Yet Another Attempt At Touchscreens In Cabs
from the keep-on-trying dept
Just as NYC decided that informational touchscreens in taxis were a complete waste of money, it looks like folks up in Toronto want to give it a go. They're testing special interactive touchscreens that tie location information into what's shown on the screen. This way, as you drive by a certain landmark, you may receive information about visiting it. I could see this sort of thing being useful once when you first arrive in a new city as a tourist, but that's about it. If it's really that valuable, why not just offer it to tourists as a handheld or phone-based application? That way, you avoid the expense of installing this device in taxis where only a small percentage of users will want it, and make the service more useful for those who need it by making it so they can take it with them beyond just the taxi.
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Silly Canadians...Trix are for Kids
I love the Canadians, because I believe in the conservation of friendly disposition, and the more rude and angry we Americans get, the more nice and friendly the Canadians get. It may be karma, but it is nice visiting a country where you run into someone (physically but accidently) on the street and they apologize for being in your way. Do that in New York, and you'll be lucky to survive the experience.
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Re: Silly Canadians...Trix are for Kids
I live in NYC and loved the screens. It was very helpful and soothing to watch while on my way out for the evening. I think the content produced on it was pretty crappy, otherwise it would be cool. I would prefer to have a satellite dish or play NY1 news in the cab.
Thanks,
James
PS
Love the Canadiens, but the PM demonstrated poor choice in regards to Iraq and suport of our great leader.
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Who're you callin' Silly?
First off, we canucks have a dark secret: we're not Naturally nice. Our lunatics lead drunken staggers, like a pub crawl gone terribly wrong, and end up vandalizing parliamentary building of our neighbours (a mere 191 years ago).
Our french had the tenacity to never surrender to germany - in fact, we've not had the sense yet to run away from anything; we just fall back about 3500m and start sniping. Very unsporting of us. We invented zippers and velcro, and look at what it's done to fashion ever since.
Finally: Largest man-made non-nuclear explosion, some kinda 2.7 million lbs of tnt. Yep, ripple rock is a badge of shame for us.
Our biggest secret shame? We're all addicted to net porn. It's terrible - the shame! We're not as bas as the Finns (longer winters, I think) but we're definitely down there on the list. I'm surprised we haven't been labelled in the Axis of Imorality, we're That bad.
This browsing in taxis, though, that has great potential to catch on. Touchpads are very sexy, I think, and the small gadgetry should go over very well. I read over the NYC TLC plan - okay, my company was in on it - and it really looked good. I've lost touch with the guys in that group, but I'm figuring some idiot patent/licensing thing hosed it for some reason, leaving the resulting product far short of Cool. That, and the rumours were the TLC has a bit of NIH (not-invented-here). May be true, probably not. Who cares?
Touchy pads in T-O taximeters, tho, it could work.
Give porn a chance.
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Re: Who're you callin' Silly?
I have a new found respect for our neighbors to the North, thanks Anonymous for setting me straight. I always thought you were our goofy neighbors to the north who occasionally allowed us to borrow on your wealth of actors and actresses. All I had before was the experience of being a humble visitor to your fair country to visit your fair people. Apparently I am lucky to have made it out alive (and with my clothes on, too.)
Then again, I always wondered who vandalized that parliamentary building (we actually have the gull to call it a "White House",) so many years ago...one of those crimes that were never solved. We had our fingers on it being the French, but it could have been our not so nice at the time but now best friends, England. Now I guess we can close the case with the blame squarely on the Canadians. Good thing the statue of limitations for that crime is up, or we'd have to say "We've got you surrounded, come out with your hands up!"
Hehehehe.
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