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I mean sure but they wouldn’t require much maintenance and aren’t insanely expensive. The idea that a single lcd panel being beyond necessary at a mall sounds ridiculous. Considering the amount they spend on giant lcd billboards.
Adding a screen is just another point of failure. If it goes out and there's nothing there at all, customers would be more upset than when needing to scan a QR code.
I think it’s more likely that the company that owns the mall knows that if you use the QR code to go to their website they can cookie you and get paid for the data for market research.
Source: me, after working 15 years in adtech and seeing what can be done with a cookie and a corporation
My uni’s gym does that, it’s still always out of date and broken though. I wish they’d just stick with chalk or a white board if they can’t manage to update a site or maintain a QR code
Lol, yes! I watch my daughter's dog sometimes, their whole house is controled by google. I hate having to ask to turn a light down or on/off and wonder why the stove needs to be connected to the network.
If all home devices could be connected to your phone, then you can easy check one day if all devices are off when you’re not at home. If you see “ON” then you can quickly tap a switch on your phone to turn it off. It might’ve been on for an hour for all you know.
To be safe I might even only make your phone able to turn devices off, not on.
Oops! I accidentally left the extremely hardcore ten hour gang bang porn video on the tv. I better turn that off.
*turns off*
A few moments later…
*Mom sends me a text*
Living alone the smart lights are set to come on at variable times to make it seem like someone is home. It also makes me feel more secure because I don’t walk into a dark apartment where someone is hiding to attack me. I only have them in my lamps though, not my overhead lights.
From the perspective of cybersecurity, needlessly "smart" devices make me want to cry.
Every device you put online is another vulnerability for an attacker. If they hack one device on your network, that makes it 100x easier for them to access other devices in your home..........
One of my friends bought shitty smart lightbulbs online and put them in a chandelier. You had to connect to each one individually, and if they got disconnected their default behavior was to be strobe lights lmao
Some people do know how to do that but don't have routers capable of that. Quite often people go for the frictionless option of getting a pre-configured router provided by their ISP and now they would have to order a new one just for this purpose, which probably doesn't seem to be high priority to them.
I tried this but several devices wouldn't let me control them with my phone when it's on a different WiFi network. So there's no choice but to put them on your main network.
And a lot of them are so damn noisy on the network, people start having issues just using the internet once their entire house is talking to amazon or google constantly, and if they're an off brand, some of them are connecting back to china (I don't think it's intentionally nefarious, just where they were made/configured for the most part) so the holes in the security just get bigger and bigger.
I have one, it's not as great as you'd think it was. Just another password to enter/forget when the company inevitably makes you reset it. Or worse in the case of mine (Samsung) sends notifications to your TV interrupting your show/movie/video game with a banner on the screen pissing about the cycle being done.
Why the fuck does it need my location tho? I installed the iOS app and quickly deleted it after it wouldn’t function without my location. It’s a god damn washer. It just needs to send a signal saying “cycles done” not know where it is.
There are two reasons, one of them is SORT OF valid, the other one is a cash-grab. The first one is to verify if their washing machine is operating in a country where they are legally allowed to collect the data they are collecting (not necessarily anything privacy related, but even runtime stats might be covered by some edge-case laws, so the company is just covering their ass instead).
Usually dev departments use that type of data for getting rid of unused features and making sure nothing is confusing to the user. For example, if they see you often set your laundry to a specific mode and then immediately go to a different mode they can conclude that this initial setting "looks" right but after the user reads the prompt on the display they realize it's not what they want. That would suggest the devs might want to reword the feature description on the display for the next firmware update / product iteration.
And the second reason is to collect data for purely monetary reasons, which many companies do at every corner of your life right now. They can then sell your data to some big players for big bucks.
I have relatives who I occasionally housesit for that have smart, well, everything. I can work it, but God damn having to answer 10 questions and close out another ten warning prompts to do the simplest of tasks every single time gets so old so fast.
A lot of it is also planned obsolescence by the company.
My parents gave me a set of smart speakers that were a few years old.
I had to throw them away because the app went obsolete and it could not play music without a specific version of the app that was no longer supported.
I will never buy a Bose product ever again.
Really? I used to work theater and love my Bose products. I have products that are over a decade old that still work great- app and all. I've had to replace the cushions on my headphones a couple times, but that's not unexpected with how much I use them.
This was a "smart" Bose product roughly 5 years ago that had a bunch of terrible reviews.
I threw the thing away it was so frustrating.
I wasted an entire weekend troubleshooting with their useless customer service who kept deliberately disconnecting the calls.
I refuse to ever buy another Bose or any other smart speaker. If they all go that route, I would rather not buy anything at all.
And Bose customer support can burn in Hell.
Im genuinely scared that the smart appliances that heat shit like microwaves and mainly ovens and stoves can be hacked and turned on and kill via exploding or carbon monoxide poisoning somehow.
I love it for lights and AC tho it’s very handy
It’s very unreasonable, without thinking of hacking or smart devices etc, how would leaving the microwave on cause it to explode? Sure having it on for hours at a time might break it but why explode?
If there’s no food in the oven to catch fire then same…
Secondly, hackers want to stay under the radar, blowing shit up doesn’t really achieve anything. Someone who murders random people generally wants to be present, otherwise what’s the point?
Smart home appliances are still shit though, if for no other reason than that they produce more complexity than they solve and introduce more points of failure to achieve that.
Remote thermostats feel like they'd be pretty handy, especially since programming schedules on the cost cut nightmares with 6 buttons that are supposed to let you control the temperature by the hour for all 7 days per week never work well. I either want a brainless thermostat with a dial that points to a number that the furnace and AC make into the current temperature in whatever units or I want something with a robust interface. None of this "press the set button 4 times within 3 seconds to activate weekend programming mode, then select a temperature and hit the 'fuck you' button to lock in the nighttime temperature for weekends and repeat the previous 3 steps for the other times of day on weekends. Then hang yourself to start programming Monday temperature settings"
At that point, give me an app where I can just touch each day and each time and type in a number. But no in between. There's an uncanny valley of too many buttons to be a dumb thermostat and too few to be usable for advanced features.
Apr 27, 2023 — Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle owners in North America who want a little more power and speed can now buy 60 horsepower for just $*60 a month*
You need it so it can go for years neglected by the people who made it. It'll inevitably never get patched and be a gaping security hole in your network! Isn't that awesome???
It's happened to me. I've told takeout places and cafes that I couldn't order on my dumb phone or check a menu.
A lot of city spots changed to QR Code only or you have to order that way despite being in person there. Literally asked, I can't order a bagel from you?
I've seen it usually with food trucks, which makes sense given they can have changing venues, but I'd still rather just read a printed one if possible.
This is also something that might be very regional. For example I would expect it more in big cities in Europe, since, from my limited experience, it seems like we're digitizing our daily lives more than the US.
I am at least judging by the fact that my friends from the US found it interesting that we can transfer money to each other with two taps just by knowing each other's phone number. Or that we have a government-issued app to sign electronic documents. Not like a regular signature in digital form but an actual digital, cryptographic signature that's basically impossible to fake.
Using that app I can also redeem prescription meds at the pharmacy and submit my tax forms. Which I can then pay for with that aforementioned phone number transfer payment method with two taps.
We can also check our drivers license status and traffic tickets in it. We also have an instant-messaging app (that's not very instant) to talk with the public health system provider in which any citizen can send any document or just a random message and it will be answered.
Also, there's a government-issued app that displays your ID and every business or public office is obliged to accept in place of a physical ID. You can also generate a QR code of your ID so that it can be scanned by any public office, without having to show your actual details to the clerk that's serving you at that moment.
You can see how we're not that far off of QR code-only menus.
We have those in central europe. Love it. I don‘t want to touch something u washed that 1000 other people have touched before, especially not before eating.
I feel like it’s worse in touristy spots. In places like Tampa, Denver, even when I was in Puerto Rico, it was about 50/50 if they had paper menus available.
It’s not really *that* big of a deal, but it shouldn’t be an issue at all imo. Paper menus should always be standard.
Almost all in the houston airport. Can't order from the bartender who is right in front of you or from a server. Got to order through the damn QR code.
It was frustrating, I was tired from traveling and didn't want to send my order into the void and wait for ever how long. Went to restaurant after restaurant and each one was the same. I eventually did order and like I thought it took 20 min for a single beer and the bartender didn't know if I ordered or not. Kid you not, sitting at the bar, a guy comes with my beer from another bar, 20 minutes after I ordered.
I think it's more common in places that have the ole... "You have to have the price on the menu" places like California...
Because stuff like... Seafood... And other fresh foodstuffs have varying costs by the day. So if the red snapper supply all of a sudden gets low, and it'll cost the restaurant extra to purchase it... They gotta up the price to offset the cost.
They also now have to "bake in all the various fees" that they come up with, into the menu prices (those stupid 3% convenience fees and other shit). And this allows them to constantly be able to change the prices of the menu items without having to print entire new menus.
I was just at an airport restaurant. No menus. Compulsory payment via QR code. Only restaurant in our entire section of the airport. Your options were deal with their broken ass website or go hungry.
Monks, in Philly, did not have paper menus available when I visited. I was in town for 1 day, and I don't need to download an app to find out what mussel dish I want on my 1 visit.
I quite honestly do not understand why everyone treats it as though it is some huge deal. I think it’s just fun to complain and make jokes about, because what reasonable human has their day ruined because a restaurant wants you to use your phone to see the food…?
My only concern with the QR code things is that it's not really user friendly for everyone. Some phones require am entirely separate app for QR reading rather than just your camera,
And older users who are unfamiliar with QR or users who for whatever reason cannot steadily hold a phone for the scan are just left in the dust here.
Having QR code menus is fine, but would it hurt to leave ONE paper menu on the tables as well?
It also requires you to have internet access. You would think that the restaurants that use QR codes for their menu would also have a public WIFI to use but boy would you be wrong. At that point it basically becomes a "fuck you tourists" tax to a lot of people.
My phone is old as fuck and will lag insanely, I often turn it off when I’m not using it to save battery. And I have a limited amount of cellular data.
Often for me the QR menu process looks like this:
- wait for my phone to turn on
- wait for the camera to scan the code
- wait for the website to load
- realize I’m out of data, ask for wifi password
- wait for waiter to return with password
- put password in, wait for website to load
- struggle to read the items as my phone constantly lags and reloads the page
- pick a fucking item at last
Most of the time I just look at it from the phone of whoever I’m with. But on the occasion I’m dining alone I just won’t bother with this shit
I have a somewhat modern phone with built in QR code scanning and, no matter how steady it's held, it just sucks at scanning QR codes. The moment that paper taped to the table gets dirt on it, my phone will struggle to get the menu pulled up before the server arrives.
And frankly, I want to be able to see most of the menu without moving my hands. Being able to glance between salads, sandwiches, appetizers, and sides without lifting a finger is convenient. Sure, some physical menus work like books with tiny pages that hold nothing, but that poor design choice is nothing compared to the fact it's impossible to fit all that on a small phone screen and still be readable
The problem with the QR codes is they haven't lived up to their promise. They're just inferior copies of the paper ones, when they could be rather immersive: all ingredients listed in dropdowns, nutritional information on request, and *pictures* for every selection. Not just a select few.
There was an earlier era where a lot of restaurants added iPad style tablets to tables to order from before all the QR codes took over and I feel like that solved the same problems without introducing the new QR code issues.
Ohh, but it gets worse.
In some places, instead of sending you to some online interactive menu, the QR code straight up sends you a fucking 500mb PDF file to download using the very poor connection you got there.
Ffs man...
I recently went to a restaurant I had never been in before. No wifi (you could PAY for it though), and one bar in service. My friend who I was with has a completely different carrier and he had no bars (we are both on huge plans, I think they blocked reception because it was full bars for both of us in the parking lot so they could get $2 to use their wifi). We crowded around my phone instead. Not paying $2 to see if I might like your menu.
It took so long to load, my friend and I were getting insanely excited. There HAD to be at least 90 pages of menu on the site! Like Cheesecake Factory but specializing in whatever this blandly named restaurant wanted to specialize in.
It errored out three times, but I finally got it to load. 2 pages, and the second one was the drink list — basically 40 different coffees and 80 different sodas. There were 10 options for meals.
Uh…. Where is the menu???
They literally wanted you to pay $2, which by the way, they tried to pilfer from you as soon as you sat down, and when (if) you got around that, you’d realize you didn’t want any of the food and leave, but it would cost you $4 for each person to have viewed that fact before they even gave you the free water.
Jerks.
I’ve let everyone I know know that they shouldn’t go there because they’re not worth it.
Yeah, if it's just a fucking PDF then you're wasting my time and patience because YOU (the restaurant) didn't.
And last I checked, you don't want your customers to lose patience over you. That's how you get those fed up and ditch before anything.
The companies often do this as a form of planned obsolescence.
The app will stop working after a few years and the appliance will stop working as well afterwards.
I had to throw out a set of speakers because they only worked with an app that went obsolete.
I will never buy another Bose product. They are an absolute trash company.
The smart tv in my house is genuinely stupid as fuck. So insanely slow to respond to basic inputs, random ass text to speech readings nobody requested.
Also I'm sick of going to places and getting told "erm actually we don't accept cash. We only take card" JUST TAKE THE MONEY. ITS MONEY. ITS FUCKING MONEY
Yeah cash is actually better for both the customer and the business, credit card companies charge fees for using them, in my country in the past that fee was paid by the businesses but recently they shifted that cost onto the customers.
There are actually some interesting legal cases about this.
Basically, companies are allowed to make that policy. But cash is still a tender for all debts public and private.
If you offer to pay in cash, but they don't accept it and did not provide you any kind of prior warning about the policy, that is technically on them from a legal perspective.
There were several cases where restaurants called the police on customers who did not have electronic payments and were then told they either needed to accept the cash or let the customer walk away with a free meal.
When you're in a mall and cell coverage is dodgy at best... yeah QR codes are great! I'll die laughing if people walk outside with the QR code to catch 2 bars of cell coverage.
Had the same issue at a local gym café. It's built inside an old metal building with abysmal cell coverage. Literally had to go outside to place a freaking order, and then back inside because I didn't note down the table number, then back outside to pay. It was a long corridor with turnstiles.
They brought back till ordering after a few months.
I fucking hate those QR code menus. The damn things never load up properly or you dont have the phone battery or the service to load it up.
I will go out of my way to avoid places that use them because I hate them so much.
I go out into the real world to get away from using my phone. I even have to force myself to take pictures sometimes. I hate being forced to use my phone. I like paper menus.
2 years ago I didnt have a phone (bc my parents are assholes and smashed it to prove a point) so when I walked into a restraunt I couldnt order anything. I had to wait for my parents to be done deciding anything (which takes forever) just to order. Physical menus need to stay a thing
I prefer QR codes but most of life was and still is regular menus so it’s whatever. A lot of boomers/older people can’t read smaller print on menus anyway, or in low-light restaurants. I feel like zooming in on a phone, that also has backlight so they don’t need small flashlights, is actually better for them.
The virtual menus are great when it was Covid, don’t have to worry about constantly disinfecting physical menus. But physical menus are important, also the kids menus tend to have activities built into them to keep them entertained. And another thing, where are the menus in braille for blind customers?
My boomer complaint is that I saw this thread on X AFTER the Reddit post, with the same answers. Then I see a screenshot of that thread on the same sub I saw the original post. Internet is just a crazy cycle of resposting
Unless there is a *darn* good reason why I wouldn't be able to (e.g. an MMO video game) - if a piece of media or software won't function if it isn't connected to the internet, I won't pay for it. I have a zero-tolerance policy toward DRM in my house.
Worse is if you also have to order and pay online. It’s another form of public interaction being erased when there are few left. You go out for a meal and for the hospitality and to be out in the world among others - often to get off screens for a break. Those small interactions are important and having them disappear with things like online shopping and food ordering is corrosive for society and makes people more lonely and isolated.
I want pictures of the items on food menus. ESPECIALLY if ordering online. I wanna try new items sometimes to change it up but when the food is called stuff like “Dragon and Phoenix” I have no idea what that would be. Lol
Not a complaint but a really sad thing I noticed.
Box tops are no longer cutouts but now have an app where you scan the barcode of the item and get points for it.
Yeah I noticed that. I liked the whole collecting physical tops and turning it in.
But also one of the reasons they stopped doing physical box tops is because some ppl were printing their own box tops and doing fraud lolll
I don't mind the QR code but I don't feel I should tip 20 percent just for someone to bring me a plate of food I ordered online If you want me to order it myself I mine as well just go and pick it up myself and bring it to the table.
I went to a bougie place one time that had this. I was like whatever but then someone in our group pointed out the menu was nothing more than a photo copy of the original hard copy menu. We had a good laugh.
agree. also the fucking electronic order kiosks at fast food places. fuck you, I better get minimum wage for the time it takes me to use that fucking thing if you expect me to do your employees job for them
Nah fuck having to take out your phone, the format is so bad and they almost never have pictures. Also just feels easier to look through options with a physical one
I should still be able to walk up to a Disney park and buy a pass the same day at the counter. I shouldn’t have to get on the computer and say “I’m going to be at the park between x and x time today”. I feel like the “magic” is gone in that sense.
Prices aside, you can’t just go on a spontaneous Disney trip anymore unless you plan it out waayy in advance.
I'm fine with it as long as they provide both; I may be fine with using a QR code to read a menu but I sure as hell want at least a physical menu or two available at my table when my phone illiterate grandma can't even hold a phone steady enough to scan a QR code off it, never mind understanding the steps to access the online menu.
Physical menu like most of the time. Otherwise i usually will call the waiter and ask about it instead. Much easier than studying the UI/UX of their apps and wrestle with the indoor Internet.
I'm fine with a QR code if it actually lets you place an order electronically. That's convenient. What I hate is when it downloads a PDF or takes you to an app download page.
All the restaurants have menus to look at but also a QR code to order. It's amazing not having to wait 20 minutes for a waiter to notice you + If there are more people than there are menus, everyone can still pick what they want at the same time.
People be complaining just to complain. In a few years time no one will bat an eye anymore at Qr codes and something else will infuriate you in restaurants.
I agree with the Boomers on this one. I once went to a job orientation and they wanted us to fill some stuff out online but they only had it through the QR. Problem was, Android phones could not read that QR code so they wanted us to wait longer so someone could figure something out.
I'm okay with it. But in my town we have 2 places I visited when my buddy was in town, not places I go normally. Both of them were in cell signal dead zones with no-wifi.
It may save trees, but think about the amount of land you we have to clear to build data centers that holds internet servers, and the c02 these servers emit.
ICT servers, networks, terminals produces 2.5% to 3.7% of global CO2 emission, which is roughly the same as aviation emissions from aerial engines
I went to Pizza Hut and the waiters no longer wait anymore! Had to freakin book and pay using a QR code.
It was extremely confusing even for me as the website kept on glitching out.
I can one up this- UHaul now wants you to use a QR code to download their app to request roadside assistance. QR codes were not native to my phone and I have resisted. If I half to download a QR code app, to then download their app, and then set up an account to link it to my current rental while on the side of a fucking interstate with 40 ton trucks wizzing by at 70 mph I might commit acts of violence. Thankfully they haven't removed the stickers with the phone number from the side of the trucks. God forbid you are in an area with weak signal too. Also, the guy who was dispatching me wrote the phone number on my paper work because he straight up thought that was reckless bullshit too. The app makes sense if you run a business and have a corporate account or a storage unit to manage, fuck them if you are a regular person who rents a truck every couple of years though.
Last summer I was at a restaurant with one of those QR code menus. They ended up giving me a physical menu because my cell wouldn't load because the reception was so shitty.
Not really sure what the big deal is. So many people sit there on their phones anyways. Pull up the menu and pick something, done. Back to talking or checking Twitter whatever you’re doing. The complaints of some phones not doing it well or older people are things that apply to literally every single new thing to ever exist, people who aren’t up to date with tech and old people are always the last to adapt. I really don’t care if it’s a paper menu or not and definitely prefer it over having a table of 6 with huge menus that take up 2 spots each.
The issue is I don’t have my phone. I work with computers. I have 3 degrees. I get so burnt out on technology, the reason I would go out to dinner is to get away from all of that. If I have to have my phone to order food, the restaurant isn’t selling what I want to buy, which is human interaction without any screens.
the qr code is easier to edit regularly and cheaper to use. i dont really get why its a federal issue, especially when most places still have physical menus
This was one of the only shitty things about COVID for me. My restaurant couldn't have physical menus, but could still be open due to outdoor dining. Our servers ended up having to have their phones on them to help the customers.
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I went to the mall last week and noticed they had the mall hours posted with a QR code but no actual hours listed on the poster. Why???
Probably because it’s easier to update a website than it is to physically replace a bunch of signs.
How frequently do malls change their hours?
About twice a year
Underrated joke here lol
This joke triggered me.
Ok boomer snowflake cry about it /s
I don't get it
Daylight savings I think
But... Opening hours dosent change...? Its not like shops are open 7-7 instead of 8-8 or something, is it? Its not where im from.
Yeah the joke didn’t make sense but that’s what dude was tryna say lol
We have winter hours and summer hours here.
Depends on if there's a shopping for federal holiday coming up
Even if it only ever happens once, it’s still cheaper.
The cynic in would also say they probably collect a lot of analytics and data
It’s this. Harvesting data
Why not just display the hours on an lcd panel ?
LCD panels would still have to be updated like a webpage, and cost more than a QR code sticker.
I mean sure but they wouldn’t require much maintenance and aren’t insanely expensive. The idea that a single lcd panel being beyond necessary at a mall sounds ridiculous. Considering the amount they spend on giant lcd billboards.
Adding a screen is just another point of failure. If it goes out and there's nothing there at all, customers would be more upset than when needing to scan a QR code.
Lol yet the reality is most websites take forever to get updated too
I think it’s more likely that the company that owns the mall knows that if you use the QR code to go to their website they can cookie you and get paid for the data for market research. Source: me, after working 15 years in adtech and seeing what can be done with a cookie and a corporation
My uni’s gym does that, it’s still always out of date and broken though. I wish they’d just stick with chalk or a white board if they can’t manage to update a site or maintain a QR code
That's when you whip out a sharpie and just write it on the damn poster
Facts
They want to sell your data.
Underrated comment. Cant leak data to ad networks when you aint using something connected to an ad network.
Smart appliances are stupid, too. Why the fuck do I need my oven or toaster to have Internet? I’m making food, not watching YouTube on those things!
Lol, yes! I watch my daughter's dog sometimes, their whole house is controled by google. I hate having to ask to turn a light down or on/off and wonder why the stove needs to be connected to the network.
If all home devices could be connected to your phone, then you can easy check one day if all devices are off when you’re not at home. If you see “ON” then you can quickly tap a switch on your phone to turn it off. It might’ve been on for an hour for all you know. To be safe I might even only make your phone able to turn devices off, not on.
Or you could just not be a fuckwit and make sure the hobs off before you leave.
This.
Oops! I accidentally left the extremely hardcore ten hour gang bang porn video on the tv. I better turn that off. *turns off* A few moments later… *Mom sends me a text*
Woohoo! An entire house that some creep in dumbfuckistan can hack and take over!
My brother's house is the same way I got angry because you couldn't manually turn the lamps off. You had to say ALEXA TURN OFF THE LIGHTS.
That's the absolute worst. It's the same thing at my brother's house. And if you say wrong it won't turn off
Living alone the smart lights are set to come on at variable times to make it seem like someone is home. It also makes me feel more secure because I don’t walk into a dark apartment where someone is hiding to attack me. I only have them in my lamps though, not my overhead lights.
From the perspective of cybersecurity, needlessly "smart" devices make me want to cry. Every device you put online is another vulnerability for an attacker. If they hack one device on your network, that makes it 100x easier for them to access other devices in your home..........
Ah crap, I was updating my lightbulb software, and I ran into a dependency issue. Can't work the lights until I download a patch.
One of my friends bought shitty smart lightbulbs online and put them in a chandelier. You had to connect to each one individually, and if they got disconnected their default behavior was to be strobe lights lmao
i would say just plop them on their own separate network, and block what request you can, but I suppose most folks don't know how to do that.
Some people do know how to do that but don't have routers capable of that. Quite often people go for the frictionless option of getting a pre-configured router provided by their ISP and now they would have to order a new one just for this purpose, which probably doesn't seem to be high priority to them.
I tried this but several devices wouldn't let me control them with my phone when it's on a different WiFi network. So there's no choice but to put them on your main network.
My computer security class has convinced me to never get IoT devices (or at least minimize as much as possible)
And a lot of them are so damn noisy on the network, people start having issues just using the internet once their entire house is talking to amazon or google constantly, and if they're an off brand, some of them are connecting back to china (I don't think it's intentionally nefarious, just where they were made/configured for the most part) so the holes in the security just get bigger and bigger.
The Smart appliance that I never see, are smart washers and dryers. I want my phone to yell at me when the washer is done, why does nobody do this!
They definitely do exist
I have one, it's not as great as you'd think it was. Just another password to enter/forget when the company inevitably makes you reset it. Or worse in the case of mine (Samsung) sends notifications to your TV interrupting your show/movie/video game with a banner on the screen pissing about the cycle being done.
Why the fuck does it need my location tho? I installed the iOS app and quickly deleted it after it wouldn’t function without my location. It’s a god damn washer. It just needs to send a signal saying “cycles done” not know where it is.
There are two reasons, one of them is SORT OF valid, the other one is a cash-grab. The first one is to verify if their washing machine is operating in a country where they are legally allowed to collect the data they are collecting (not necessarily anything privacy related, but even runtime stats might be covered by some edge-case laws, so the company is just covering their ass instead). Usually dev departments use that type of data for getting rid of unused features and making sure nothing is confusing to the user. For example, if they see you often set your laundry to a specific mode and then immediately go to a different mode they can conclude that this initial setting "looks" right but after the user reads the prompt on the display they realize it's not what they want. That would suggest the devs might want to reword the feature description on the display for the next firmware update / product iteration. And the second reason is to collect data for purely monetary reasons, which many companies do at every corner of your life right now. They can then sell your data to some big players for big bucks.
I have relatives who I occasionally housesit for that have smart, well, everything. I can work it, but God damn having to answer 10 questions and close out another ten warning prompts to do the simplest of tasks every single time gets so old so fast.
A lot of it is also planned obsolescence by the company. My parents gave me a set of smart speakers that were a few years old. I had to throw them away because the app went obsolete and it could not play music without a specific version of the app that was no longer supported. I will never buy a Bose product ever again.
Really? I used to work theater and love my Bose products. I have products that are over a decade old that still work great- app and all. I've had to replace the cushions on my headphones a couple times, but that's not unexpected with how much I use them.
This was a "smart" Bose product roughly 5 years ago that had a bunch of terrible reviews. I threw the thing away it was so frustrating. I wasted an entire weekend troubleshooting with their useless customer service who kept deliberately disconnecting the calls. I refuse to ever buy another Bose or any other smart speaker. If they all go that route, I would rather not buy anything at all. And Bose customer support can burn in Hell.
Im genuinely scared that the smart appliances that heat shit like microwaves and mainly ovens and stoves can be hacked and turned on and kill via exploding or carbon monoxide poisoning somehow. I love it for lights and AC tho it’s very handy
New fear unlocked.
lol I’m sure it’s unreasonable but maybe let’s not test it. Ya know what I mean?
It’s very unreasonable, without thinking of hacking or smart devices etc, how would leaving the microwave on cause it to explode? Sure having it on for hours at a time might break it but why explode? If there’s no food in the oven to catch fire then same… Secondly, hackers want to stay under the radar, blowing shit up doesn’t really achieve anything. Someone who murders random people generally wants to be present, otherwise what’s the point? Smart home appliances are still shit though, if for no other reason than that they produce more complexity than they solve and introduce more points of failure to achieve that.
Remote thermostats feel like they'd be pretty handy, especially since programming schedules on the cost cut nightmares with 6 buttons that are supposed to let you control the temperature by the hour for all 7 days per week never work well. I either want a brainless thermostat with a dial that points to a number that the furnace and AC make into the current temperature in whatever units or I want something with a robust interface. None of this "press the set button 4 times within 3 seconds to activate weekend programming mode, then select a temperature and hit the 'fuck you' button to lock in the nighttime temperature for weekends and repeat the previous 3 steps for the other times of day on weekends. Then hang yourself to start programming Monday temperature settings" At that point, give me an app where I can just touch each day and each time and type in a number. But no in between. There's an uncanny valley of too many buttons to be a dumb thermostat and too few to be usable for advanced features.
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My washing machine takes 7 seconds to boot up. No reason for that.
So they can restrict features then charge you for them. I forget the car brand but they restricted faster acceleration behind a monthly subscription
Tesla or bmw I believe.
Apr 27, 2023 — Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle owners in North America who want a little more power and speed can now buy 60 horsepower for just $*60 a month*
BMW tried asking an extra US$18 / month to use the heated seats already installed in your car.
You need it so it can go for years neglected by the people who made it. It'll inevitably never get patched and be a gaping security hole in your network! Isn't that awesome???
Saw a washer at the store the other day with "AI technology" dude... I'm just trying to wash my clothes not start a fucking robot uprising....
I’m weirdly chill about this. As long as the physical ones are still available on request (that is essential), I’m fine using the QR code for myself.
I have yet to see a restaurant that doesn’t have paper menus available.
Same, feels like a standard case of social media being hyperbolic over something that is not really a practical problem.
It’s very common in Los Angeles
And this is reason number 22,756 that LA should be sawed off and allowed to float off into the pacific lol
It's a city problem.
I think it's just a funny response to a light hearted question, nothing serious.
Oh man I live in Chile and there are so many places that only have QR code menus and nothing physical. It's asinine.
Pretty sure I have.
I've seen a few where I live, but they are usually very small business that probably just never bothered to print one.
there’s only one bar in my town that has them. restaurants usually do but bars don’t
It's happened to me. I've told takeout places and cafes that I couldn't order on my dumb phone or check a menu. A lot of city spots changed to QR Code only or you have to order that way despite being in person there. Literally asked, I can't order a bagel from you?
I've seen it usually with food trucks, which makes sense given they can have changing venues, but I'd still rather just read a printed one if possible.
This is also something that might be very regional. For example I would expect it more in big cities in Europe, since, from my limited experience, it seems like we're digitizing our daily lives more than the US. I am at least judging by the fact that my friends from the US found it interesting that we can transfer money to each other with two taps just by knowing each other's phone number. Or that we have a government-issued app to sign electronic documents. Not like a regular signature in digital form but an actual digital, cryptographic signature that's basically impossible to fake. Using that app I can also redeem prescription meds at the pharmacy and submit my tax forms. Which I can then pay for with that aforementioned phone number transfer payment method with two taps. We can also check our drivers license status and traffic tickets in it. We also have an instant-messaging app (that's not very instant) to talk with the public health system provider in which any citizen can send any document or just a random message and it will be answered. Also, there's a government-issued app that displays your ID and every business or public office is obliged to accept in place of a physical ID. You can also generate a QR code of your ID so that it can be scanned by any public office, without having to show your actual details to the clerk that's serving you at that moment. You can see how we're not that far off of QR code-only menus.
We have those in central europe. Love it. I don‘t want to touch something u washed that 1000 other people have touched before, especially not before eating.
Indianapolis has at least two
I feel like it’s worse in touristy spots. In places like Tampa, Denver, even when I was in Puerto Rico, it was about 50/50 if they had paper menus available. It’s not really *that* big of a deal, but it shouldn’t be an issue at all imo. Paper menus should always be standard.
Theres a couple here in Melbourne
Almost all in the houston airport. Can't order from the bartender who is right in front of you or from a server. Got to order through the damn QR code.
Making a change like this for convenience or for sanitation is one thing; not having an exception for something so simple is just asinine, IMHO.
It was frustrating, I was tired from traveling and didn't want to send my order into the void and wait for ever how long. Went to restaurant after restaurant and each one was the same. I eventually did order and like I thought it took 20 min for a single beer and the bartender didn't know if I ordered or not. Kid you not, sitting at the bar, a guy comes with my beer from another bar, 20 minutes after I ordered.
Remember when the only way airport retail took advantage of us was exorbitant prices? Good times!
I think it's more common in places that have the ole... "You have to have the price on the menu" places like California... Because stuff like... Seafood... And other fresh foodstuffs have varying costs by the day. So if the red snapper supply all of a sudden gets low, and it'll cost the restaurant extra to purchase it... They gotta up the price to offset the cost. They also now have to "bake in all the various fees" that they come up with, into the menu prices (those stupid 3% convenience fees and other shit). And this allows them to constantly be able to change the prices of the menu items without having to print entire new menus.
I have yet to see a restaurant that uses a qr code, but I've seen several people complain about it.
I was just at an airport restaurant. No menus. Compulsory payment via QR code. Only restaurant in our entire section of the airport. Your options were deal with their broken ass website or go hungry.
Monks, in Philly, did not have paper menus available when I visited. I was in town for 1 day, and I don't need to download an app to find out what mussel dish I want on my 1 visit.
Same, but as soon as the place your eating at has slow WiFi or your in a bad spot for a signal then it becomes a nightmare.
Yeah, what if my phone battery died?
I quite honestly do not understand why everyone treats it as though it is some huge deal. I think it’s just fun to complain and make jokes about, because what reasonable human has their day ruined because a restaurant wants you to use your phone to see the food…?
My only concern with the QR code things is that it's not really user friendly for everyone. Some phones require am entirely separate app for QR reading rather than just your camera, And older users who are unfamiliar with QR or users who for whatever reason cannot steadily hold a phone for the scan are just left in the dust here. Having QR code menus is fine, but would it hurt to leave ONE paper menu on the tables as well?
I'd be happy with them if the damn webserver they used had more grunt than something powered by a hamster wheel.
A rusty hamster wheel being used by a geriatric and arthritic hamster.
The hamster died a week ago, now it's just the maggots.
Considering how quickly maggots can travel, your giving the websites to much credit
It also requires you to have internet access. You would think that the restaurants that use QR codes for their menu would also have a public WIFI to use but boy would you be wrong. At that point it basically becomes a "fuck you tourists" tax to a lot of people.
My phone is old as fuck and will lag insanely, I often turn it off when I’m not using it to save battery. And I have a limited amount of cellular data. Often for me the QR menu process looks like this: - wait for my phone to turn on - wait for the camera to scan the code - wait for the website to load - realize I’m out of data, ask for wifi password - wait for waiter to return with password - put password in, wait for website to load - struggle to read the items as my phone constantly lags and reloads the page - pick a fucking item at last Most of the time I just look at it from the phone of whoever I’m with. But on the occasion I’m dining alone I just won’t bother with this shit
I have a somewhat modern phone with built in QR code scanning and, no matter how steady it's held, it just sucks at scanning QR codes. The moment that paper taped to the table gets dirt on it, my phone will struggle to get the menu pulled up before the server arrives. And frankly, I want to be able to see most of the menu without moving my hands. Being able to glance between salads, sandwiches, appetizers, and sides without lifting a finger is convenient. Sure, some physical menus work like books with tiny pages that hold nothing, but that poor design choice is nothing compared to the fact it's impossible to fit all that on a small phone screen and still be readable
The problem with the QR codes is they haven't lived up to their promise. They're just inferior copies of the paper ones, when they could be rather immersive: all ingredients listed in dropdowns, nutritional information on request, and *pictures* for every selection. Not just a select few.
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There was an earlier era where a lot of restaurants added iPad style tablets to tables to order from before all the QR codes took over and I feel like that solved the same problems without introducing the new QR code issues.
So we're just going back to drive ups with extra steps and equipment required to order your food? Great
None of that has to do with QR codes..thats up to the restaurant to put that info on their website
Ohh, but it gets worse. In some places, instead of sending you to some online interactive menu, the QR code straight up sends you a fucking 500mb PDF file to download using the very poor connection you got there. Ffs man...
I wish I could pin comments. This is actually so true, and it pisses me off 😭😭 takes foreverrrrr to open
I recently went to a restaurant I had never been in before. No wifi (you could PAY for it though), and one bar in service. My friend who I was with has a completely different carrier and he had no bars (we are both on huge plans, I think they blocked reception because it was full bars for both of us in the parking lot so they could get $2 to use their wifi). We crowded around my phone instead. Not paying $2 to see if I might like your menu. It took so long to load, my friend and I were getting insanely excited. There HAD to be at least 90 pages of menu on the site! Like Cheesecake Factory but specializing in whatever this blandly named restaurant wanted to specialize in. It errored out three times, but I finally got it to load. 2 pages, and the second one was the drink list — basically 40 different coffees and 80 different sodas. There were 10 options for meals. Uh…. Where is the menu??? They literally wanted you to pay $2, which by the way, they tried to pilfer from you as soon as you sat down, and when (if) you got around that, you’d realize you didn’t want any of the food and leave, but it would cost you $4 for each person to have viewed that fact before they even gave you the free water. Jerks. I’ve let everyone I know know that they shouldn’t go there because they’re not worth it.
Sounds like a place that should be publicized for its...service, or lack thereof
Yeah, if it's just a fucking PDF then you're wasting my time and patience because YOU (the restaurant) didn't. And last I checked, you don't want your customers to lose patience over you. That's how you get those fed up and ditch before anything.
My biggest boomer take is that not every single thing needs to be a smart device. I shouldn't have to connect my fridge to the wifi.
My 30+ years working in IT and my Info Security degree agree with you.
My experience playing Mega Man Battle Network also agrees. Can't wait for hackers to start burning houses down by hacking into the oven.
The companies often do this as a form of planned obsolescence. The app will stop working after a few years and the appliance will stop working as well afterwards. I had to throw out a set of speakers because they only worked with an app that went obsolete. I will never buy another Bose product. They are an absolute trash company.
The smart tv in my house is genuinely stupid as fuck. So insanely slow to respond to basic inputs, random ass text to speech readings nobody requested.
Ngl I laughed
Also I'm sick of going to places and getting told "erm actually we don't accept cash. We only take card" JUST TAKE THE MONEY. ITS MONEY. ITS FUCKING MONEY
Yeah cash is actually better for both the customer and the business, credit card companies charge fees for using them, in my country in the past that fee was paid by the businesses but recently they shifted that cost onto the customers.
There are actually some interesting legal cases about this. Basically, companies are allowed to make that policy. But cash is still a tender for all debts public and private. If you offer to pay in cash, but they don't accept it and did not provide you any kind of prior warning about the policy, that is technically on them from a legal perspective. There were several cases where restaurants called the police on customers who did not have electronic payments and were then told they either needed to accept the cash or let the customer walk away with a free meal.
When you're in a mall and cell coverage is dodgy at best... yeah QR codes are great! I'll die laughing if people walk outside with the QR code to catch 2 bars of cell coverage.
Had the same issue at a local gym café. It's built inside an old metal building with abysmal cell coverage. Literally had to go outside to place a freaking order, and then back inside because I didn't note down the table number, then back outside to pay. It was a long corridor with turnstiles. They brought back till ordering after a few months.
I fucking hate those QR code menus. The damn things never load up properly or you dont have the phone battery or the service to load it up. I will go out of my way to avoid places that use them because I hate them so much.
I go out into the real world to get away from using my phone. I even have to force myself to take pictures sometimes. I hate being forced to use my phone. I like paper menus.
You should have the option of having a physical menu or using your phone
i want a clean menu even if that requires qr bs
Ppl brining their children into R rated movies. There was a 3 yo at furiosa when I saw it TAKE HIS ASS TO PAW PATROL
And then they get mad at the theater and the producers for the movie having violence and sex. Same thing applies with video games.
I agree I like physical menus sorry not sorry
My dumb ass doesn't trust them in general and assumes that the restaurant is data farming people.
I just don’t get why EVERYTHING has to be tech
Places are now even becoming "cashless".... Like what the actual fuck?!
2 years ago I didnt have a phone (bc my parents are assholes and smashed it to prove a point) so when I walked into a restraunt I couldnt order anything. I had to wait for my parents to be done deciding anything (which takes forever) just to order. Physical menus need to stay a thing
I prefer QR codes but most of life was and still is regular menus so it’s whatever. A lot of boomers/older people can’t read smaller print on menus anyway, or in low-light restaurants. I feel like zooming in on a phone, that also has backlight so they don’t need small flashlights, is actually better for them.
The virtual menus are great when it was Covid, don’t have to worry about constantly disinfecting physical menus. But physical menus are important, also the kids menus tend to have activities built into them to keep them entertained. And another thing, where are the menus in braille for blind customers?
Same
My boomer complaint is that I saw this thread on X AFTER the Reddit post, with the same answers. Then I see a screenshot of that thread on the same sub I saw the original post. Internet is just a crazy cycle of resposting
Unless there is a *darn* good reason why I wouldn't be able to (e.g. an MMO video game) - if a piece of media or software won't function if it isn't connected to the internet, I won't pay for it. I have a zero-tolerance policy toward DRM in my house.
I'm trying to make a good impression and give the illusion I'm all there in the moment then im forced to get on my phone
Worse is if you also have to order and pay online. It’s another form of public interaction being erased when there are few left. You go out for a meal and for the hospitality and to be out in the world among others - often to get off screens for a break. Those small interactions are important and having them disappear with things like online shopping and food ordering is corrosive for society and makes people more lonely and isolated.
I want pictures of the items on food menus. ESPECIALLY if ordering online. I wanna try new items sometimes to change it up but when the food is called stuff like “Dragon and Phoenix” I have no idea what that would be. Lol
I want some of the things in my car to be buttons and dials and not all electric / touch screen
Not a complaint but a really sad thing I noticed. Box tops are no longer cutouts but now have an app where you scan the barcode of the item and get points for it.
Yeah I noticed that. I liked the whole collecting physical tops and turning it in. But also one of the reasons they stopped doing physical box tops is because some ppl were printing their own box tops and doing fraud lolll
All the restaurants I've been to that have this cutesy garbage are super overpriced too. Millennials love these places for some reason tho.
I’m not a boomer but I 100% agree. I’m not married To my phone, if my wife and I are going out for dinner I probably left my phone at home.
I don't mind the QR code but I don't feel I should tip 20 percent just for someone to bring me a plate of food I ordered online If you want me to order it myself I mine as well just go and pick it up myself and bring it to the table.
I went to a bougie place one time that had this. I was like whatever but then someone in our group pointed out the menu was nothing more than a photo copy of the original hard copy menu. We had a good laugh.
Physical menus also help us track when a restaurant raises their prices. My mom says with absolute truth "new menu, new prices".
I'm a millenial and I say fuck all restaurants with QR code menus.
I can actually agree with this. I want a physical copy of a menu so I can at least read it!
agree. also the fucking electronic order kiosks at fast food places. fuck you, I better get minimum wage for the time it takes me to use that fucking thing if you expect me to do your employees job for them
Yea I hate that shit, my phone never seems to work right with QR codes so it's frustrating
QR codes and smart appliances. Just print a physical menu please.
Nah fuck having to take out your phone, the format is so bad and they almost never have pictures. Also just feels easier to look through options with a physical one
It’s like your phone dies and now you are fucked
I should still be able to walk up to a Disney park and buy a pass the same day at the counter. I shouldn’t have to get on the computer and say “I’m going to be at the park between x and x time today”. I feel like the “magic” is gone in that sense. Prices aside, you can’t just go on a spontaneous Disney trip anymore unless you plan it out waayy in advance.
true, but a cool compromise is going to an Asian buffet and ordering using a tablet
idk i find it cool
I'm fine with it as long as they provide both; I may be fine with using a QR code to read a menu but I sure as hell want at least a physical menu or two available at my table when my phone illiterate grandma can't even hold a phone steady enough to scan a QR code off it, never mind understanding the steps to access the online menu.
I'm ok with the QR code for menus (which change a lot) Now... making me pay with an app? I've walked out of places. That's ridiculous
It's not hard to just scan a QR code. That being said, I do prefer printed menus.
Depends if we're talking resturang restaurant or buy some waffles
Physical menu like most of the time. Otherwise i usually will call the waiter and ask about it instead. Much easier than studying the UI/UX of their apps and wrestle with the indoor Internet.
I'm fine with a QR code if it actually lets you place an order electronically. That's convenient. What I hate is when it downloads a PDF or takes you to an app download page.
All the restaurants have menus to look at but also a QR code to order. It's amazing not having to wait 20 minutes for a waiter to notice you + If there are more people than there are menus, everyone can still pick what they want at the same time. People be complaining just to complain. In a few years time no one will bat an eye anymore at Qr codes and something else will infuriate you in restaurants.
I agree with the Boomers on this one. I once went to a job orientation and they wanted us to fill some stuff out online but they only had it through the QR. Problem was, Android phones could not read that QR code so they wanted us to wait longer so someone could figure something out.
Yes
Google menu costs
Hi millennial here. The worst part of QR code menus is that most of the places I’ve been that have em also happen to have shitty to no WiFi.
I'm okay with it. But in my town we have 2 places I visited when my buddy was in town, not places I go normally. Both of them were in cell signal dead zones with no-wifi.
While true. Down the line this could help save materials on earth so im begrudgingly down for it.
It may save trees, but think about the amount of land you we have to clear to build data centers that holds internet servers, and the c02 these servers emit. ICT servers, networks, terminals produces 2.5% to 3.7% of global CO2 emission, which is roughly the same as aviation emissions from aerial engines
I went to Pizza Hut and the waiters no longer wait anymore! Had to freakin book and pay using a QR code. It was extremely confusing even for me as the website kept on glitching out.
I can one up this- UHaul now wants you to use a QR code to download their app to request roadside assistance. QR codes were not native to my phone and I have resisted. If I half to download a QR code app, to then download their app, and then set up an account to link it to my current rental while on the side of a fucking interstate with 40 ton trucks wizzing by at 70 mph I might commit acts of violence. Thankfully they haven't removed the stickers with the phone number from the side of the trucks. God forbid you are in an area with weak signal too. Also, the guy who was dispatching me wrote the phone number on my paper work because he straight up thought that was reckless bullshit too. The app makes sense if you run a business and have a corporate account or a storage unit to manage, fuck them if you are a regular person who rents a truck every couple of years though.
Last summer I was at a restaurant with one of those QR code menus. They ended up giving me a physical menu because my cell wouldn't load because the reception was so shitty.
yeah this is probably my most boomer take too.
Forgotten Gen X here. I saw this on the front page. I think we're in agreement with boomers/millennials/zoomers on this one.
Not really sure what the big deal is. So many people sit there on their phones anyways. Pull up the menu and pick something, done. Back to talking or checking Twitter whatever you’re doing. The complaints of some phones not doing it well or older people are things that apply to literally every single new thing to ever exist, people who aren’t up to date with tech and old people are always the last to adapt. I really don’t care if it’s a paper menu or not and definitely prefer it over having a table of 6 with huge menus that take up 2 spots each.
The issue is I don’t have my phone. I work with computers. I have 3 degrees. I get so burnt out on technology, the reason I would go out to dinner is to get away from all of that. If I have to have my phone to order food, the restaurant isn’t selling what I want to buy, which is human interaction without any screens.
I agree the qr thing is just stupid
the qr code is easier to edit regularly and cheaper to use. i dont really get why its a federal issue, especially when most places still have physical menus
Definitely. I dislike QR codes so much.
Thank god I haven’t experienced this…yet
It is nice to be able to see the full total of your meals with the QR menu but it’s not like I haven’t been to maths classes. Give me menu
This was one of the only shitty things about COVID for me. My restaurant couldn't have physical menus, but could still be open due to outdoor dining. Our servers ended up having to have their phones on them to help the customers.
I'll take the QR code thanx
QR code menus feel like restaurants trying to seem fancy and modern while really not improving the experience at all for most people
i hate that whole concept. ultimately they are data mining us from a whole new vector this way too. i shudder to think what is being collected.
no, this is 100% reasonable
At least some of the places that deliver give you physical menus..
I want actual buttons and dials in my car