B.S eh?
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Hmm. For their mad scheme to work, all their toilets would have to be online. Otherwise, how would a printed QR code work, but only once? (Imagine a DDoS against the Internet of Toilets!)
The QR code is probably a token generated when the phone app sends a Request To Poop to their server, or when a poop ticket is printed. The toilet sends the QR code presented to the server, the server checks against the list of open tokens, if found sends the go ahead to the toilet and cancels the token.
I wonder what the toilet’s fallback is if it loses the server connection? This thing seems like it has many attack surfaces, especially if they use wifi.
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Bringing new meaning to the phrase “Internet of Shit.”
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“Ask attendant for key.”
I suppose Luddites like me without a smart phone aren’t entitled to flush toilets.
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I presume there is a key (why wouldn’t there be?) but that seems quite pointless to put the reader in in the first place. In fact an enterprising person could vandalize the reader, pay for their coffee or whatever, ask to use the bathroom and then tell the employees that they need the key since the reader isn’t working. Get the key, take pictures of it, 3D print a replica which is trivial, and then use bathroom whenever.
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so just upgrade the software already
Just wait until The Poors get smart phones. Then Silicon Valley will come up with a new way to keep them out.
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Door cameras with scraggly beard recognition technology.
Some things should not be disrupted Silicon Valley!
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At a guess this is well outside the threat model. I expect an earlier post was accurate, this is a solution to “homeless people use our toilet, making a minor problem for our store, but removing the more major problem of humans crapping on sidewalks”.
So anyone that can 3D print the replica is outside the threat model.
This problem is also solvable by using regular keys instructing staff not to give them to homeless, but then you might actually have staff members that are either fearful of homeless and give them the key anyway, or you know, actually have a soul and figure being able to crap indoors in a real toilet is something anyone ought to be able to do.
I think the biggest two problems this system has are vandalism and anyone that the threat model is trying to keep out can probably just ask for the key, after all the system could well be broken so you’ll always need a key. (runner up is all the unreliability you tend to get from computer controlled things even absent vandalism)
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Indeed, I anticipate a surge in interesting aromas at the establishments and offices that install this vile little device.
Feudalism 2.0
Hey, creating customers for her other businesses isn’t a bug, that’s just synergy.
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As soon as a new tech recruit has relocated to San Francisco, they will immediately register their outrage online: “This place is disgusting! There’s human feces on the sidewalk! I saw a guy taking a crap right on the corner in front of everyone! Why does it stink like urine everywhere?”
Later on: “Eureka! An application that actually streamlines the whole process! Let’s call it StreetStream.”
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FYI I’ve seen a lot of homeless people with smartphones (about 30 miles outside SF at least). They seem to charge them out front of places like Safeway overnight. Anyplace with outdoor vending machines. Given the low power demands as long as they don’t unplug the vending machines they probably aren’t really hurting anything. I don’t image they have cell service (but then again, who knows), but lots of places still offer free WiFi and it tends to work outside as well as inside.
I’m guessing the cellphones are from before they became homeless, or maybe given to them by friends or family that aren’t homeless? Or given away by people that buy new ones and don’t trade in at stores? Or maybe workers at the stores give them to the homelsss? (I know many pet store workers give dog food to homeless with dogs “hey it expires on Friday, but it’ll be good for at least a few weeks past that, don’t use the whole bag though, just come back for a new one in a week or two, ok? Nobody wants your dog to get sick!”)
For homeless that panhandle, the price of a fancy coffee could get them indoors for a few hours and charge a phone. (and for the purposes of these pay toilets would also get them into the toilets, but not everyone that is homeless will beg for (or accept!) money, nor do they all figure $3 is worth it for a dump, a hot (or cold) drink, and a phone top up; which leaves us with the public pooping problem that this kind of toilet will just make worse)
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Pretty much my thoughts. It increases the inconvenience to regular customers with no payoff, so why even bother.
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Not until the smart toilets are installed. You know… gather DNA samples to confirm identity, drug / alcohol tests to see what you’re on, probably something for blood-sugar level, maybe throw in a pregnancy test. And if you didn’t want all that information being shared with insurance companies, hospitals, the police, the FBI, the CIA, your doctor, your bank or credit union, your employer, and Amazon… well, you wouldn’t have used their bathroom, right?
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/smart-potty-medical-check-ups-automatic-seat-lowering
A cellphone is significantly less expensive than an apartment. And having a cellphone number makes it easier to get casual work and access to government services.
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Not the point. You can’t easily monetize that.
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If the store normally operates on a “customers only, ask for key” basis then I would say while this thing is actually working it modestly increases the convenience for regular customers. Regular as in “frequent”. If you go to the same coffee place 3 times a week you will eventually end up having to “go”, so you’ll get the app which for most people is less convenient then just talking to an employee, and using it. The next time you actually need to use the toilet it’ll probably be easier then talking to a store employee.
Having the app shared by multiple stores makes this more likely.
This seems like a “works in theory” thing because of corse these things will break or be vandalized, so it will seem easier, and then randomly you’ll need to go get a key after thinking you had one. Which might exceeded to “time budget” and result in embarrassment. I think “bathroom access time” is one of those things where having fast access is frequently less important then having uniform access times. (then again public restrooms can end up being occupied for random lengths of time…so I’m probably vastly overstating the importance here)
Still, this strikes me as “bad idea”, even though I can at least see how someone thinks it is a good idea.
