Website Traffic Mapping For Your Mobile Phone

In late July, Google announced that it will be supplying reside visitors info to mobile phones in more than thirty U.S. cities. Plans to supply the traffic function to PCs are nonetheless within the works. The Google site visitors function will be released as an update for the absolutely free Google Maps for Mobile service, which has been available for 18 months for download around the Google website. Google would not disclose how many subscribers it has, nevertheless it says the quantity is expanding quickly.

The function expands Google's mapping technologies into an region where Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo already possess a presence, but in unique methods. Yahoo and Microsoft offer you real-time targeted traffic information on their Web-based mapping solutions for PCs. Microsoft has selected to move into the mobile "space" by licensing traffic-monitoring technology for mobile devices to a Kirkland-based startup, InRix Inc. Yahoo currently has no mobile traffic service. MapQuest, an AOL home, presents website traffic reports more than cell phones for $2.99 per month.

With standard bombast, Microsoft announced that when operable, the InRix mobile service will essentially predict upcoming targeted traffic problems - on the other hand at the moment the MSN mobile mapping technologies a34 traffic news offers no website traffic facts at all.

Within the cities where it performs, the Google function will show visitors situations on most main highways - indicating green for clear roadways, yellow for medium congestion and red for high congestion or stopped website traffic. Google Maps will function on most Java-enabled phones presented by Cingular and Sprint and all colour BlackBerry devices. The service does not presently perform on phones from other main carriers which include Verizon or T-Mobile USA. Google Maps sends the data - obtained from an undisclosed supply - each and every 5 minutes.

Although Google's absolutely free service does not determine website traffic hazards or accidents, it can let drivers know if there's a clogged road. Google also shows the anticipated drive time to get a route when phone customers look for driving directions. It has introduced a feature that lets customers save their favored locations and often utilized driving directions for future use.

The 3 search engines like google will not be alone, nonetheless. In February, Rand McNally Site visitors began supplying a downloadable mobile application that delivers news of real-time website 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 in the country to 15 services. One of them gives the details to subscribers with Sprint mobile phones for a $9.99 monthly subscription. That service is relatively new. In addition to weather circumstances and traffic data, the service also supplies data on gas station prices.

Cell phones are rapidly turning into GPS devices, with localized information as an added function. It remains to be seen how many people will turn to their cell telephone screens for targeted traffic news, one eye on the road and another on the phone. 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 no cost 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 more than safe driving habits.