Traffic information on your mobile phone does not sound like a very original idea, in fact, I'm sure there is already some type of service out there already. Here is what brought me to this idea; I grew up in Chicago where the traffic reports are actually quite good. They tell you the highway, and how long it will take to get from point "A" to point "B". For example, on I90 it will take 40 minutes to get from the airport to downtown, simple enough. Now I live in New York City, quite possibly the worst traffic reporting I have ever heard. They may come on the radio every 10 minutes and tell you the traffic, but it's different every time. They only talk about the highways they want to talk about (and it's usually not the one you are on) and all they typically say is there are "Normal delays". What the hell are "Normal delays"? I need more information than this! I need specifics, I have places to be!
Here is where the phone comes in; I'm on (or getting on) I95 and I'm headed to Boston, how long will it take me to get there with traffic? I pick up my phone I press "#95", an automated response comes on asking for the state, I speak "New York" back in to the phone, then it asks for the closest major city, again I say "New York", then finally it asks for the direction of travel, and I say "North". In just a few seconds I hear a response that says "Travel time from the George Washington Bridge to New Haven, CT is 1 hour and 45 minutes". Now that was helpful. Best part about this is, when I travel to Dallas, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, or any other place in the country that has an interstate running through it, all I have to do is press "#" and whatever interstate I want to know about and it will prompt me for my location. Now I'm in business!
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Or you can use your converged phone/internet device and it will remember the route that you are intersted in. You just turn it on and it will start delivering whatever content you set it for. You can use it as a wakeup alarm. Then it will warn you about weather and traffic conditions before you start.
Try Sirius Radio. Continious updates for your city.
from your cellphone: www.google.com/gmm
Google Maps Mobile with traffic conditions updated often for major US cities.