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在线翻译:
szdaily -> Lifestyle -> 
An easy life onLINE and offline
    2015-01-30  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

    Tan Yifan

    cicitan2011@gmail.com

    IN a city with a large population of young people and an increasing number of IT workers, more and more residents center their lifestyle around their smartphones. Many tap their phone screens to call a taxi, make appointments with friends and buy almost everything.

    For the past few months, hundreds of mobile apps developed by locally based makers have appeared in app stores. Here are some tips on how to use them to get discounts and have fun. I’ll begin with transportation apps.

    Chinese taxi apps vs. Uber

    Months before Uber made its debut in the Chinese market, two Chinese taxi apps, Didi and Kuaidi, had already gone viral. The two apps look similar and share many features. The main difference is the way they accept payments. Didi requires users to apply through WeChat Payments, which requires users to have a WeChat account bound to a credit or debit card. By contrast, Kuaidi users have to pay through Alipay, which is the payment system developed by Alibaba, and users have to register with a credit or debit card. Once you have figured out which way works best for you, you can click the “call a taxi now” button and the software will detect your location. Next, you need to type in the destination and have it verified by a GPS system. Then you just click “yes” and wait for a taxi driver to respond. If a taxi driver accepts your call, his phone number will appear in the app and you can either call him or wait for his call. After both of you have communicated about your exact location, the screen displays a map and a moving dot that represents the cab’s location. Remember the car plate and wait for it. Once you have arrived at your destination, you can either make the payment via the card registered with the app or you can pay with cash with permission from the driver. Both apps offer ride vouchers from time to time, which can save you a few bucks per ride.

    Similar to Didi and Kuaidi, Uber is a convenient app for users across the world. It has various language versions and only requires you to have a Master Card or Visa Card. Chinese users can also use Alipay. As there are fewer Uber cars in the city, you may have to wait 10 minutes to get a car. You can also use a voucher if you have one. But an Uber user has to remember two things: One is to choose the car model carefully. Uber China now offers Christmas cars, common Uber cars and high-end car services. Different cars charge different rates. Also, if you call a Uber car during rush hour, you might have to pay double or triple rates.

    Dining

    There are way too many dining apps you can use. Dazhongdianping is one of them. This app allows you to find most of the restaurants in town and read customer reviews before deciding where you want to eat. It shows you the location of the restaurant and offers you transportation via a map.

    You can also call the restaurant to make a reservation. Once you select your restaurant, you can tap the restaurant and buy a voucher before paying the bill. Many restaurants offer up to 60-percent discounts for customers who pay this way, but be sure to pay attention to the expiration date and valid time of use.

    Some restaurants will reject your voucher on special days, such as weekends or festivals.

    Another trendy app among young users is Youfan’er, a WeChat-based restaurant club developed by an American and several Chinese. You can apply for a Youfan’er account by using your WeChat ID and join others for a group meal. One of the founders, April, said to Shenzhen Daily that the group was made for those who want to make new friends and enjoy dining with others. Once you have joined three dining events, you can initiate your own meal. You can decide the place, time, number of diners and conversation topics and post it on Youfan’er. People who are interested will join your meal and you need to make sure they can find the restaurant. Some restaurants offer up to 10-percent off for Youfan’er events.

    Both Dazhongdianping and Youfan’er allow diners to write reviews of the restaurants. Users can share their photos online with “likes” or “dislikes.”

    If you are a couch potato reluctant to leave your house to eat, you can order food by using restaurant-specific apps. Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and KFC all have apps and can deliver food to your door. Some WeChat accounts also offer food delivery services. One Shenzhen-based WeChat account called Jiandanshenghuo offers door-to-door fresh-cut fruit delivery.

    Watching movies

    Many expats in Shenzhen still spend over 100 yuan to watch a movie in a theater. But many app-savvy moviegoers know they can save money through online group-buying services.

    Through movie apps or a group-buying app like Dazhongdianping, you can not only conveniently check show times, watch trailers, browse photos, rate and review movies, but also buy tickets with lower prices and better seats.

    One popular app is Mtime, Shiguangwang in Chinese. “Maoyan Movie,” “Maizuo Movie” and “Gewala” are all similar apps.

    To use these apps, first, you need to register and then choose the city you live in. Then you can browse by theater or movie and then choose your movie. Usually, the apps allow you to use a credit or debit card, WeChat Payments or Alipay to buy tickets. In addition, you can use WeChat movie services or log onto Taobao.com and use its movie service. At Taobao.com, you can sometimes get a 50-percent discount on movies. Very lucky moviegoers may even come across 1-yuan-movie events. All you have to do is quickly tap and grab the cheap tickets.

    Travel

    Qunar is one of the most popular apps for travel services. It provides plane and train tickets, hotels, travel agent services and personal tour guides. Download the app and you will find two large logos for plane tickets and hotels. After you tap the plane button, input your departure place and destination. Once you decide on your route and number of travelers, you will have to choose a date. The app will give you a monthly calendar with the cheapest flight prices for each day. Once you have made your decision, click on the flight number and then enter your personal information: name, ID number/passport number and phone number. You can then use a credit or debit card or Alipay to make the payment.

    To book a hotel, you need to select a date and place and browse the hotels available. Then call the hotel directly or book it through the app.

    There are more apps such as workout groups and tutor services. Search the keywords on the app store, download them and give them a try. You may find a new app you can’t live without. Make sure your credit or debit card allows online transfers and that you know how to use either Alipay or WeChat Payments. If you have a “lakala,” a special-made card reader that connects your purchasing information with your cell phone, you may avoid the embarrassment of being unable to use Alipay with a foreign passport. All you have to remember is to be smart and share new things.

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