TORONTO: It is a challenge for every urban driver — finding reasonably priced parking. But before taking another loop around the block, it might be wise to consult a new mobile app.
Parking Panda is a parking reservation service that allows drivers to find and book parking spots directly through their smartphones. It also lets those with empty driveways earn extra cash by renting theirs out.
“We do everything from the driveway behind your house to school parking lots, all the way up to 10-story commercial parking garages,” said Nick Miller, co-founder and CEO of the Baltimore-based company.
The app displays parking spots available nearby, which can then be reserved and paid for instantly. Daily rates for parking spots are approximately 15 to 20 percent cheaper than the average rates in most cities, according to Miller, and include both private parking spots, as well as commercial lots and garages.
“Dinners in Nob Hill are better covered by a private driveway, but a meeting for work in SOMA is better covered by a commercial garage — so you really need both,” Miller explained, referring to San Francisco neighborhoods.
The service, available for the iPhone and on the web, also allows those with empty driveways to rent out their unused spots — an idea that Miller said was inspired by the difficulty he faced in renting out his unused parking space in college.
“We had a townhouse with a driveway, but no car. It was empty all the time and not used,” he said. “I thought there had to be a better way to solve the problem.”
Those renting out their driveways can earn several hundred dollars a month depending on the city and area they live in, according to Miller.
The company has also helped schools rent out their unused lots for local events.
“The Preakness horse races is one of the biggest horse races in the world and we helped a school sell its parking lot for the one-day race and we made close to $ 5,000 for the school in a single day just by selling its parking space,” Miller said.
The company collects a fee between 15 to 20 percent for each transaction.
Over 20,000 parking spaces can be reserved through the app in Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California.
In the next few months, the company plans to expand its service to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boston, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, California and Austin, Texas.
Drivers outside these cities are still able to access information, such as pricing, for over 500,000 parking spaces in lots and garages near them, however they are not yet able to reserve them within the app.
Looking ahead, the company also plans to release tools and analytics for commercial parking lots and garages that will help them set pricing, in a similar way to how hotel rooms or airline tickets are priced.
Similar services include Parkatmyhouse.com, based in Britain and ParkWhiz, based in Chicago.
Hunting for a parking spot? Consult an app
Hunting for a parking spot? Consult an app
Apple to update EU browser options, make more apps deletable
- iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7
- Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options
STOCKHOLM: Apple will change how users choose browser options in the European Union, add a dedicated section for changing default apps, and make more apps deletable, the company said on Thursday.
The iPhone maker came under pressure from regulators to make changes after the EU’s sweeping Digital Markets Act took effect on March 7, forcing big tech companies to offer mobile users the ability to select from a list of available web browsers on a “choice screen.”
The new rules require mobile software makers to show the choice screen where users can select a browser, search engine and virtual assistant as they set up their phones, which earlier came with preferred options from Apple and Google.
In an update later this year, Apple users will be able to select a default browser directly from the choice screen after going through a mandatory list of options.
A randomly ordered list of 12 browsers per EU country will be shown to the user with short descriptions, and the chosen one will be automatically downloaded, Apple said. The choice screen will also be available on iPads through an update later this year.
Apple released a previous update in response to the new rules in March, but browser companies criticized the design of its choice screen, and the Commission opened an investigation on March 25 saying it suspected that the measures fell short of effective compliance.
The company said it has been in dialogue with the European Commission and believes the new changes will address regulators’ concerns.
It also plans to introduce a dedicated area for default apps where a user will be able to set defaults for messaging, phone calls, spam filters, password managers and keyboards.
Users will also be able to delete certain Apple-made apps such as App Store, Messages, Camera, Photos and Safari. Only Settings and Phone apps would not be deletable.
