traffic

Free real-time traffic reports? We wish

We've often thought that real-time traffic reports was an obvious use of interactive technologies, but for some reason they're still not universal. (These thoughts typically come to us while stuck on a freeway, which is often.) But a German GPS software company called Navigon says it will "radically change" this sluggish pace of development with a free service that will be offered with GPS services right out of the box, according to Twice.

The company, which is working with ClearChannel's Real Time Traffic, has made a deal with the Porsche Design Group as the first … Read more

Real-time traffic phone released in Korea

Officer, I swear, I wasn't talking on my cell phone while driving; I was looking at the map...on my cell phone...while driving.

Samsung Electronics has released the SPH-B5800, a cell phone that offers real-time traffic maps as well as info on where to find places to eat. Technical Resource likes the fact that people can compare routes and decide which road is the one less traveled by.

The Samsung SPH-B5800 is available in Korea for about $600.

Instead of using GPS, the phone works by TPEG, a transportation broadcast service offered in Korea over its new Digital Media Broadcasting (… Read more

Fujitsu makes black box for cars

It makes sense that this latest product comes from Japan, which we maintain is headed toward a human-free society because of its declining population growth. Just as it has found so many ways to automate services, the Japanese have found one less duty for police to handle: fender benders.

As Plastic Bamboo notes, Fujitsu's automotive subsidiary has developed the equivalent of an airliner's black box to document "the scene and sounds of a traffic accident" with a system that includes a microphone, recorder and a camera with a 134-degree lens. The device automatically kicks in when … Read more

Site traffic stats can make pretty, pretty pictures

Web site traffic statistics are usually pretty dull. Pie charts. Bar graphs. Line charts. Maybe, if you're lucky, there's a colorful gradient fill in there somewhere. But it doesn't have to be that way anymore, as digital designer James Spahr has figured out a creative way to turn Web traffic data into pretty patterns.

Here's how it works, in simplistic terms: Traffic spirals clockwise. A thick line represents more traffic than a thin line. The colors represent categories of Web sites, like generic pages as opposed to "hubs" or random links (like a shopping … Read more

Eye in the sky, on your cell phone

TrafficGauge lets you use your cell phone to view traffic conditions on a nice color-coded map showing slow traffic in red, medium-speed traffic in yellow, and fast traffic in green. The company previously launched a handheld unit showing similar information in an ugly but useful monochrome display. TrafficGauge's new cellular service enables anyone with a cell phone capable of texting and showing color graphics to get traffic conditions in 17 metropolitan areas, such as Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Atlanta.

To use the service, go to the TrafficGauge Web site, click to the cellular service area, … Read more

Nissan Altima gets NavTraffic

The 2007 Nissan Altima takes a step toward live traffic data for the masses as the least expensive car to offer XM NavTraffic from the factory. It's the first Nissan to offer NavTraffic though its cousin, the 2007 Infiniti G35, offers the system as well.

NavTraffic gathers traffic data from a hodgepodge of sources that vary by metro area, and the information is then beamed via XM satellite down to your car for display on its navigation screen. The quality of the info varies by market.

It's not free: First, you need to option your Altima with GPS … Read more

But officer, I didn't see a thing...

A device that reads road signs. We're not sure if this is good or bad news: On one hand, it seems certain to improve safety; on the other, it means one less excuse if we get pulled over.

Siemens is developing a gadget that scans posted speed limits and matches them with your speedometer in real time. It then compares the numbers in front of your windshield and warns if you're going too fast.

But we won't be canceling our next optometry appointment just yet. According to The Raw Feed, the system is probably two years away. … Read more