Years of development, millions of lines of code, and Android can't even run a toilet Bork goes NSFM (Not Safe For Mealtimes) today with a snapshot of Android going places where Windows fears to tread: the gentlemen's facilities of a German motorway service station. Android gets embedded in the most interesting of places. In this case, not-so-smart urinals, judging by the images sent in by Register reader and …
I supposed it depends what the adverts are:
Looking at what is on the walls the gents toilets on Motorway Services:
Erectile Dysfunction
Online Casinos
Car Leasing
Now if they are smart do they sense someone in front of the appliance (is that what it is?) and then display an appropriate advert..........
I mean, FFS, a special uses-less-water urinal likely does more eventual environmental damage due to being wildly overengineered rather than some simple easy to repair mechanical contraption, like, oh, I dunno, a push knob that doesn't spew water for thirty seconds?
PIR flush toilets are already a thing.
https://www.lazada.co.th/products/bathroom-toilet-sensor-urinal-flush-valve-infrared-urinal-sensor-dc-6v-accessories-i2460988427-s8618503921.html
"Bathroom Toilet Sensor Urinal Flush Valve Infrared Urinal Sensor Dc 6V Accessories..." 186 baht, less than £5 for the valve and sensor if you want to retrofit it.
It's funny Econal's diagram says "smart urinal service and maintenance", as if you can remotely add urinal cakes and clean it with a brush remotely! No substitute for the cleaner cleaning the toilets regularly. Obviously the purpose of that is to shove adverts in front of people, BUT I bet they've used a standard tablet, which means it likely still has its camera and mic. The OS updating automatically is probably what's borked it too.
I'm afraid it's part of a long list of legal breaches by the operators of the service station concessions in Germany who know a captive market and a lazy regulator when the see them. Toilets are supposed to be free to use but no longer are: you have to pay for a ticket that you can redeem when you buy something from a shop. And, because most service stations are full of HGVs (presumably including many of those not running in the UK) the outgoing government has a wheeze to encourage even more of them…
But the any environmental damage is likely to be limited: most of the places have taken advantage of generous government subsidies for solar panels and, are thus, largely off-grid.
Toilets are supposed to be free to use but no longer are: you have to pay for a ticket that you can redeem when you buy something from a shop.
Not even that any more I'm afraid. They all followed the "SaniFair" model, which is now pay 0.70 and be redeemed for 0.50. So having a wee is charged 0.20, and the being free is not even camouflaged any more.
Agreed, it kills me the lengths we go to to save a small amount of "the most abundant substance on the planet" (Except for stupidity, there really is far more stupidity). Toilets that constantly clog, washing machines that now take 4 times longer to wash a load of clothes and now burn 4 times the electricity and don't get your clothes clean, etc.
Instead of making defective products to save minuscule amounts of water, change the way we use water! Don't use potable drinking water to flush toilets! Just like I water my lawn with recycled waste water, that same water can be used in public toilets! Yes it would mean infrastructure upgrades, but it would effectively SOLVE a problem!
But that will never happen, because that would solve a problem and we can't actually solve problems, we just have to keep the problems going to we can claim "CLIMATE CHANGE"! Just like the political leaders on NYC blame CLIMATE CHANGE for the flooding and not the fact they have neglected the cities sewer system for decades!
All you believers are just the sheep waiting for the slaughter!
Hopelessly passing your time in the grassland away
Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air
You better watch out
There may be dogs about
I've looked over Jordan, and I have seen
Things are not what they seem
What do you get for pretending the danger's not real
Meek and obedient you follow the leader
Down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel
From what I've seen in most UK motorway services, the urinals are 100% water free. I'm not sure how often they get "treated" or how long the treatment lasts, but the cleaners just wipe them down and spray them with some chemical. If the little sprinkler/water dispenser things are still there, they are covered or blanked off, they aren't special "high tech" advert displays.
And anyway, here in the UK, there's plenty of money, seemingly, for putting in flashy new tech stuff, but never any money to repair or maintain them. Few services still have touchless water taps at the washing facilities any more. The expensive sensor operated taps, when they break, get replaced with old style push to operate taps.
Reboot required, words that should strike fear into the heart of any man standing with tackle out trying to take a piss. The very thought of it sounds painful, be it a soft reboot or heaven forbid a hard reboot. :0
Now if it had been ios not Android a painful reboot would not have been required, you're just holding it wrong. ;)
Unidentified users get generic ads for either extra-small condoms or exciting career opportunities in adult entertainment.
Users whose, um, private pics are backed up to Google Photos get 'relevant' ads based on their Chrome incognito browsing history.
.....but to be fair most of that work went on creating a snoopware ecosystem.
I never cease to be amazed at just how bad most customer facing software is these days. Software development seems to be stringing together library calls as fast as possible to make your product with no consideration for functionality or resilience -- just get it out and wait for the customer to complain (but don't provide any way for them to do this, of course)(at least one that works). Whether its a graphical application on a phone or tablet or customer service phone line our agility in development invariably results in stuff just not working.
"For years, the fabulously beautiful planet of Bethselamin increased its booming tourist industry without any worries at all. Alas, as is often the case, this was an act of utter stupidity, as it led to a colossal cumulative erosion problem. Of course, what else could one expect with ten billion tourists per annum? Thus today the net balance between the amount you eat and the amount you excrete while on the planet is surgically removed from your body weight when you leave; so every time you go to the lavatory there, it is vitally important to get a receipt. "
So users are in trouble now - can't get a receipt !:
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