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Giant Touchscreens Coming To NYC Phone Booths
An anonymous reader writes "New York City is planning an upgrade to its aging pay-phone infrastructure. A pilot program will next month install 32-inch touchscreens in 250 phone booths throughout the city. The screens will display "local neighborhood information, including lists of nearby restaurants, store sales in the area, traffic updates, landmark information and safety alerts — in multiple languages.' They will facilitate the 311 service, and also allow people to file complaints or request city information. The good news is that these screens won't cost the taxpayers anything. The bad news is that they will be supported by advertising. The plan is to eventually support Skype calls and email, and to integrate Wi-Fi hotspots."
Considering the high cost of 32" touch screens, and their almost non-existing serviceability (once you break it, it's gone), is this really such a good idea? It will probably just lead to stealing and breaking, especially during night time. The pay phones itself aren't that expensive, and consists of several parts that you can fix (and they are bulky). These touch screens are.
Besides, even if "tax payers don't need to pay for them and they will be supported by advertising", they will have to eat the costs initially. Advertising will just recoup the cost in the long run, IF it's successful project.
Finally I can get rid of this annoying cell-phone.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
really?
i can't remember the last time i have seen one. even the people in the housing projects mostly have smart phones now. only the old luddites don't have them
Obviously since they will use the touchscreen to display information they are trying to morph them into "information kiosks" which also provide a public payphone. Doesn't sound like an awful idea, especially in a city that attracts as many tourists as N.Y.
If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
How could chatroulette get any worse? Now I know.
People always make space when I change clothes in the crowded street.
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
So Superheroes have somewhere to put on their costumes...
And the Newt for President campaign has a place to meet
What a wonderful idea - they should have done this 20 years ago!!! In as much as the technology to do anything these are planned to do is in 75% or so of the cellphone using public, who would have been the ones interested enough to use them back then. What will they think of next? Lamp, mounted right on the fenders of the carriages so we can see to drive them at night???
I expect the next Hipster fad to be a genuine touch screen stolen from a NYC phone booth.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
The smart screens will eventually be wired to make Skype calls, log onto e-mail accounts and serve as WiFi hotspots, Touchet said.
From the article itself.
How did you get "replace phones" out of this?
I'm guessing they got it from the second sentence of the article:
The pilot program will replace crusty telephones
or perhaps from the third sentence:
And the futuristic screens could eventually replace all of the city’s 12,800 outdoor pay phones...
Those two sentences seem to imply they will be replacing phones. But perhaps I misread them.
As far as eventually, I assume "eventually" will be as soon as they can prove they'll make more than the $18 million a year they are making now.
There are tons of phone booths left in NYC. I can't remember the last time I saw someone use one to make a phone call*. I think all of the revenue comes from advertising posters mounted on the sides. The fact that there's a phone in there is just an excuse for building the ad space.
*Just a couple weeks ago I saw someone use one to take a wiz, though.
I have a 32" tv in my bedroom and a 52" tv in my living room, but in a phone booth I think 26" would be more than enough.
What the fuck is a 'phone booth?'
A bathroom.
The good news is that these screens won't cost the taxpayers anything. The bad news is that they will be supported by advertising.
So how else would you suggest they be paid for? Fairy dust and happy thoughts? Tell me just why this is bad news...