A Wired warning abut Spotify's new privacy policy

Do you use Spotify?

Have you read the new privacy policy? If not, you might want to check out this piece at Wired, to get the cliff notes:

A new privacy policy that is now in effect, and it turns out that the company wants to learn a lot more about you and there’s not much you can do about it. 

We encourage everyone to read the whole privacy policy before downloading the update or checking off the “Accept” box, but in case you have better things to do, here are some highlights from it.

Read those highlights here.

Fortunately, the piece lets you know what you can do about the updates. Unfortunately, it's not too much.

Also, when I asked if you read the privacy policy? Yeah, definitely a rhetorical question for most if not all people. It's okay...it's not like anyone has the time to read every single privacy policy update for EVERY piece of tech we use. In fact, several years ago The Atlantic reported on research done to calculate how long it would take to actually read the privacy policies we should.

Guess how long: 25 days out every year...without sleep. It would take 76 days if you limited your privacy policy reading time to 8 hours a day. Granted this includes the privacy policies on however many websites people use in about a year, which I honestly didn't even think about until reading the article.

So, Spotify has a new privacy policy. BBE News reports that some users have already left Spotify because of this:

Minecraft creator Markus Persson, aka Notch, tweeted to his 2.4m followers that he has cancelled his account.

Read more about Spotify's reasons and users' reactions here.

And there you have it. Out of curiosity:

Any other thoughts you have on the new privacy policy? Share 'em in the comments,

- JR

A mobile Capital Pride

Hey there,

Lately I've been wondering how to live a mobile-optimized life. Yes, the bulk of this is examining just how many of my financial transactions I can make paper and plastic-less.

And so this particular post is geared towards Capital Pride. It was actually inspired after going to the website and seeing that they had an app, available at Apple's iTunes store & Google's Play store.

Obviously I had to download it and check it out. After all, a mobile app represents (if done well) represents significant buy-in from leadership as well as time and resources devoted to it's development, implementation, and management.

So, for any other app folks, check it out, let me know what you think in the comments.

My next couple of apps are actually venue specific, because they're the only LGBT establishments I know of, that use 'em. But obviously please correct me, if I'm wrong.

The first is one of my faves, TabbedOut, which you can use at Nellie's Sports Bar. It's funny, it's name
almost screams LGBT Pride. But that's just a coincidence.

What I love about this app is:

• it opens up a tab simply by providing a code, so no having to give your card
• it keeps track of your orders on your smartphone
• it allows you to close your tab via your phone, even AFTER you've left
• it even lets you split up one tab among any other friends who have the app set up on their own phone

So Nellie's. Yeah.

I actually blogged about it with a walk-through of the whole process back in January, if you want to check that post out.

The other app is a new discovery, AMI. It's a jukebox app. And I discovered it at Dupont Italian Kitchen, known as D.I.K. Bar by the locals.

It made me very happy a couple of nights ago. I realize it's probably a control thing, but it was just very nice being able to request songs from wherever I was sitting.

And last, but not least, is actually an app for people who don't want to drive, but also might want

something a little more cost effective than Uber, and more community oriented. For that, there's Sidecar.

I actually blogged about it when the service had just hit the streets of DC, in a post from April. A disclaimer, I'm actually a driver too. And if you want, you can use my Jumpstarter code, "JR14597js", for a $10 credit for signing up!!

The app provides a suggested donation at the end of the ride, which you can pay exactly, less, or more than, 80% of which goes to the driver. All drivers go through an in person training after submitting ID, registration, and insurance information, and the drivers and riders each rate each other after reaching the destination.

Anyway, that's it. Any apps you use, which you'd recommend others check out in particular, for this weekend? Please mention 'em in the comments!!

JR

SideCar hits the streets of DC

Hey there,

So I've been approved to be a driver and ambassador for SideCar. "What's SideCar" you say?

Well, in case you don't know, SideCar is an app. It's a ride-sharing app. It's a ride-sharing app that allows the passengers to chip in with a donation to help out the driver with gas for and general maintenance of his or her vehicle.

Some see it as an evolution of slugging, with that next stage being the actual involvement of a monetary exchange. But I digress.

I've been approved to drive, and I'm going to a SideCarU session this evening. So I thought I'd just share some articles I've come across that I would say is recommend reading, if you'd like to know more about this app which started its life in San Francisco, and has made its way to DC.

This first quote is from Riding with Strangers: SideCar Is the Best Thing to Happen to Hitchhiking Since the Invention of Thumbs:

The first time I used SideCar, a new app-enabled car-sharing service that began in San Francisco and started operating in Seattle four months ago, I was excited by the fact that the driver was not only a complete stranger but he also owned the car. I was entering the stranger's private space. This is not what happens when I enter a bus; the driver doesn't own it, and so the bus is a neutral space. With SideCar, private space becomes connected with public space.

Read more here.

The next quote is from Dr. Gridlock at the Washington Post, SideCar, a new ride-sharing service, arrives in D.C.:

The premise is simple: Travelers can use the app to hitch rides with nearby drivers, while drivers who sign up can get paid for giving these rides. There’s no set fee, so passengers can pay the drivers any amount. (The app does come with a suggested donation, but riders can pay more or less if they want.)

Read more here.

And the final quote is from WAMU, Ride-Sharing Service, SideCar, Opens In D.C.:

"It's very simple," says Nick Allen, co-founder of the technology-based service. "You pinpoint your location, where you are and where you're going, and it sends out a request to drivers in your area. And they see where you are and where you're going, and they make a decision if they like to give you a ride. At the end, you make a voluntary donation and go on your way."

And not only can you read, but you can listen to more here, as well.

Anyway, that's that. You can be sure I'll be sharing more about my own experience with it. Definitely looking forward to meeting my fellow drivers.

And, yeah, there's the rational concern for safety and security, which I'm sure they'll address. In the meantime, let me know what you think, especially if you've used this app before in other cities, or even in DC.

Do so in the comments, especially if you're another driver,

JR

Using Tabbedout at Nellie's from now on

Hey there,

So I wanted to blog about an app I had previously mentioned in a post, Eating and drinking and apps, oh my!! I discussed three apps that were related to dining out and drinking. Two of them were LevelUp  and Belly. The third was Tabbedout, and is the focus of this post.

As I also mentioned in the other post, I had actually almost forgotten about this app, but fortunately Nellie's Sports Bar (or as I like to clarify, a sports-themed gay bar) in DC has a reminder in one of its doors.

And in keeping with my New Year's resolution to take advantage of mobile apps like this, I made sure to do so when I went last Sunday. And, oh my gosh, was it super simple!!

I showed the app to a couple of friends I was with and they were amazed, so I thought I'd break down just how easy it is to use.

First, when you open it, the default tab gives you a list of nearby locations which use it:

Select the establishment you are patronizing, and you will see a button to Open Tab. Also note that next to it is an option to Join Existing Tab.

Personally, I think the ability to join an existing tab is genius, particularly if you're at a restaurant!! You don't have to worry about having to break down the check with your server. Your entire party (well, at least those that have the app) can do it form the comfort of their own mobile screens, which they've probably been using a handful of times over the course of the meal or drinks, anyway.

But I digress. Once you've opened the tab, you get a five letter code for you bill for the night, which the app asks you to show to your server.

That's it. If you go back to the same guy, more likely than not he'll remember you. And you can check your tab at any time back on your phone.

And the BEST part? Because you never gave your card to the bar, you can not just view, but pay for your tab on your mobile device, avoiding the often unnecessary trip of going back to your original bartender, just to close your tab. This also means there's no chance of you ever forgetting your credit card there.

It's even got a handy dandy tip calculator, to appropriately express your gratitude monetarily.

And when all is said and done, there's the obligatory Thank You screen.

As well as an option to email yourself a receipt.

Which shows up almost instantaneously in your inbox, attached in PDF form.

You might be wondering about fees, particularly if you didn't notice any. Well there aren't. Outside of a very minuscule initial transaction they do to verify payment, an amount less than a dollar which they refund, it doesn't cost you, as the customer, any more financially to use this free app.

Personally sounds like a win-win, and a reason I might just start going to Nellie's a little more than I do.

At least until other bars and clubs start picking up the service, too,

JR

Eating and drinking and apps, oh my!!

Hey there,

This is a post about three apps I've come across, have downloaded, and will try to start using more, apps related to eating and drinking. And it all started with a crepe.

I was at a crepes place on U Street, DC Scoop Shop, to be specific, after a late night of dancing at U Street Music Hall and an even later meal at Busboys & Poets. Yet my hunger wasn't satiated for when I saw the scoop shop, I knew exactly want I wanted. A crepe...with banana...and Nutella.

So I go inside and order it, and as I'm waiting I see signage at the register for LevelUp. Honestly, I had almost forgotten about this, but their branding's memorable enough that it didn't take long to jog my memory that I had already signed up and downloaded the app.

What does the app do, you are probably asking? It allows you to pay with your phone (you can find out  more about how it works on their website). Yes, you're still using a card which you've sync'ed to your account, but it's pretty cool, right? Kind of kidding. There is something appealing to not needing to pull out my credit or debit card yet again, when I've probably already got my phone in hand. The neat thing is, not only does it allow you to pay with your phone, but they even give you a few bucks to spend when trying out a new place.

Whoa...there's a Funnel Cake place near me...

Anyway, so I need to remember to start checking this out more. I already have a habit of checking in on Foursquare, Yelp, Google Latitude, and sometimes Facebook, usually I do this only when I'm by myself, or with an apology to and the permission of the company i'm with.

So why not pull out an app that's actually functional?

Now the next one isn't necessarily functional. Belly is something like a cross between Foursquare and a frequent shopper's card. It basically outsources the infrastructure of a rewards program for places...yeah, I think that would be a good description. That being said, I think it provides a distinct challenge to Foursquare simply on the rewards aspect.

It's not social, which is a bonus for people that don't want to share where they are with their friends or anyone else that is on a particular social media platform. It's tangible. There's a card that comes with it (which, you can still redeem rewards without, just use the app, but there's familiarity with what the card means and does, in terms of being similar to other customer cards. It's just communal, shared by all the establishments that opt-in to the program.

And you get points!! So all the bonus of the rush we humans are programmed to get whenever our actions result in an increased quantity of something, but (again) without the worry of making one's self stalkable for individuals that have those concerns, which I completely respect and understand.

Also, because the Belly check-in station is so prominent, there are less chances of employees wondering what the heck you're talking about when you mention the reward, than with some of the blank stares I've gotten when trying to claim Foursquare deals for checking-in.

Last, but not least, is Tabbedout. While good for dining, I first noticed signage for this at Nellie's...after I'd already started a tab...

 Similar to Level Up, you simply enter your credit card info and then you don't have to worry about opening or closing a tab at a bar (crucial) or even splitting a check at a restaurant (wish I'd known about this much sooner!!):

"Join a tab or share your own to make splitting the check simple – no server required."

I actually can't wait to try that.

Seems fairly simple.

And all these apps will let you know what participating establishments are in your immediate vicinity.

Now, I write all this knowing that I am not breaking news, these apps have been around for a while, and I am not the first person to ever use them.

So I think I've started figuring out one of my New Year's resolutions. Taking advantage of exploring apps like this to make my life, not just simpler, but a little more secure.

If it gets to the point where I don't even have to carry my credit card with me except for when I really need it, then less of a chance I have to lose it.

Anyway, have you used any of these apps/services as the customer? The business owner? What do you think, or is the verdict still out for now, as use still approaches critical mass?

Not hear of any of these until now? Well, do you think you'll try 'em out? One over the others?

Curious mind wants to know,

- JR