.NET helping you locate speed traps on your Pocket PC

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.copalert.com/">http://www.copalert.com/</a><br /><br />Wouldn't it be nice to get this from your Pocket PC as you are cruising down the interstate?<br /><br /><b>Cop Alert! Cop Alert!</b><br />Interstate 65 Southbound, exit 96<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2002/20020910-copalert.jpg" /><br /><br />Well, .NET and wireless technology may make that possible. "All you need is a mobile device or web browser and access to the Internet. With CopAlert, you can pin point the exact location of cops on the Interstate. Unlike radar detectors that go off way too late, CopAlert can provide you with the mile markers and exit numbers of cops miles away. You tell it where you're travelling, and it provides the notifications. It's that simple! And guess what? It's ABSOLUTELY 100% FREE !" They are currently working on versions that support the Pocket PC, Handheld PC and Smartphone devices. Thanks to Racer-X for the link.

[asatyss]

Now that's a good use for a PPC!

[Paragon]

Hmmm! I new there had to be some useful purpose for .NET :)

Dave

[entropy1980]

Where was this last week I got a ticket going 68 in a 45 not fun..... :x

[splintercell]

So what prevents some idiot from reporting a cop every 2 miles on every other road?

[paqman_lover]

Get out of my head!!!

I have a 110 mile round-trip commute to work and have often thought of just such a system.

If it got to be reliable i'd even be willing to pay a few bucks a month since i average a speeding ticket every 6 months.

[Joe Bogner]

I was kicking around this same idea about 2 years ago when I bought my first PPC. I thought of a slightly different variation though, making use of integrated GPS technology.

Basically, with a GPS enabled ppc, all you should need to do is click a button. The GPS of course would record your location once you clicked the button. It would then upload the information via the wireless internet (or if you want to get really technical, through a web service).
Then, other people travelling with a GPS enabled PPC could be alerted when they are in range of cops.

I think the GPS integration is far superior to manual entry.
If I only had the funds, or the drive to pursue this, I think it would be a decent idea.

[DavidHorn]

You could avoid the whole hassle by simply not speeding.

[Snidjik]

Hey! This should be a great help to drug runners, kidnappers, drunk drivers, child molesters and terrorists as well as to the casual speeder! Kudos to the folks who developed this nifty tool!

[dittrich]

I was kicking around this same idea about 2 years ago when I bought my first PPC. I thought of a slightly different variation though, making use of integrated GPS technology.

Basically, with a GPS enabled ppc, all you should need to do is click a button. The GPS of course would record your location once you clicked the button. It would then upload the information via the wireless internet (or if you want to get really technical, through a web service).
Then, other people travelling with a GPS enabled PPC could be alerted when they are in range of cops.

I think the GPS integration is far superior to manual entry.
If I only had the funds, or the drive to pursue this, I think it would be a decent idea.

How about more than one button? Put another one for slow traffic or accidents or whatever.

I like the idea of GPS integration. Combined with the copalert & traffic window, the software could alter your route to avoid speed traps, slowdowns, & etc.

[Jimmy Dodd]

I can see my home state of Tennessee saving mucho bucks using this tool. Currently the State Troopers park unmanned cars along the interstate to "get your attention" and cause you to slow down. By the time you reach the police car and note that it's empty you are already traveling a legal speed - and so is everyone behind you.

Now we can save the cost of moving those empty patrol cars around every day by simply logging on to this service and uploading the positions to the database.

This reminds me of my college days and driving to Nashville for the weekend - a long dull drive if there ever was one. A friend of mine had a small homemade device that broadcast a signal that caused radar detectors to alarm. People would race by at 80 mph as we did the (then) legal limit of 55mph (about the max his truck would do). He would fire the device which would cause the speeding driver to quickly drop to a legal speed. Once they decided it was a false alarm and sped back up he would hit them again. All great fun for a few bored students.

[sundown]

Hey! This should be a great help to drug runners, kidnappers, drunk drivers, child molesters and terrorists as well as to the casual speeder! Kudos to the folks who developed this nifty tool!

You know I was kind of thinking the same thing. I speed and have had a few big tickets (used to own a 300ZX Twin Turbo) and could have REALLY used something like this. But now I'm wondering about the implications of having this service available. I'm not too worried about drunks (would they be lucid enough to act on this info?), but what about drug dealers and terrorists. I'm not suggesting this service should be illegal or anything, just wondering out loud.

[Ed Hansberry]

This reminds me of my college days and driving to Nashville for the weekend - a long dull drive if there ever was one. A friend of mine had a small homemade device that broadcast a signal that caused radar detectors to alarm. People would race by at 80 mph as we did the (then) legal limit of 55mph (about the max his truck would do). He would fire the device which would cause the speeding driver to quickly drop to a legal speed. Once they decided it was a false alarm and sped back up he would hit them again. All great fun for a few bored students.
LOL!! :lol: I am much less technically inclined. I would just aim the windshield squirters straight up on my VW Bug and when they would come up on me doing 80 I would fire a few bursts ruining the nice clean look of whatever flashy European car or Corvette they were driving.

[Jonathan1]

I'd rather get a $100 fine then use .NET

Evil I say! .NET is EVIL! :twisted:

[Ed Hansberry]

I'd rather get a $100 fine then use .NET

Evil I say! .NET is EVIL! :twisted:
I think you are confusing .NET with .NET My Services and Hailstorm, which both use .NET, but aren't .NET.

[Pony99CA]

I was kicking around this same idea about 2 years ago when I bought my first PPC. I thought of a slightly different variation though, making use of integrated GPS technology.

Basically, with a GPS enabled ppc, all you should need to do is click a button. The GPS of course would record your location once you clicked the button. It would then upload the information via the wireless internet (or if you want to get really technical, through a web service).
Then, other people travelling with a GPS enabled PPC could be alerted when they are in range of cops.

I think the GPS integration is far superior to manual entry.
If I only had the funds, or the drive to pursue this, I think it would be a decent idea.
I like that idea, too. I have a NavMan GPS sleeve for my iPAQ 3870, so this would be great.

Another great idea would be to combine a GPS sleeve with a radar detector. After all, cops can move and not every speed trap would be listed in their database.

Imagine driving with your GPS directions and having your iPAQ give radar warnings (and Safety Warning System alerts, too, of course).

Steve

P.S. Another prior art warning for those thinking of patenting this. :-) Personally, I think SWS and radar detectors should be options in cars. Then they could mount the detectors above the license plates, which the laser detectors are supposed to aim at.

[Pony99CA]

This reminds me of my college days and driving to Nashville for the weekend - a long dull drive if there ever was one. A friend of mine had a small homemade device that broadcast a signal that caused radar detectors to alarm. People would race by at 80 mph as we did the (then) legal limit of 55mph (about the max his truck would do). He would fire the device which would cause the speeding driver to quickly drop to a legal speed. Once they decided it was a false alarm and sped back up he would hit them again. All great fun for a few bored students.
I heard a similar story about someone who just had an actual radar gun in his car.

Steve

[Jonathon Watkins]

Why is the speed limit still 55 for most American roads? What is the speed limit on the moterways (i.e. the large multilane roads between large towns)? Here in the UK the limit is 70 mph, though you can usually get away with 77mph.

[rlobrecht]

[quote="PDA Gerbil"]Why is the speed limit still 55 for most American roads? What is the speed limit on the moterways (i.e. the large multilane roads between large towns)? Here in the UK the limit is 70 mph, though you can usually get away with 77mph.[/quote

The Federal government doesn't control speed limits, states do, so you may get 50 different answers. :)

In TX, the speed limit in Interstate highways outside of cities is 70 mph. You're usually safe at 75 - 80. In Houston (where I live) its 65 mph on major freeways outside of "the loop." (a 20 mile diameter circular freeway.) On regular highways it is 55 mph, and on down from there for regular roads.

[st63z]

Yeah they lowered the Houston limit back down and now TX is even more strict about passenger alcohol (but hey, neither is my problem) :)

[Jimmy Dodd]

Why is the speed limit still 55 for most American roads? What is the speed limit on the moterways (i.e. the large multilane roads between large towns)? Here in the UK the limit is 70 mph, though you can usually get away with 77mph.

Lots of small towns (and some big ones) make pretty good revenue from speeding violations so they often keep certain county roads at a less than expected speed, especially in the south. Of course we don't have toll roads either, so I guess it balances out. :wink:

Most Interstates (the big multilane roads between cities) are 70 mph. Some county roads are too. A lot of it depends on the area.

[Kathy_Harris]

My husband has one of those gadgets that sets off radar detectors. I once got someone to slow down and put their seat belt on. Another one almost skidded on the interstate, must have been going over 80.

[Pony99CA]

Why is the speed limit still 55 for most American roads? What is the speed limit on the moterways (i.e. the large multilane roads between large towns)? Here in the UK the limit is 70 mph, though you can usually get away with 77mph.
Speed limits were lowered pretty much nationwide in the 70s during the oil crisis. A few years ago, those limits were removed. (See my next posting, too.)

In California, many freeways are now 65 mph and those more than a certain distance from population centers are 70 mph.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

The Federal government doesn't control speed limits, states do, so you may get 50 different answers. :)

Technically, you're correct, but the federal government got around that.

In the oil crisis of the 70s, when they wanted speed limits lowered to 55, they couldn't mandate that. So why did almost all the speed limits go down to 55? Because the federal government threatened to cut federal highway money to states that didn't lower their speed limits.

I believe they also did this to get blood alcohol levels for DUI down to 0.08%. It's a big political game.

Steve

[ceek]

Great in theory, stupid in practice.

I looked up a few major interstate highways in Georgia, and all the data was months old. There's no incentive for people to report cops.. Who is going to waste their time?!

And what validation is there that the info is correct??

If this took off, the cops would simply log in, and add a bunch of false alerts, and finally, no one would trust the system.

Hey, more importantly, where is a good trafficAlert for the PPC?
I'm less concerned about speeding tickets, but getting stuck in traffic.

[Pony99CA]

Hey, more importantly, where is a good trafficAlert for the PPC?
I'm less concerned about speeding tickets, but getting stuck in traffic.

A Google search on "real-time traffic" turned up a number of hits. If you're in Georgia, you might be interested in Navigator (http://www.georgia-navigator.com/traffic/).

Using these in a car would of course require a wireless connection and manual refreshing, I think.

Steve