http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Are you INSANE? This is awesome. Absolutely awesome.]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/I agree. Not in the short term, but as soon as this reaches a serious level of adoption, it'll no longer be useful, as there'll be too many information-enabled users vying for the same spot.

On-the-spot bidding/market-based pricing for parking spots doesn't seem to be too far off...]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/If enough people using it, it could work well. ]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
So wait..

How many parking spaces are available on that screenshot, out of the 10,000 parking spots ACTUALLY available?

I think the above question states the uselessness of the idea.]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Who is this "NOONE" I keep hearing about?]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Yes yes because in your mind that is a perfectly logical response and is completely backed up with facts. of course...]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/It's a good idea provided lots of people are USING the service.]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/When I go to Philly or New York City, its hard to find a parking spot and I end up wasting tons of gas and time trying to find a parking spot in a place when there aren't even available.
If this expands to all platforms beyond Android, this could be really useful.]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/I don't know if this will ever hit the necessary critical mass of active users. What would REALLY be cool would be location aware cars that automatically (and anonymously) report when they've left a public parking spot. ]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Is that why their Market share grows while others decrease?
Didn't know thats how it worked..]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
I bet you would see it differently if this was an iPhone app.]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Worthless ...

1. You need EVERYONE to have an Android phone
2. You need EVERYONE with an Android phone to have this app
3. You need EVERYONE with an Android phone that has this app to use this app when they leave a parking spot

Good luck with that.

Even if the above statements are true it still doesn't make sense.

A better utility would be to have something like this for paid parking. It would show what lots are full (possibly even showing how many spaces are still available) as well as their pricing. That seems doable if you can get buy in from the big boys in the parking business. Beyond that the next step would be have some sort of sensors built into things like parking meters. That information could be relayed in real-time to a system like this.

I LOVE the idea ... there's just no way it will work in it's current incantation. ]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Hate to break it to you but google activates 160,000 android phones a day. How many does windows mobile avtivate? Ohhh right.
I can't wait for you to admit that android is the future or simply go away.

I will give this a try. Every spot I get I will give it I will in return give away.]]>Jul 11th 2010 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Instead of focusing on core revenue products like desktop search-driven advertising, google is spending time and money doing this?!?
At least find some ways to monetize the growing android base to contribute to the top line. Or maybe finish much desired development and deployment of the mobile os efforts as soon as possible. Talk about corporate confusion. It's no wonder the market has ripped the stock apart from it's 52 week highs. wow, just wow]]>Jul 11th 2010 3:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 3:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
"Hey! Look at me! I'm going to be an ass because of a simple syntactical mistake by another commenter! lolol I'm so clever"

/s

Seriously. You get what he said. 160,000 Android phones are activated (by whomever) per day. Apple is LOSING marketshare compared to android. We've seen that in the latest numbers released. We don't know whether or not that will turn in relation to iOS 4/ iPhone 4, but we know what the current numbers state.

Android is the future. Crowdsourcing is the future (and present, some would say). If you don't like it, you can keep your closed phone on your closed network that tries to rob you blind. You can keep your dickish CEO. The simple fact that Android has this option, and is sponsored by Google, nonetheless, means that it has far-reaching implications to how we do things in a crowded city-scape.

Why you're so against a free app that helps people out is beyond me.]]>Jul 11th 2010 3:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/"buy one get one free from verizon"

Hahaha. So buy one get one free on ONE phone from ONE network is making the entire increase? ROFL. I see more and more HEROS around every day. That's right! A little cruddy Hero! Sprint has finally found their calling, and that's Android.

By the same logic, all the new iPhone 4 buyers are fanboys that upgraded from the iPhone 3G or 3GS. See how I can invalidate sales as well?

Oh, I'm sorry. You're just bitter because Apple keeps raping your wallet. Somehow you think that's better than driving forth sales and mindshare with a BOGO deal.

If you think that people aren't buying Android after seeing some of the new phones out (and due to the awesome deals), then you must be living in your own little universe.]]>Jul 11th 2010 4:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 4:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
How are you a fan of Windows Phone 7 when it won't be out for months?! Are you really that naive to believe everything a company advertises? You're a fan of an idea?! Wow... good luck in life!]]>Jul 11th 2010 4:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
WP7 isn't even out yet and therefore has no data whatsoever, and yet you are already calling it the greatest mobile platform ever.]]>Jul 11th 2010 4:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
"im a fan of windows phone 7, which is a crowdsourcing phone that doesnt have a jerky UI like android, plus has QUALITY video games from xbox live arcade, QUALITY media player from the zune HD, QUALITY productivity with MS office."

Then I apologize. My rage was completely misguided and wrong. I simply assumed because of your user name....

Let's talk instead about the OS that hasn't come out yet! Oh....wait.... we....can't.. Because it hasn't come out yet.

We've seen press shots, we've seen controlled videos. I love the interface, and commend them for adding so many features. But to say with 100% certainty that this system (almost as closed as Apple) which hasn't even been released to the public yet is going to beat out every single phone OS on the market is pure fanboyism.

"have fun with your task managers and fugly ui. windows phone will be overtaking android easily in about 2 months after release."

Lol! We can change our UI to look however we want! We have complete control over our phone. We can root, install custom kernals, etc. The UI is far from fugly. We have task managers because we do ACTUAL multitasking, not the crippled multitasking of Microsoft and Apple. We have complete control over which applications are running.

Can I borrow your amazing time machine? Saying that Windows Phone 7 is going to be awesome is not bad. I, too, think that WP7 is going to be very interesting and looks pretty damn sweet! But what you're saying is pure fanboy drivel.]]>Jul 11th 2010 4:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 4:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Personally, I doubt this will catch on. People are not going to sacrifice their battery life tagging open spots for others. People are mostly selfish. They're going to use it in hopes of seeing a blip, go to it and turn it off. ]]>Jul 11th 2010 4:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
"People are mostly selfish."

True, but if people willingly tweet about going to the bathroom, or the most mundane tasks of their daily routine, they'd be more than happy to donate a few seconds to run this app and mark stuff off.]]>Jul 11th 2010 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Google should also embed this into Google Maps for both Android and iPhone, as they both have the hardware to support this.

The idea is making it as non-user dependant as possible.]]>Jul 11th 2010 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Yes, but if it's non-user dependent, then we run into privacy issues. We need some way of making it as simple as possible, while also being consciously done by users.

I think Google has the right idea. Give it some time, see where it goes.]]>Jul 11th 2010 6:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
I don't know about cities, but it could be quite useful on a college campus.]]>Jul 11th 2010 6:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 6:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Pay-it Forward Parking.. I Like!!]]>Jul 11th 2010 7:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Haven't you heard of Google's idea of every employee spending 20% of their time with whatever they want, this could of been one of those 20%.]]>Jul 11th 2010 10:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 12th 2010 12:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 12th 2010 12:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Google Open Spot. Fuck yeah!]]>Jul 12th 2010 12:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 12th 2010 6:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/should add the ability to say how many spaces they spotted before they left.
would give a good estimate of total available, rather than just the one they left. ]]>Jul 11th 2010 5:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
5 spots a month you get a 5 second head start (relative to 0 spots)
10 spots a month 10 second head start
...
upto

30 spots a month 30 second head start.

Also, a logarithmic scale might be of use, but I just did something simple. You can also think of 0 spots marked as a 30 second penalty, but I think psychologically this is a better system if we use the term "reward".

Google, you gotta reward the generous that make the system go. ]]>Jul 11th 2010 8:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/
Just like my boyfriend...

:sigh:]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Officer: Sir are you high
Guy: Na man I'm just enjoying the music
Officer: What's that green leafy stuff in the bag
Guy: It's just oregano man.]]>Jul 11th 2010 2:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/11/google-open-spot-alerts-android-users-to-freed-parking-spaces/Jul 11th 2010 2:19PM