Don't tell Jenny Craig —

An app to summon ice cream trucks? We’ll scream for that

Using your smartphone for its real purpose: allowing you to be even lazier.

An app to summon ice cream trucks? We'll scream for that

One of the greatest highlights of summer is hearing an ice cream truck roll up the street, its slightly out-of-tune rendition of "La Cucaracha" or "Pop Goes the Weasel" growing louder as it approaches while you fish around in your pockets for change. The only downside is that the ice cream truck is not always there when you want it, and always there when you're not in the mood. But if you have the Uber app installed on your iPhone or Android device and you live in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Washington DC, or Boston, you'll be able to summon the ice cream truck on Friday, July 13.

For those unfamiliar with Uber, the service made a name for itself by providing on-demand towncar service, as well as on-demand taxi service in certain cities. Users can request a car via the Uber app and can pay through the app as well. The idea is to make finding a taxi (or car service, if that's your thing) easy and convenient via your smartphone.

Admittedly, the ice cream truck feature—which is only temporary—is mostly a PR stunt on behalf of Uber. The company discussed the details on its blog by saying that the promotion was to celebrate National Ice Cream Month, and that users would be able to request ice cream trucks by "selecting the 'ice cream cone icon' in your Uber app." Like other Uber vehicles, the app will give you an ETA and you'll be able to communicate with the driver until he arrives at your door.

On the downside, you'll have to pay for $12 worth of ice cream at once, which will amount to five ice creams and some "sweet Uber swag." The ice cream being delivered varies by city, though—for example, Chicagoans will get "old school treats," while NYC will get the "finest artisan ice cream" and Boston will get "novelty ice cream" with some Ben & Jerry's pints mixed in. More details about when the trucks will be driving around, and where they will be delivering, are available on Uber's blog.

Although the Uber team claims that this promotion will only happen this Friday, Uber General manager Michael Pao told the New York Times that the company will be watching Friday's demand in order to determine how often they might want to schlep out the ice cream trucks in the future. So, who's screaming for ice cream tomorrow? I know I've been looking for a bomb pop hookup all summer...

Channel Ars Technica