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What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

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Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#31

Post by rkomorn »

tietjens wrote: post #27

Instant free bank transfers by IBAN. In comparison with how tightly-guarded personal email addresses are protected (GDPR, etc.), it's shocking how common it is to freely give out your IBAN.

It helps that, to be able to use an IBAN for withdrawals, you basically have to "sign" a recurring transfer agreement. Otherwise it's pretty much always a "push" transaction from buyer to seller.

Better than being able to commit ACH fraud merely by virtue of having the bank's routing and account number.

Side note: shout out to both MB Way and Multibanco payments in Portugal that have made it so I haven't have to give payment information to an online vendor in years.

Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#32

Post by equinox_nl »

Nextgrid wrote: post #2

The Swiss public transport ticketing system. Their app uses location services to automatically determine your fare, so you don’t need to buy tickets in advance: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/apps/sbb-mobile/eas... . As a bonus there are no ticket barriers so no queues and no overheads of maintaining those machines.

I don't understand how so many tech-minded people on this site completely disregard the value of privacy. How is this a win?

Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#33

Post by qwertfisch »

tyleo wrote: post #26
nevon wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's very interesting. How do they know what's outgoing? Do they have to check the address of each letter, or is there like a separate compartment for outgoing mail?

Most mailboxes have a little plastic flag on a hinge you flip up to mark that you have outgoing mail. The process is is generally: 1. Remove all mail from the mailbox 2. Place outgoing mail in the mailbox 3. Raise the outgoing mail flag 4. Carrier will empty the box and file outgoing mail during the next delivery before putting new mail in the box Edit: here is a good example of a mailbox with that red flag https://w…

Wow, I always had the impression the red flag is set by the mail carrier to indicate for the house owner (particularly in rural areas) that new mail is inside the box. (Hence it would save the owner a trip for checking.)

But this way around it makes a lot more sense.

Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#35

Post by qwertfisch »

I was in Paris some years ago, and it surprised me that a jug of water for drinking was free on every table. Of course if you wanted any other beverage you’d pay for it, but just quenching your thirst was free.

In Germany water is not free, but instead another income for restaurants. Also it needs a law (only since 2001) that the cheapest beverage must be non-alcoholic. (Yet water could be more expensive than beer, as long as e.g. apple juice costs equal or less.)

Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#36

Post by tpm »

octo888 wrote: post #16
Nextgrid wrote: post #2

The Swiss public transport ticketing system. Their app uses location services to automatically determine your fare, so you don’t need to buy tickets in advance: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/apps/sbb-mobile/eas... . As a bonus there are no ticket barriers so no queues and no overheads of maintaining those machines.

What an Orwellian nightmare. These systems require real-time GPS data. Just as buying a ticket with cash is becoming increasingly hard in parts of Europe, I can see a near future where having a phone sending constant GPS updates becomes a requirement (a requirement in an strict sense, or the sense that the alternative is unreasonably cumbersome or more expensive)

Sending GPS updates from the subway?

Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#38

Post by lesuorac »

qwertfisch wrote: post #33
tyleo wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most mailboxes have a little plastic flag on a hinge you flip up to mark that you have outgoing mail. The process is is generally: 1. Remove all mail from the mailbox 2. Place outgoing mail in the mailbox 3. Raise the outgoing mail flag 4. Carrier will empty the box and file outgoing mail during the next delivery before putting new mail in the box Edit: here is a good example of a mailbox with that red flag https://w…

Wow, I always had the impression the red flag is set by the mail carrier to indicate for the house owner (particularly in rural areas) that new mail is inside the box. (Hence it would save the owner a trip for checking.) But this way around it makes a lot more sense.

Tbh, as long as you make the mail obviously not placed by them they'll take it. (as in don't need to use a flag).

Like they always shove (or drop) it into the mailbox so when there's letters that are obstructing the box from closing properly they know they didn't place them there so it's outgoing and they grab it.

Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#39

Post by tpm »

tietjens wrote: post #27

Instant free bank transfers by IBAN. In comparison with how tightly-guarded personal email addresses are protected (GDPR, etc.), it's shocking how common it is to freely give out your IBAN.

Why is that shocking? You can't really do anything with my bank account's IBAN unless you want to send me some money.

Re: What services or apps did you see abroad and wonder: why don't we have them?

#40

Post by saaspirant »

qwertfisch wrote: post #35

I was in Paris some years ago, and it surprised me that a jug of water for drinking was free on every table. Of course if you wanted any other beverage you’d pay for it, but just quenching your thirst was free. In Germany water is not free, but instead another income for restaurants. Also it needs a law (only since 2001) that the cheapest beverage must be non-alcoholic. (Yet water could be more expensive than beer, a…

In India water is free in almost all restaurants.

Even if you don't order anything, you can just drink it and leave.

Some fancy restaurants don't allow it though.

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