Comments for Killing Batteries

Comment on Budapest restaurant scam – Let’s be careful out there by jero

jero — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:03:17 +0000

OK…this happened to me and a mate in July 2011.
these two girls came up to us on the street..same thing asking us to go for drink with them..so we go…place with elevator entrance…we have a few drinks each and bill comes out at $1000!!…we were going to do a runner but a few big guys at door…i looked at my mate and said “that we are getting ripped off..what do we do?…we arent gonna pay”..
we are pretty well trained at kickboxing..i guess it was time to put our skills to the rescue.We simply got up, put $40 on the table and walked for the door.we got stopped by one of the guys who put his hand out..i said dont touch me..other guy stepped in..thats when my mate kicked him in the head and i punched the other bouncer and probably broke his nose..they were both on the floor and everyone in bar was stunned at what we did..we simply walked out the door and no one dared to chase us..THIS IS HOW YOU DEAL WITH SCAMMERS

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by Anne Bacon

Anne Bacon — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:42:43 +0000

Uhmmm, nope. Not for me, I still find guidebooks more detailed and informative and easier to use!

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by A. Wannabe Travelwriter

A. Wannabe Travelwriter — Sat, 05 May 2012 07:26:14 +0000

You had me at “100% offline app functionality.”

Maybe I am the cheapest world traveler, but as soon as I board the plane “data while roaming” goes into the upright, locked, and off position. The only connectivity my Blackberry gets fed is at the nearest wifi feeding station.

Three items I did not notice get mentioned:

I am an unabashed map lover. Guidebook or smart phone app, I still want a full-sized map to see the big picture.

Viewing content on an Android or iPhone is bad enough. On a Blackberry, it is downright a pain in the eyeballs, esp. for us old farts.

Finally, if you ever get stuck with your pants down sans toilet paper, try using your smart phone travel app, “100% offline app functionality,” or not.

Me, I rather be sitting there with Rick Steve’s on my lap.

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by Leif

Leif — Fri, 04 May 2012 20:27:05 +0000

@Matthew/Zora – Thanks for the comments. Books will be around for, well, at least while we’re all still alive. But I think the dominance shift, that’s gonna happen soon. In the meantime, there’s so much room for improvement with apps. I think Sutro and others really have a chance to establish a permanent foothold while everyone else is rushing out slapped together crap and figuring out the new platform. If the big guidebook publishers don’t get their acts together soon, they may find themselves hopelessly behind in 2-3 years.

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by Zora

Zora — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:47:38 +0000

And Regina: I think there will be a mainstreaming effect of apps when the big publishers finally get them out. But the great thing (I like to think) about the more indie travel apps (mine is with Sutro as well) is that they’re distinctly not mainstream. It would take a very jaded travel writer to parrot the same Top 10 lists they’ve had to write in guidebooks for years when presented with the opportunity to devise their own apps.

And Matthew, related to your blog gripe about collecting extraneous info for guidebooks: the great thing about apps is you _don’t_ have to have _all_ the info for every listing. There’s a template, sure, but if it makes sense to just give a map location and a general “sometimes it’s open, sometimes it’s not” explanation of hours, you can. It makes me crazy that book publishers floundering in the app world are going into it with such a rigid mindset.

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by Zora

Zora — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:42:50 +0000

Welcome to app-writing freedom! I had so much fun writing my Cancun & Isla Mujeres app–finally space to write about the cool stuff there, and add the useful (if boring) photos that would help people navigate. And so gratifying to be able to just add a comment to an app entry if something changes, then make the proper update a few months down the line. It has also been nice to get comments and feedback from users–lots more than I ever get on guidebooks!

It has been odd to see how difficult book publishers have found it to develop apps. Moon tried very briefly, and then actively decided to scrap it. Everyone else is floundering. I’ll be curious to see the Frommer’s results–they’ve been smart with their website so far, so they’re probably in the right mindset already.

Much agreed with Matt on the eventual split on destinations. Paris guidebooks will die. Mongolia ones won’t. Romania’s in the middle…you might be the one to tip it!

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by Matthew Teller

Matthew Teller — Thu, 03 May 2012 06:53:33 +0000

I was just in Jordan (updating a guidebook, funnily enough, but that’s another story). Down in the desert, I was invited into someone’s tent. There was a whole thing going on, but then he wanted me to take a picture. So I got my phone out, took a snap, put it back in my pocket. In that time, one grain of sand got in between my phone and the inside of my pocket, and left a long scratch right down the screen.

Could have been taking a picture, could have been checking my guide app. I’ll change the screen protector. Some day.

I don’t think books are likely to die anytime soon, not for travel, nor for the rest of life. The clever money (that is, mine) is on a split happening between the mass market destinations – and big tourist-friendly cities – which will have mass market apps (and cheap piccy-fliccy guidebooks), and niche/difficult/adventurous/sandy destinations, for which books are still the most effective, best value, clearest, most ergonomic and most popular technology out there.

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by Leif

Leif — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:50:22 +0000

@David – Astute observation about how many guidebook publishers rushed out their apps, which ranged from passable to abysmal. However, I’d argue the battery life point. When I took my Android to Tuscany last year, I used it all day long as a note-taking device – daringly left the Palm Pilot at home for the first time since 2005. It was effectively on for hours each day while I did my research and I only ran down the battery once before the end of the day in over 2.5 weeks. I think part of the reason it performed so well because I had it in ‘Airplane Mode’, so all those other processes that usually run down a phone battery were disabled. Which is probably the same experience/performance other people will have when using a travel app on their smartphones while abroad. But also, I think, Androids have better battery life – for now. But yes, there’s another area where we’ll need to see improvement before apps really take over the market.

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by Regina

Regina — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:43:38 +0000

So apps will funnel ever more people ever more efficiently down mainstream? Yay for the rest then…

Comment on Will travel apps replace guidebooks? by David Whitley

David Whitley — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:21:22 +0000

You forgot one thing: Battery life. There’s your big, fat stampeding elephant in the room.

Otherwise, I broadly agree. But it isn’t being got right at the moment, and there’s a wealth of shit to wander through before you get to half way decent ones. The guide book producers, certainly, have to stop thinking about how to convert the guide book content to an app/ ebook and start thinking how to create the right app/ ebook. And then send people out to research it properly with that formula in mind.

It’s the difference between adapting a pair of trousers for hot weather and going out in shorts.