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This is an interesting read While profiting off inmates may seem predatory to some extent, it does offer a service that was not there before the dotcom age. W
by Kagerjay 8y ago
This is an interesting read
While profiting off inmates may seem predatory to some extent, it does offer a service that was not there before the dotcom age.
When we look at prison communication back in the day, it was through locally wired telephone systems. The loved one or family member had to physically be present to speak to the person, but with technology something like an ekiosk (essentially the same types you see at newer airports, olive garden, etc), this does not have to be the case. You can be halfway across the world and still have more than just a phone call with someone who is incarcerated using the internet.
Prison phones are a commodity but now it seems to be legalized in a sense with this type of kiosk gateway for buying news, watching TV shows, etc.
I've done a bit of work with prisons before, the restrictions for equipment inside of it are absurd. Everything is considered a weapon in prison. I can only imagine the amount of censorship involved with this gateway though, its like bigbrother 1984
- chrisseaton 8y ago> but with technology something like an ekiosk (essentially the same types you see at newer airports, olive garden, etc) What's an ekiosk? And Olive Garden is a fast food chain isn't it? What do these two things have to do with each other and with prisons? And why do you need ekiosk or fast food chains to solve this? You just need any two tablets and an internet connection.
- Kagerjay 8y agoEkiosk is just a short term that people use IIRC, similar to "drones" and "quadcopters". Its just a tablet (using a samsung galaxy normally), that is encased and mounted physically. Similar to what you would see at bestbuy when window shopping but more robust. I've seen them in McDonalds and some innovation centers in specific Airports (https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-future-of-airport-dining-is-now https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-future-of-airport-dining-i...). These restaurants utilize empty-dead space in larger central walkway aisles in airports. The one I'm thinking of is in Newark, NJ , I went to that airport on a layover to switzerland last year. Many innovations in restaurants get passed along to prisons after the fact IMO. The demands for higher market innovations builds unique solutions that end up getting pushed to other industries such as prisons.
- chrisseaton 8y agoSo with all that talk of restaurants, Best Buy, ekiosks, innovation centres, airports, drones, window shopping, the actual idea is just 'let people call each other over the internet like the rest of society does'?
- Kagerjay 8y agoMore or less, its not an amazing technological innovation by any means its more of an adoption of business solutions existing in the market already.