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Hardware-Based Commute-Map Gadget
coreymetrics writes "Anyone have one of these things? While it's no substitute for an improved mass-transit solution in the Puget Sound area, TrafficGauge's new gadget sure looks like it beats any PDA or cell phone auto traffic map I've used. It uses the same data that powers the Washington State DOT's indispensable website. Now why can't auto makers put this kind of thing in a dash instead of mostly worthless GPS navigation and DVD units?"
Now why can't auto makers put this kind of thing in a dash instead of mostly worthless GPS navigation and DVD units?
Several Mercedes-Benz GPS navigation systems actually do support the reception of traffic information embedded inside of radio signals.
Do you like German cars?
Apparently you're not using it for the right things, like precisely aiming missiles at your neighbor's houses.
That was fast... IIS is complaining of too many users.
Cache
Napster-to-go says "Fill and refill your compatible MP3 player", which is a lie. It's not MP3. It's WMA with DRM.
may have to go with Google's cached version of the page.
There are only 4 comments posted and already the site is slashed.
Slashdot should make a pay service that gives out links a few hours ahead of the main pack. What's an "infojunkie" to do these days?
Well, um, I suppose the reason most automakers (and consumers) prefer GPS is because it doesn't matter where the traffic is bad if you can't figure out how to get to your destination in the first place.
3000+ comments meta-modded. 0 mod points awarded.
Lesson for other meta-suckers: Don't believe the hype!
an overloaded IIS web-server? No don't have one of those!
we see the first traffic fatality caused by some asshat paying too much attention to their TrafficGauge(tm) and not enough to TheRealTrafficRightInFrontOfYou(tm).
3000+ comments meta-modded. 0 mod points awarded.
Lesson for other meta-suckers: Don't believe the hype!
How long do you think it will be before this is available as a CF card for your Pocket PC?
This is my digital signature. 10011011001
Anytime you're moving and your eyes aren't on the road, you're putting yourself and everyone around you at much greater risk. When my regime rises to power, everyone will be required to ride a motorcycle for 1 year as their only motor vehicle before getting a license for a car. Weed out the bad drivers...
reprinted July 2003 for slashdot.org
The page cannot be displayed
There are too many people accessing the Web site at this time.
Please try the following:
- Click the Refresh button, or try
again later.
- Open the
www.trafficgauge.com home page, and
then look for links to the information you want.
HTTP 403.9 - Access Forbidden: Too many users are connectedInternet Information Services
Technical Information (for support personnel)
This error can occur if the Web server is busy and cannot process your request due to heavy traffic.
Microsoft Support
California's Department of Transportation is working on a similar system and I am working on the backend to a web interface similar to WSDOT's.
If there are any users of similar systems for planning travel routes/times on slashdot, what features did you find valuable, superfluous, or altogether lacking?
Is it valuable to have historic data? If so, how far back? Archived hourly analysis of traffic volumes, average time of travel on predefined routes? As a user, would you be interested in data beyond delays and congestion. Site specific information giving visibility, weather, etc?
Thank you for any responses!
So it looks like it is a fixed display(non-matrix) that basically tells you which of 4 interstates is congested or not. Seems like it answers one question, should I avoid the interstates, or not. What if they are? How would you know the best alternate route?
Since the product site is hosed check out this article from KOMO News in Seattle. Article even has a video of the story they did on the device.
Not quite a mirror, but better than nothing.
You'll find TrafficGauge indispensable if you've ever wondered...
Will I hit traffic on this route? Should I go a different way?
Do I need to leave now, or can I spare a few minutes?
Can I make it to the meeting, day care, or movie on time?
With TrafficGauge, you'll know the answers instantly--at a glance!
So, like, you ask it these questions and it'll come back with:
"You will definetly hit traffic on this and any alternate route that you may choose. You could either leave now, or a couple of minutes later...doesn't really matter, you won't be able to make it to the meeting, day care or movie on time anyway.
And remember, roadrage is bad mmmkay. Happy driving
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
Notice that the device has a "Home Game" symbol that alerts you to major events. Good feature! In my 15 years of commuting around the Seattle area, the commercial activities of the Mariners, Sonics and Seahawks have collectively added hundreds of hours of commute time to my life and have never compensated me in any way. How about if sports teams in a metropolitan area provide these gadgets free of charge to anyone who wants one?
In one episode of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, a device very similar to the one linked was shown, except much more detailed. However, the major was able to hack into it and make it show an accident on a bridge, forcing the bad guy to take an alternate route, easily apprehending him.
Could this be used in real life, I wonder?
Founder of Mirror Moon - Tsukihime Game Trans
Mostly worthless? Am I the only one whose hide has been saved by "worthless GPS navigation and DVD units"?
OK, OK, maybe the software is klunky sometimes ("continue to merge left for 1.5 miles") and the CG voice is annoying, but when you're lost and/or late I wouldn't describe the GPS/Nav system as worthless by a long shot.
True believers seek redemption from the sin of death.
Will I hit traffic on this route? Should I go a different way?
If you're trying to access their IIS-run website, then I'd say that's a big 10-4, good buddy.
Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
They claim that the Seattle area has unpredictable traffic and to prove it they have this series of examples all taken at 8:15am.
:)
Now, I don't live anywhere near Seattle but every day the traffic looks the same to me. A bunch of heavy traffic in the same places every day. This is supposed to convice me? All this product demostration did was convice me to not move to the suburbs of Seattle anytime soon and if I already had, to try some different routes.
It also just displays four highways with just the promise of "compelling upgrades" in the future should new roads be added to the system. I'm sure the "compelling upgrades" will be much teh same as some software companies who charge for the upgrade and drop support for the old product. Compelling like a court order.
--ibbieta
Indeed, you could use WSDOT's own WebFlow application, although it hasn't been updated in a long time. Sadly, they have a location already set up for new maps that's going unused.
Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks: temporary loans from the Public Domain, not real property ("intellectual" or otherwise)
Under capitalism man exploits man. Under communism it's the other way around.
Tele-Aid, a service provided by Mercedes-Benz that exhibits characteristics similar to GM's OnStar, transmits real-time data pertinent to approximately 65 metropolitan areas within the continental United States. As mentioned previously, radio stations are also capable of broadcasting the information.
Do you like German cars?
...clock? I want an alarm clock that's programmed w/ the amount of lead time I need in the morning and where I'm going. It should check weather and traffic status real-time, and adjust my wake-up time on the fly so I get the maximum amount of sleep possible.
I have one of these units thanks to an inside deal. I regularly use it to decide my route to work, and it has definitely saved me from sitting in traffic on many occasions.
One thing to keep in mind is that Seattle is well suited for this device because of geography - there are no alternate routes. There are only the two east-west routes shown on the unit across Lake Washington. The north-south options aren't much better. You can't just swing over a couple of blocks to avoid a problem, so knowing that one of major routes is bad because of a wreck can make a huge difference.
Traffic reports on the radio can help, but they always come on 30 seconds after you pass the decision point for which route to take. This solves that problem by keeping the last report handy for you at any time.
The unit isn't perfect -
(1) has a fixed configuration so it wouldn't be able to accomodate any new routes, but that isn't really likely to happen around here anyways. More lanes maybe, but no new routes.
(2) It relies on the DOT data, which is occasionally of questionable accuracy.
On the plus side -
(1) it runs on the pager network so coverage is not a problem, neither are limits on data transfer or message counts over a cell network.
(2) the price is reasonable enough that is easy to recover the monthly fee in time and frustration saved.
Overall - don't even think of trying to take mine away!
Just tune into traffic info radio or pick up your cell phone and call one of the many free traffic info services. Or, have the information sent to your cell phone. But most people realize pretty quickly that that kind of knowledge is pretty useless: even if 101 or 405 are stop-and-go, taking alternate routes probably still takes longer than just living with it.
The only thing you can do is to stay a little longer at the office until traffic has died down. And to see when that has happened, you don't need a wireless gadget, you just point your desktop web browser at a traffic site.
It wouldn't work if this was mounted in the dash, unless you were never selling your car to anyone outside the Puget Sound area.
There are no maps beyond what you see in the display. The world on this device ends at Renton and at Lynwood.
I can see this kind of thing customized and used by regional transit authorities in order to reduce the amount of roads that need to be built.
This is a very vertical device at this point of time, but an excellent proof-of-concept. Convergence... we MUST have convergence - digital maps, DOT information standardized, information all transmitted over UWB in each region, all standards-driven so that there can be a variety of devices, always updated and up-to-date in a given region. That new road that was just built... just got downloaded to your DOT-device when the engineers checked in with city hall, marking the roadway extension as complete.
At least it settles the eternal question of whether you should have taken another route home, or if all "rush" hour traffic is at a standstill.
I can't wait till it has speech recognition. I'd love to say "Go Go Gadget Commute-map!" in heavy traffic.
Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
I wouldn't say that GPS units are worthless -- I just drove a system equipped with one a couple of weeks back and it was basically a wet dream.
m
The input system was kinda clumsy, maneuvering a cursor around an alphabet to choose letters and numbers, but besides that I was in love with it. My parents were visiting San Francisco, and I live 30 min away in Belmont, so I had to take them around town and I am not too familiar with the city yet -- this thing made it a breeze.
Basically it is Mapquest in your car. You input a destination and it tells you how to get there in the quickest way possible, then shows you on the map wherever you are at any point in the trip.
When a turn is coming up, a pleasant female voice lets you know and then tones tell you exactly when to turn. If you get too far off the route that it planned for you earlier, it will plan a new route for you.
This thing could have saved me sooooo much time in my life and it was really helpful. When I didn't need the voice I just turned it down and could check the display every now and then to prove that I was on the right course.
If I had 2 grand to drop on it I would buy one tomorrow. If you're at all interested in GPS units for cars you can check it out at Hertz for a few more dollars a day.
A cheaper solution is to hook up a handheld unit to a laptop. I know somebody who did that and got great results, a lot cheaper than 2 gs.
More info on the web: http://www.autonav2000.com/Products/750NavPlus.ht
my 2 cents worth
For those that live in the Seattle area, you'll notice that it just covers the Lake Union area, and just the freeways. This is great to check your freeway commute, but if you stray from the greater Seattle area or go on any side street or state route, it's useless. The WSDOT doesn't have the traffic monitoring systems set up anywhere else in the state. This isn't a navigation tool - it's a traffic monitor for the freeways. Useless, since you can get the same information every couple minutes on the radio.
One day Scott got into his car and drove to work and arrived at the Interstate. Only then did he realise that you cannot travel without changing yourself and the universe.
A trouble Cathy sat in the gridlock and implored her in-car navigation, "Why am I stuck?". The GPS replied, "You are here", and she was enlightened.
Destination is illusion if you do not know from where you start and where change in your journey.
A single GPS point coordinate is as protected as the robin that nests in an inpenetrable briar patch.
Even the road travels the bridges.
"Everything is adjustable, provided you have the right tools"
I've had a system like this built in in my last 4 or 5 or is it 6 cars.
/. {:-)
http://www.trafficmaster.co.uk/
Puts little road sign pictures up explaining what the delay is caused by, i.e. "Men at work" picture for roadworks, and how long the delay is expected. The Navigation unit takes this information and routes around the delay if necessary.
I even posted a story like this the last time such a system was mention on
threadeds blog
I have Tele-Aid in my G500, and it is crap. This is part of the MB Command 2.0 system that is shipping in 2002/2003 C and G class. The S class has a slightly different system.
The Info-Services part of teleaid is what most people think sounds cool.
Here is how it works so that you can judge for yourself.
1. You pay MBUSA $225 a year.
2. You login to your custom website and configure the info-services you would like. I have NHL scores, Bay Area weather, four stock quotes, and national news headlines. You get about five choices and then the website says that is all the data you can store. (I could get traffic for my commute, but I don't).
3. You press the "SVC" button on your "Command" unit (The radio head with 4.5" lcd screen).
4. You WAIT 1 or 2 minutes.
5. The unit eventually beeps, and you are then warned that reading info service underway is dangerious so you do a couple of knob turns and button presses and get to get to the data.
6. You now have about 1K of text to scroll through. Most national news stories are about 300 bytes long. Weather and Hockey are around 50 bytes each.
7. You have now learned nothing that isn't already on the radio.
The last part is the best part!!!
8. You are charged $0.40 cents a minute for the time it took for the Command system to call and get that 1K of data over a built-in cell phone and what must be a 300bps modem!!! Each call typically costs $0.80 and often calls fail without giving you any data, but they are $0.40 per minute so you get charged anyway.
It is just worthless and I won't pay for another year of it.
Did you know the Audi A8 has an all-aluminum body?
...ho hum....
You mean like the Ford/AC Cobra, back in 1965? Or the Land Rover?
The Ford/AC Cobra had a steel chassis- ONLY aluminum body panels. If you're referring to the brand new Range Rover, to quote RR themselves: "The hood, doors, and front fenders are all made from aluminum." Same thing. Steel chassis, aluminum panels. It's nothing new, and very commonly used up front when the beast is nose-heavy.
The entire chassis of an A8(including the new one) is made from aluminum, top to bottom. They worked with ALCOA(huge aluminum company) in the late 80's/very early 90's to make it happen; it's not exactly run of the mill stuff to make such a complex structure out of aluminum; it's very different from steel in countless ways. They invented dozens of manufacturing technologies, demonstrated first on the AVUS Quattro, a concept car- a couple of years later, they put it into use on the production line with the A8. Part of the achievement is that it has chassis dynamics that are superior to a similarly sized steel chassis car.
As pretty good proof of the technological advancement(keep in mind there were a few all-aluminum cars 50+ years ago, but chassis technology, requirements, and safety requirements aren't even close to what they are today), it's taken around 8 years for another company to do the same- mainly, Jaguar(the new XJ is aluminum).
Sorry bud. Don't pick an argument on technicalities with an Audi enthusiast :-)
Please help metamoderate.
On the one hand, it's a cool new gadget so men will buy it. On the other, it's like asking for directions so no man will buy it. It's kinda of a wash if you ask me.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
how about an 802.11b solution mixed with gps? send your current speed and location to other drivers. with enough of them the data would propagate through the network and even to the internet with strategicaly located access points. make the data available over the internet so your nifty navigation system can plot the fastest route based on distance and traffic. have it keep a log and you could predict the fastest route through a particular location in advance.
There's a great service for the Chicago area at:
http://www.gcmtravel.org/
Very handy for a metro area with as many expressways as the Milwaukee-Chicago-Gary area.
When your life is no longer your own...
This is news?!? Japanese "car-navi" systems have had traffic analysis features for at least the year I've been here. At first I couldn't understand why they were so popular, but then someone explained why, in this country where street addresses are rare, best route analysis is a real plus to drivers. As the site is slashdotted I can't tell if the company is trying to sell this as a new thing, but it would be a shame if so. Oh yeah right, and "the Japanese are only good at copying American ideas."
In sevreal european countries including Germany, The Netherlands and I believe also Austria, newer GPS-Travelpilot systems (2yrs+) are compatible with a system called TMC.
It is based on, regional radio stations broadcasting a stream of digital data along with their regular audio programme. You don't hear it (just like you don't lear the RDS station identifier code) and you don't need to subscribe to anything either.
The travelpilot is interfaced with your car stereo and reads the TMC sigal out of the incoming radio broadcasts, even if you are currently tuned to a different station or listening to CD/Tape/MP3/MD or have your radio turned off. This data is then interpreted by the travelpilot to guide you around closed roads or congested areas without you having to actively do anything. However most systems will inform you that there is a traffic jam ahead and that it is guiding you around it.
It also works when the travelpilot is in Map-mode (no guidance, just display a map of where you are). My Blaupunkt TravelPilot shows me a map of the area I'm driving in. If it sees a gongested area near me it will highlight it on the map so I can avoid it by myself.
The only downside is that presently, radio-stations don't always do a perfect job at keeping their data up-to-date...