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Comment by grecy | Hacker News Reader

At a street market in Quito, Ecuador a few years ago I watched in horror as a backpacker pulled out his shiny iPhone and shoved an app like this in the face of a vendor.

The phone cost more than the vendor will make in a year, and the backpacker was oblivious that he was shoving that in her face.

I would never use such a thing.

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Right, because no vendors in developing countries are aware that western visitors-including backpackers-are comparatively well off.

I don't travel in Asia much, but if some European languages are added, this will go on my must have list of apps.

Of course they are aware of it, but it's another thing to shove it in their face so blatantly.

Never mind the safety implications of publicly showing off a ~$500 device in a crowded street market in a developing country.

While the point you make is certainly something to think about when travelling to developing countries, there are many developed countries out there as well where an app like this could be useful. The example given in the blogpost was Japan.

yeah while in travel, there's nothing better than pen and paper (notes, quides, maps). I can handle it to a vendor, cab driver or any bypasser and not worry that somebody will run with it or pass it to another person - you won't do that with a smatphone/tablet.

not to mention you sometimes meet elderly or tech-illiterate people and while they are helpful, good luck making them show you something on google maps on a phone or type in the address.

I'm sure the vendor was deeply offended, and would have much preferred the backpacker walk on by without spending any money or trying to communicate.

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