imagery satellites, they have a narrow field of view for the highest resolution imagery, so they must pick and choose their targets. And, of course, satellite imagery is constrained by local cloud cover.
Post reply on HN