Gear

Dog Day Afternoons

Being Waited On. For Everything.

These are summer’s dog days. They’re not about “doing things” or “not being on rooftops.” Plenty of time for that in January. These days demand relaxation and savoring. And <em>Lazy Apps</em>—the technological wonders that involve other people handling stuff for you, placed conveniently below.<br /> <br /> If scrolling’s not too taxing.

DRIVEN

The Valets

The Problem: Parking. Just parking.
The Solution: Give Luxe a heads up as to where you’re going, they grab your car, wash it, gas it up, park it and drop it back off wherever the hell you want.
The Result: Not parking.

HOLDING THE BAG

The Porters

The Problem: A trip’s coming up, luggage is heavy, and packing is not watching the first-place Mets.
The Solution: Oh, you already packed a while ago. Then these guys picked up your bag, washed and photographed the clothes (for the app), then sent them to your destination.
The Result: Less grunting.

WAGTIME

The Dog Walkers

The Problem: Man’s best friend is giving you that look, and you’re home, so the dog walker isn’t scheduled. But... hot. It’s really hot.
The Solution: On-demand dog walkers with route tracking and walk reports. Which you will analyze in January.
The Result: Uninterrupted A/C.

WATER PRESSURE

The Boatkeepers

The Problem: You’ve got to dock your new boat... How do you dock your new boat?
The Solution: This app, which lets you choose a marina, check out its amenities, schedule a docking time and get a slip.
The Result: Congratulations, you’re now a person who’s docked a boat.

APPROPOS

The App Builders

The Problem: You’ve got this great app idea, but you don’t know how—nor do you want, per se, exactly, in so many words—to make apps.
The Solution: Not an app itself, but a team who’ll develop and design the one floating around in your head.
The Result: Early retirement.