The Map App I Want

[mik3cap]

I don't know if people really care about this sort of thing as much as I do... but as a New Yorker (and still a relatively new one, that may factor in) I find that I need to plan my trips around the city. Travel time on public transportation is an important variable to consider, as are schedules for said transportation options.

The thing is, even though applications like Google Maps allow you to make multiple "stops" on a trip, you still can't figure in the time you plan to spend at any particular stop. So for examples, let's say I'm going to run errands in Manhattan for a bit, then meet a friend for dinner, then need to hit the pet store in my neighborhood to get litter for my cat.

I want to be able to start my journey at a particular time and hit location A to make my first errand. I figure running that errand will take me 30 minutes - so I should be able to enter in that first stop, then add +30 to the arrival time to figure out when my start time is for the next leg of the journey, and that should then figure out the next best transportation option to location B based on the schedules. This feature of "added time" alone would make my life a bit easier. But let's also say that I'm scheduled to meet my friend at 5:00p.m. for dinner; wouldn't it be impressive for the application to figure out my current trajectory, and determine whether or not I'm going to be late, and then suggest sending a text message to my friend notifying them about my current position and revised ETA?

This too would be awesome.

Lastly, this application would also be alerting me when I'm spending too much time in one place - if I lose track of time while running an errand, it would be great to be reminded of when I need to catch the next transportation option. Or even whether or not it's still possible for me to make it home in time to get to the pet store before it closes; if I couldn't do that within the current calculations of time, maybe I'll go to a pet store in my current area that's still open instead.

All of this is within easy reach technologically. I want it.

Comments

[methanopyrus.livejournal.com]

www.trimet.org for Portland

I do like how it tells me the waiting and walking time during a trip door to door.
But it does not do multiple trips at once, or errands. I like your idea.

[mikecap.livejournal.com]

It always seems like people create apps and implement *some* features, but never everything. It's rare that an application gets taken to its apotheosis, and I think that has a lot to do with the nature of commercial software - if it doesn't make more money, it's not added to the product. It doesn't matter how much better it makes things for the user. This is why Google applications rarely achieve greatness.

I have a feeling that iPhone can change this. Because now a single developer or a really small team of developers can sell rich software for a rich device directly to other individuals. If I put my mind to it, I could totally make this app for iPhone.

[antryg-windrose.livejournal.com]

LOL I was just going to say. iphone has a GPS, it has ability to download maps, communicate wirelessly, send text messages and pop an alarm. Just integrate it all and you're rich.

[kaetaur13.livejournal.com]

sounds cool to me I could use it all the time. I am trippin through Boston everyday and if I could also time my trips and get an average of all of those times with a chart of which days for some trips are faster it slower that would rule.

[kitteridge.livejournal.com]

Whatever app becomes available will have to tap into the MTA system, because the thing that trips me up all the time are delays on the train, or rerouted expresses that become locals. Without that information, projection is always going to be a crapshoot.

Your life would significantly improve in terms of getting around if you didn't have to rely in the L. Just sayin'. :D