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Real-time Traffic GPS for the iPhone

by Smithee on September 18, 2009

in Software

Soon. As in, October-soon.

It looks like the first iPhone app to bring us real-time traffic alerts, and that comes with offline maps, will be the Navigon MobileNavigator (Earlier CNET review. iTunes Store link.)

The AT&T Navigator (CNET review) also has live traffic data, but takes more time to download maps as you go, and while initially free, has a $10 monthly fee. Navigon has a steep $90 price tag, and you’ll pay $20 or $25 for the live traffic upgrade, but if you use it for more than a year, it’s already cheaper than the AT&T version.

(I’d like to take a moment to congratulate both Navigon and AT&T for sensibly choosing just one business model – monthly fee, or upfront fee – instead of both. Too many companies these days get away with a charge upfront and also making you pay monthly. I’m sure they have their reasons, but as a consumer, it just seems wrong.)

Traffic JamI’ve already recently cut at least 5 minutes off my daily commute by utilizing traffic data of other drivers. This is a win/win, since bad traffic throws me in a rage faster than anything else, and I’m not the most defensive driver. If I can have a tool with me that warns me of upcoming traffic problems, and helps me navigate around them, so much the better.

On the other hand, it seems I’m always driving to the same ten or twelve places. I’m not what marketers like to call a “road warrior” (isn’t this just a euphemism for salesperson?), so I don’t think I can justify the cost just yet.

Have you used the Navigon or AT&T apps? What do you think?

Navigon GPS iPhone app to get live traffic, Dong Ngo, CNET, Sep. 16, 2009

Photo credit: borderlys

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Free Roadside Assistance, Kind of, Sort of

by Smithee on March 10, 2009

in Frugality

There’s a toll-free number on the back of my driver’s license labeled “Roadside Assistance”. I’d never noticed it before today, when a co-worker was telling me how she used the number to get her tire changed on the dangerously-busy Tollway.

“For free?” I asked. “Of course,” she said.

So I started to wonder if I’d been paying AAA for services that I could be getting for free. I did some Googling and found this:

The toll-free line has been operated by DPS since 1989 for motorists to use when reporting non-life-threatening situations … If a tow truck is ultimately dispatched, the motorist is responsible for any costs incurred. Some cities and agencies do have courtesy patrols and roadside trucks to provide non-towing services and they may be dispatched by the local agencies when appropriate.

Examples of when a motorist should call the Roadside Assistance Hotline include: stranded with car problems, hazardous road conditions, debris in the roadway, suspicious activity at a rest area, and obviously intoxicated or dangerous drivers.

So, to summarize: we want you to call us if you’re having trouble or see something dangerous. We might send help, and it might be free.

My state isn’t the only one with a free (?) State-run roadside assistance program. If part of the recession means not renewing whatever service you use for emergency roadside assistance, check online to see what’s available for free.

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Introducing Fuelly

by Smithee on September 10, 2008

in Software

Fuelly is a new, free online service which helps you track your mileage. It pays attention to what kind of car you’re driving, how much you’re spending, and creates helpful charts to let you know whether your mileage is improving or declining over time.

fuellyIt has great support for mobile browsers, which is exactly what I needed, since I can’t be bothered to keep a notebook and pen anywhere sensible in my car. What’s more, it also has a social networking aspect so you can invite your friends to compare mileage trends. There are also dozens of tips for improving your driving style, as well as a user discussion forum.

But I think the neatest aspect is the vehicle browser. For example, this list and graph of Toyota Priuses (Prii?), tells me that some combination of factors is forcing my mileage below the average of Fuelly members. Still, it’s a lot better than my friend’s pickup truck, who just clocked in at under 14 MPG…

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