Website Traffic Mapping For The Mobile Telephone

In late July, Google announced that it will likely be providing reside visitors data to mobile phones in greater than thirty U.S. cities. Plans to supply the visitors function to PCs are still in the performs. The Google site visitors function will be released as an update towards the traffic news wales totally free Google Maps for Mobile service, which has been accessible for 18 months for download on the Google web site. Google would not disclose how numerous subscribers it has, nevertheless it says the quantity is increasing rapidly.

The function expands Google's mapping technologies into an region exactly where Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo already possess a presence, but in different approaches. Yahoo and Microsoft present real-time site visitors details on their Web-based mapping services for PCs. Microsoft has chosen to move in to the mobile "space" by licensing traffic-monitoring technologies for mobile devices to a Kirkland-based startup, InRix Inc. Yahoo at the moment has no mobile website traffic service. MapQuest, an AOL house, delivers site visitors reports over cell phones for $2.99 per month.

With standard bombast, Microsoft announced that when operable, the InRix mobile service will actually predict upcoming traffic difficulties - however presently the MSN mobile mapping technologies supplies no site visitors information and facts at all.

Inside the cities where it operates, the Google function will show targeted traffic circumstances on most big highways - indicating green for clear roadways, yellow for medium congestion and red for higher congestion or stopped targeted traffic. Google Maps will function on most Java-enabled phones presented by Cingular and Sprint and all colour BlackBerry devices. The service will not at the moment work on phones from other big carriers including Verizon or T-Mobile USA. Google Maps sends the data - obtained from an undisclosed source - every five minutes.

Though Google's no cost service doesn't identify visitors hazards or accidents, it's going to let drivers know if there's a clogged road. Google also shows the expected drive time to get a route when phone customers search for driving directions. It has introduced a function that lets users save their favored locations and frequently utilized driving directions for future use.

The 3 search engines are usually not alone, on the other hand. In February, Rand McNally Website traffic began supplying a downloadable mobile application that delivers news of real-time traffic flow, accidents, weather circumstances and road closures to 94 cities. Rand McNally Visitors is available on Sprint, Nextel, AT&T Wireless and other services for $3.99 a month.

Media giant Clear Channel Communications' Total Site visitors Network feeds content in 125 markets within the country to 15 solutions. One of them gives the info to subscribers with Sprint mobile phones for a $9.99 monthly subscription. That service is relatively new. In addition to climate circumstances and targeted traffic information and facts, the service also gives data on gas station prices.

Cell phones are quickly turning into GPS devices, with localized information and facts as an added function. It remains to be seen how several people will turn to their cell phone screens for traffic news, one eye around the road and another on the telephone. In some states and several local jurisdictions, it is currently illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving. Some of these jurisdictions allow hands totally free use, but that won't help with a visual function. It will be interesting to see if this new functionality is limited by governmental concern over safe driving habits.