101–110 of 263 posts
I hate tech like this. It ostensibly offers some minor convenience for the end-user, but it's really just a big data grab for whatever company implemented it. A few years ago, I went to a local Shake Shack and found they replaced their cashiers with kiosks. But placing an order requires me to give them my phone number, supposedly so they can text me when my order was ready. This should have been a very simple transac…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Someone can make an absolute killing by creating an entire brand of “dumb” appliances that Just Work. Make them sensible quality, modern, entirely offline.
100% agree, I've been saying this for years. I've joked with friends that I'd call it Dumb Inc. It's (mostly) in jest, but I think there's a real mismatch of expectations with a lot of modern appliances with respect to what a consumer needs and what companies use to try and differentiate their products from the competition. In evolutionary biology, there's this idea that "evolution is stingy" – in most cases, a speci…
https://www.engadget.com/2017-01-04-griffin-connects-your-to...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don’t feel like you need to lie. Just say, “no”.
I didn't suggest to lie, I said, what if the customer actually doesn't have a mobile? Have we reached the point now where if someone claims not to have one, they're lying? I should clarify i wasn't referring to myself - I have a mobile (deGoogled, at least). But there do exist people who don't want or need a mobile device.
> You are using a browser set to private or incognito mode. > [ Offer to buy subscription ] > [ Login button ] The hypocrisy is strong with this one. Here you go, bullshit-free link: https://archive.md/BG1PM
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This reminds me so much of how Radio Shack used to operate. I'd go there to buy some capacitors or solder, and the cashier would demand my full name, address, phone number every single time. I just said, nope, here's the cash, give me the receipt.
One of my buddy's actually had them refuse to sell him some parts. He had given them his address and all (not a confrontational person) and they denied the sale. I bought the stuff for him. I used cash and did not identify myself. I get the feeling Radio Shack had some other stuff going on.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Personally I think I prefer devices which offload the UI to a smartphone. I was thinking of something like this years ago where you could use something like Bluetooth to push a web UI so devices like thermostats would no longer need to have a shitty UI for things like programming schedules. Unfortunately in this case the greed of the manufacturer hoping to monetize their UI has ruined an otherwise decent idea(althoug…
What happens in two or three years when they decide to stop updating the app and it no longer works on your phone? They couldn’t bother since there was no recurring revenue stream so you just have to buy a new dishwasher?
The author says that the app's "more than 4,000-word privacy policy is a minefield of digital pitfalls". I hate to break it to them, but the LA Times has a more than 7,000-word privacy policy with the exact same pitfalls. - Collecting IP address: check - Collecting geo-location and device identifiers: check - Cross-device tracking: check - Tracking referring and exit URLs: check - Third-party cookies for ad targeting…
I hate tech like this. It ostensibly offers some minor convenience for the end-user, but it's really just a big data grab for whatever company implemented it. A few years ago, I went to a local Shake Shack and found they replaced their cashiers with kiosks. But placing an order requires me to give them my phone number, supposedly so they can text me when my order was ready. This should have been a very simple transac…
The minute tech gets involved it's also another thing to go wrong.. Personal anecdote time: Recently went to a car park that had to pay by phone and no phone signal (in the UK if it's relevant). This was obviously a common problem, so they provided an open WiFi network limited to just the parking website. Unfortunately, I had to create an account to be able to pay to park, and the account creation was gated by a Goog…
I got a parking ticket from the first parking lot we parked in on that trip, within just a few moments of walking out of the lot.
I had screenshots and everything that showed that I paid, and the language the company used on its tickets and also appeals process was completely foreign to me, an American.
Total nightmare but after many rounds of back and forth I was able to successfully appeal, and then get them to explain to me in more plain language that it actually was successful.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This reminds me so much of how Radio Shack used to operate. I'd go there to buy some capacitors or solder, and the cashier would demand my full name, address, phone number every single time. I just said, nope, here's the cash, give me the receipt.
One of my buddy's actually had them refuse to sell him some parts. He had given them his address and all (not a confrontational person) and they denied the sale. I bought the stuff for him. I used cash and did not identify myself. I get the feeling Radio Shack had some other stuff going on.
These private parking things are similar, there is a network of near real-time alerting about vehicle location for repo men.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> is now fully integrated with ID.me Getting a license or vehicle registration information is sold in certain states. [0]: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/02/20/texas-dmv-selling-driver...
In California there's just a simple form and a fee to retrieve information from the DMV. If anyone does this to lookup your information, you will be notified by the state. I highly recommend getting a PO Box or a PMB and using that as your primary address on your drivers license, for this exact reason. In this case, you are required to also give the address you physically live at, but this information is not eligible…