In-car computing is on the rise with offerings of entertainment, innovative voice-controlled directions and even social media. Some people will argue that social media in cars prove ineffective, but the experts are arguing that this phenomenon could very-well be the end of traffic jams.


Top 3 iPhone Apps to Combat Traffic through Social Networking


OnStar RemoteLink


OnStar RemoteLink iPhone app

OnStar will soon be offering a new platform that will allow drivers and passengers to update their social media networks. Facebook and Twitter users will soon be able to update their status messages as well as, Twitter feeds with their statuses being read aloud to them. Toyota Entune along with Ford’s Sync-based MyFord Touch system will provide in-car mobile applications with more friend-finding functions.

It appears that social media is invading cars at a high-rate of speed. This is fantastic news for the daily commuter and family travelers. This invasion entails more than the social media frenzy, it also entails added distractions for drivers. Even with the obvious distraction, one cannot deny the advantage of being offered a wealth of information with updated maps, directions and driving conditions. Social media applications can be used to collect tons of information that will prove useful while traveling.

Car dashboard services and mobile devices are becoming increasingly intertwined, and drivers are able to report traffic conditions to be verified, interpreted and distributed to other networks of drivers. For years now, Garmin GPS and TomToms have offered traffic reports but never in this innovative fashion. The data supplied by both these companies have been limited in traffic data, which serves merely as passable models, but they can in no way account for different variables. Social media can assist in providing insight into traffic conditions on all roads, not just the popular roads.

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Inrix


Inrix iPhone app

A program called Inrix provides analysis’ that go beyond typical data and weather conditions with providing traffic forecasts in five-day increments. The software factors in schedules, events and even school bus routes. Inrix has open communication with agencies such as the DOT (Department of Transportation) that makes sure that detours and street closings and more are reflected in the traffic data. Inrix has clients for iPhone and Android and licenses its data for platforms such as Ford’s Microsoft’s Sync who will be releasing their new technology called AppLink in the near future.


Waze


Waze iPhone app

Another great application is called Waze and has proved popular with over two-million registered users worldwide. These users have contributed approximately three-hundred minutes of data monthly. When the application is opened, Waze records speed and GPS with offering pictures to users that allow them to know severity of conditions on certain roads. Waze allows users to quickly flag police activity, detours and even accidents. The feedback is given with providing users power-ups for relaying information.

Current reporting systems rely heavily on road sensors that are overseen and monitored by the DOT. The systems also rely on traffic video feeds and reports by police. The sensors have overall served the public well but the fact is, they are stationary therefore, not proving as reliable as the new technology for cars.

Social media can provide a whole-new world for commuters and travelers. The goal is to smartly process the information while relaying it to other users. This not only gives hope for better trips and commutes; it shows that a new horizon is dawning for cars and technology which makes for an exciting time to drive a car, no matter your destination.
 
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