Early Adopter News: March 2009

Welcome to the inaugural Early Adopter News.

Since launching our community-based traffic-information system in November 2008, we’ve had more than 4,000 people download the free software. The

UC Berkeley-Nokia team has been studying what works, what doesn’t, and how drivers use (or don’t use) the system.

Early Adopter News will be published periodically, when the research team has information we feel will be valuable to current and potential Early Adopters.

NEW VERSION RELEASING TODAY!

On Tuesday, March 10, the research team is releasing an updated, improved version of the free Traffic Pilot software. We are very excited about the new version. It responds faster, caches tiles, makes specific improvements for the BlackBerry Pearl and Curve models, and includes a host of other usability enhancements.

If you are an existing Traffic Pilot user, you will be prompted to download and install the update the next time you start the application.  The new version is a significant improvement, so the old version will be phased out fairly quickly.

We are also working hard on software that allows additional phone models to access the traffic system. If you have been waiting to see if your phone will be added, stay tuned for announcements! If you sent us comments about how the Traffic Pilot is working, thank you. Those comments helped our development efforts.

VERSION CONTROL

Some FAQ:

Where can I find the version number I am currently running?

When you launch the Traffic Pilot from your applications folder, the version number is in the upper right-hand corner of the Traffic Pilot loading screen with the yellow diamond sign. It begins with a lowercase “v.” The version number on the March 10 update is v1.2.1. The previous version is v1.0.4.

How will I know when I can get an updated version?

As with today’s update, if you are a current Traffic Pilot user, whenever we release a new version you will be prompted to download and install the update when you start the application.

In addition, you can receive updates on the website by going to the left-navigation tab “Update My Software.” Just sign up again to have the latest version sent right to your phone.

BATTERY SAVING TIPS

The Traffic Pilot application consumes a lot of battery power. Here are some tips to extend your battery life:

  • When using the Traffic Pilot in the car, keep your phone plugged into the car charger.
  • Exit the program when you arrive at your destination (call up Options/scrolldown to Exit).
  • Always keep your phone fully charged. The GPS signal loads much faster with a full charge.

Finally, remember that the more people who use the system, the better it will work, so be a part of “the cloud” that makes user-generated content possible: use the Traffic Pilot every time you travel by car.

Early Adopter News topics are derived from project activity and user feedback. Please continue to send your comments and questions to pilotfeedback@calccit.org. The online forum has been discontinued.