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Earth Day: Lower your carbon output (and blood pressure) with Roadify

RoadifyApp-200x300.pngIn this year's NYC Big Apps 2.0 competition, there was a lot at stake for the developers behind the 57 app submissions. Not only were they up for cash prizes, but the recognition of their efforts to leverage the city's data mine for the public good was certain to boost their profile in Silicon Alley, and possibly attract bigger investors (or customers!) to their offerings.

For the grand prize winner, Roadify, the increased awareness of their commuter-support platform means big improvements: more people participating and more/better data. The service, which depends on crowdsourced reporting of available parking spaces, bus positioning and subway arrivals along with public data on transit schedules and privately-sourced data on gas or garage pricing, becomes more useful as more users are sending in their information.

Roadify supports 'giving' and 'getting' parking spaces (or updating transit details) via SMS, but it's with the iPhone app that the service really shines. Users can share and check transit information, traffic conditions, gas pricing and more -- plus they can quickly find a parking spot in congested areas. Considering that New York City drivers sometimes find themselves circling and circling in the hopeless search for an open parking spot, any approach to cutting that time will save on gas, reduce pollution and make the Big Apple a happier place.

If you're a frequent or occasional NYC commuter, check out the free Roadify app; you can also watch the Roadify demo video in the continuation of this post.

Roadify video below.



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In this year's NYC Big Apps 2.0 competition, there was a lot at stake for the developers behind the 57 app submissions. Not only were...
 

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Trish

I think Roadify is the bee's knees. I started using their services (wow ... that sounds dirtier than I intended) before they had an app, when it was text-message based. I participated in a couple informal surveys with the guys running the company, and they absolutely listened to my feedback and have implemented some of my suggestions and comments into their app. Most of all, Roadify helps me figure out when my bus is arriving, so I don't have to waste my time at the bus stop.

April 23 2011 at 8:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jaap

I think like Gweedo does. I didn't always, but then I hadn't spent the many months comparing each side's arguments. And studying research. In the end, I found the sceptics' arguments far more intelligent and comprehensive; and uncorrupted by an industry worth billions. Oh and please, to accuse skeptics of favouring pollution is disingenuous. The opposite is true; without sound science we don't stand a chance of solving the myriad of environmental challenges we face.

April 23 2011 at 6:49 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to jaap's comment
Michael Rose

Which multi-billion-dollar industry would that be? And which side is uncorrupted? (Careful how you answer, Apple's doing well but Exxon Mobil is still the world's most successful company)

April 23 2011 at 8:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tonya Van Dijk

I think Roadify is great. It's another addition to a mobile software industry that's continuously growing.

One thing that's making this industry succeed is because of the "group". As author, Darrell Etherington, said, "a group-based app is likely to attract one more user for every individual it attracts, for instance, since users will want someone to use the app with". To know understand more why group-based apps are getting hot these days, take a look at this, http://crowdsourcing.org/l/724.

April 23 2011 at 6:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Matthew

Wow, I'm always shocked to see that there are still people out there who "think" like gweedo does. It's just willfull denial of fact. I'm sure the horse and buggy manufacturers of the past felt the same way.
So much for lowering blood pressure.

April 23 2011 at 10:07 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gweedo


Carbon Dioxide is emitted when we breathe, is critical for all plant life, and has a lower warming effect than water vapor-- also known as clouds. In other words, given that water vapor is a significant percentage of the atmosphere, while carbon dioxide is virtually non-existent by comparison, the focus on carbon dioxide is purely because it is a key controlling everyone.... not because it has any effect on the planets temperature (which is declining anyway.) Make it a form of "pollution" and you can regulate it, enslave the world.

People look back at the past and think of beliefs such as the flat earth theory or fear of witches as primitive and ignorant.

In the future, they will look back at this belief that CO2 is a threat in the same light.

April 22 2011 at 7:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Gweedo's comment
Michael Rose

So, just to be clear, you advocate for NYC drivers wasting time and gasoline by driving unnecessary miles/hours to find a parking spot? Or do you just think everyone should waste as much irreplaceable fossil fuel as possible?

Next time, how about reading the whole post instead of just the headline before you drop your ideologically slanted, science-denying opinion on us, mmmkay?

April 22 2011 at 8:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
midnightblues

The actual reason for the significance of CO2 is the wavelength of light affected. I don't recall the exact figures off the top of my head, so I won't muddy the issue with false data, but water vapor and CO2 block differing wavelengths of light. Essentially, if we have just one or the other, we should be fine.

But when they act in tandem with one another, the results of both are greatly magnified. Not only that, but increased CO2 levels also amplify Water vapor levels through positive feedback mechanisms. So, that's not good news either.

Cheers!

April 22 2011 at 8:36 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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