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

'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

551–560 of 870 posts

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#551

Post by pohuing »

SoftTalker wrote: post #302
svelle wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The parking app I use in Berlin, easy park, works in the sense that I pre-select a timeframe I think im going to park which then gives me an estimate for how much it'll cost and reserve that amount using my CC. When I end the parking before that timer ends, the actual time I've parked will be taken and only that amount is charged. It used to be even better in the sense that you'd only start and then end parking witho…

Of course the apps could easily detect that parking has ended. They could note your location when you park. When the phone returns to that location, and then moves at driving speed, parking has ended. But they don't because they make more money by profiting from people who forget to "clock out" when they are done parking.

Don't android and IOS try to prevent background location tracking? The location permission dialogs don't even have that option

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#552

Post by roughly »

thwarted wrote: post #464
roughly wrote: post #425

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The whole point of having an app is to collect data, show ads, and “engage the customer with the brand.” Any additional capabilities beyond that are incidental.

The delivery driver is not the customer, but I wouldn't be surprised if some MBA bonehead thought showing ads to workers was a win. "They have to use the app to schedule and do the work, so it's a captive audience!"

Hell, I got shown an ad after I paid for a ride on Lyft the other day. Even if you’re the customer, you’re still the product. If there’s not already ads in the drivers’ views, I’m shocked it’s taken them this long.

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#553

Post by rad_gruchalski »

scarface_74 wrote: post #538
rad_gruchalski wrote: post #508

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Until two years ago, I flew out of ATL - the busiest airport in the US. Am I suppose to look on the board and look for my flight out of the hundreds of flights to see if anything has changed and keep looking every 30 minutes? That’s what I usually do. It’s not that much of an effort to look at the screen right at the gate you’re sitting at to confirm that nothing has changed. I‘ve been to ATL twice, it’s not that b…

> That’s what I usually do. It’s not that much of an effort to look at the screen right at the gate you’re sitting at to confirm that nothing has changed. I‘ve been to ATL twice, it’s not that bad. And you somehow think that’s more efficient? Do you also think polling is more efficient than web hooks and push notifications? Why would I do that? And the restaurants are usually not right at the gate you’re sitting at.…

What is there to be more efficient? You’re sitting there waiting for a flight. This isn’t a shopping mall, even if it appears to look like one.

Re push vs pull… which one do you prefer more? Kafka or MQTT? On a more serious note… pull because I don’t sit snd stare at the phone all the time. Phone stays in the pocket. So the act of taking it out of the pocket is a pull action.

There are no screens and announcements at the lounge? You went to the airport to fly somewhere, not shopping or a dinner for two, no? What’s more important than getting to your destination?

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#554

Post by genewitch »

undersuit wrote: post #513
otterley wrote: post #416

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s not a condition you are entitled to create or enforce. If you want that to be enshrined in law, speak with your local representatives.

Then I can't pay you for the services you rendered.

> this note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.

I've heard the arguments, so if you're thinking you're going to win an argument with me about whether this means anything or not, you're not; but supplemental information about why what's printed on our money doesn't mean it's legally money to pay a debt to a doctor, go for it.

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#555

Post by cblum »

joshdavham wrote: post #127

I’m fascinated by this phenomenon of apps proposing solutions that are far worse than the previous existing solutions. For example: 1. Parking apps are worse than parking meters. 2. Tinder is worse than IRL speed dating. 3. Duolingo is worse than language classes. 4. Airline apps that are worse than just printing a boarding pass. 5. Etc It really makes me frustrated as someone who builds software and generally thinks…

> Parking apps are worse than parking meters.

I generally agree, but I’ve had a great experience with one of those. I just wish they all did the same streamlined thing this one particular app I used did.

The QR code I had to scan actually ran an App Clip instead of taking me to a website. Everything was done in one screen: enter plate, parking stall number, hours. My physical interaction with it was just scrolling a little and hitting a button. Done. Wonderful.

Most parking solitions are a shitshow though. Multiple screens (seriously, why?!), having to create an account, not handling payment via Apple Pay so I have to enter my credit card manually. Having to enter the parking location manually (how come it’s not a parameter in the QR code URL?). I’d really like to know what happens at the companies that develop those. It’s borderline criminal how bad they are.

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#556

Post by 42772827 »

ponector wrote: post #436
42772827 wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I ask the waiter what’s good, and usually end up going back forth a few times. It’s not as efficient, but it keeps me from reaching for my phone, which is covered in germs.

And in case of paper menu? It is also covered in germs. Do you read it or refuse and ask a waiter?

I’m banking on the assumption that a paper menu has fewer germs than my cell phone. Life has risks.

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#557

Post by ryandrake »

fc417fc802 wrote: post #534
aucisson_masque wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah yeah yeah. They sell the debt at lower price to companies specialized in debt collection, the longer you wait then to pay them the more they are allowed to collect from you. If you try not to pay at all, they put you in court against lawyer working for the company whose only job is to collect debt, so he knows his job pretty well and the bonus is that you end up having to pay the lawyer fee. Of course you could…

Nobody takes you to court to collect small amounts. They only do that if the amount is sufficiently large and they have good documentation and they believe they will be able to collect a judgement against you (ie either you have assets or you have stable employment so they can garnish wages). Mostly nothing will happen except daily phone calls for years plus the hit to credit score. And cops aren't showing up unless…

Thanks to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), those phone calls should be able to be stopped with a simple Debt Validation Letter. No need to even get an attorney involved. Demand that the collector provide proof that you owe the money. Debt collectors will frequently just give up at that point if it's a tiny amount of money like a parking ticket.

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#558

Post by joseda-hg »

tmnvix wrote: post #502
joseda-hg wrote: post #460

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why do iOS and Android phones have a "wallet", and why a boarding pass would have anything to do with it? It's not that deep, just a skeuomorphic name for somewhere where you'd keep importants/valuables for quick access, credit/debit cards, boarding passes, concert tickets Not unlike keeping a folded up copy of a pass in a physical wallet (Which may not be universal, but I would have guessed not that uncommon eithe…

And if your phone is out of order? I used a PDF version of the boarding pass on my laptop in the past due to a flat phone. Even when my phone is available I still just use the PDF version that was emailed to me. I never use my phone 'wallet' for anything.

If on hand, a smart watch also does the trick

Since I use my phone to pay for things, book rides between places and basically existing in general I also keep a power bank on my person and a spare phone in my house

But if I'm not confident on availability I also keep alternatives, I've not used physical money in months (Other than local bus fares), but I do keep some cash on my person, as well as the physical cards that I use virtually on my phone and copies of boarding passes when necessary, not that I've needed any of them recently, I just like covering my bases, it's not a binary situation, I'd also like to keep spares if my only copy was physical

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#559

Post by nicce »

pqtyw wrote: post #141
joshdavham wrote: post #127

I’m fascinated by this phenomenon of apps proposing solutions that are far worse than the previous existing solutions. For example: 1. Parking apps are worse than parking meters. 2. Tinder is worse than IRL speed dating. 3. Duolingo is worse than language classes. 4. Airline apps that are worse than just printing a boarding pass. 5. Etc It really makes me frustrated as someone who builds software and generally thinks…

> 1. Parking apps are worse than parking meters. I certainly don't agree with that one. I really don't miss having to pay for a fixed number of hours and then having to figure out what to do if I'm running late (or wasting money if I get back early). > 4. Airline apps that are worse than just printing a boarding pass. Unless the app is exceptionally horrible you can just export it to Apple/Android wallet which is muc…

> I certainly don't agree with that one. I really don't miss having to pay for a fixed number of hours and then having to figure out what to do if I'm running late (or wasting money if I get back early).

In my experiece, apps have increased costs around 50% and some even try to add monthly subscription.

Re: 'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised

#560

Post by hilbert42 »

ctrlp wrote: post #549
hilbert42 wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So are many other political and philosophical ideas—essentially any field involving ethics is fraught with perils and consensus is never fully reached. Just because unanimity is never achieved in respect of some philosophical idea doesn't mean it's not worthy of consideration and or it's never put into practice. Utilitarianism has been the subject of much study and debate and it's been widely practiced over several h…

You could just as easily have cited Aristotle or Augustine or Aquinas or any other philosopher who wrote an ethics. The previous commentator didn't invite a utilitarian-type response. He implicitly posed a question about the justification for the ordering of goods in society. Nothing about that statement is definitively answered (or even satisfyingly questioned) by big-U Utilitarianism. Since you appear to enjoy a li…

Point proven, your comment just confirms what I said earlier:

…an(d) why those for and against it take the (usually) entrenched stance that they do.

I'm aware of those issues and omissions for brevity's sake. Also, I would point out that what I said was a passing comment on HN and not meant for a paper in a learned philosophical journal.

BTW, in case you didn't notice, I never mentioned whether I was for or against utilitarianism specifically because discussion about it inevitability ends in arguments that usually remain unresolved. That it was just an example ought to have been obvious.

It would be informative to compare the syllabus content at your philosophy school versus that of mine.

Post reply on HN