Technology and You

Scientists in UK claim to have effectively solved the traffic jam problem. Their simulations show situations where traffic slows to a crawl with their being no real obstructions in the road. From this press release from the University of Exeter:

The team developed a mathematical model to show the impact of unexpected events such as a lorry pulling out of its lane on a dual carriageway. Their model revealed that slowing down below a critical speed when reacting to such an event, a driver would force the car behind to slow down further and the next car back to reduce its speed further still. The result of this is that several miles back, cars would finally grind to a halt, with drivers oblivious to the reason for their delay.

More importantly:

When you tap your brake, the traffic may come to a full stand-still several miles behind you. It really matters how hard you brake - a slight braking from a driver who has identified a problem early will allow the traffic flow to remain smooth. Heavier braking, usually caused by a driver reacting late to a problem, can affect traffic flow for many miles.

What's surprising is that UK which has such a well-managed transport system has researchers optimizing it. I wish someone in India could do the same. I don't even need Google Map Traffic to know that most of Delhi's (only for example, the situation is the same across most metros) roads are clogged everyday during rush hours.

Bear with me as I offload some of my frustration after another endevour across Delhi roads. Now, I know that driving home after a hard day's job is a daunting task. If possible, try practicing these trips the next time you are in a traffic jam:

• Prepare ahead - You know how much time it takes going down that road every day. Compensate for the time. Try leaving before or after the rush hour. Let people at home know that you are going to be late so that you don't have to rush.
• Choose your car wisely - You spend up to four hours in it every day. Go the extra mile and choose one that you love and enjoy being in.
• Make it comfortable - Dish out the moolah to get comfortable seat covers (and a neck support if you like it). Find the angle that you are comfortable sitting in. Spring for a state-of-the-art music system. Buy/burn music that you like and keep a collection of feelgood music handy. This will ensure that you remain entertained along the way and are not quick to loose temper. Trust me, it's worth the extra money. I'll be glad to offer suggestions.
• Try forming a car pool - And not just because you'll save petrol. Hopefully, you'll find someone interesting to speak to during the way.
• Try different ways of going home - Maybe, you'll enjoy a change in the scenery/buildings.
• Keep your cool - Feeling too tired? Stop at a coffee shop on the way and reload on caffiene.
• Don't make sudden changes in your driving pattern - Comes directly from the advice of the scientists in UK. Makes for a better drive and avoids traffic jams. Also, try to anticipate changes that others make and gradually adjust your driving.Be compassionate - Let ambulances and police cars through.
• DRIVE IN YOUR LANE - If there is one thing that you should take home, it's this. Changing lanes does not help. Movement of traffic is usually cyclical. Unless you are stuck in a lane for a long time while other lanes keep on moving (implying that there is an obstruction in your lane) try being patriotic to your lane for a change. More often than not, you will notice that just after changing your lane, traffic appears to advance in the lane you were in. Also, if the person in front of you stops to take a turn - wait! It's easier, and less disrupting than forcing yourself into another lane and becoming a public nuisance.
• Smile - Last but not the least. Smile condescendingly at people becoming public nuisances. Smile at someone who gave you a chance to enter a lane to know that they are appreciated. Even smile at the cabbie who butted into your lane. He might be having a bad day.

End of rant. Anything that you would like to add? Leave a comment.

Another gadget that has caught my fancy of late. Digital photo frames let you display slideshows of your digital photographs. You can just pop-in your camera's SD card, store photos in the internal memory - some models even let you connect to your Picasa/Flickr account through WiFi and stream your photo-album. You can even play movies and MP3 songs. NYTimes created a comprehensive feature comparison chart here that you can choose to select which one is best for you.



Very convenient, very stylish - they look just like contemporary photo-frames. They're available on Ebay India now, though I have not seen it at any retailer. I think it'll make for a great gift too.

So my prediction does come true, albeit, not entirely. Almost two years back I had written about why Google should acquire Goowy. According to TechCrunch, AOL acquired Goowy on Monday, February 4, 2007. It seems that Microsoft's bid to takeover Yahoo has caused some stirring in the market, as a lagging AOL seeks to add some bling to its suite of services.

Goowy is a flash-based "online operating system" if you will - giving you access to basic apps (like email, messaging, online storage, etc.) with a personalized interface wherever and however you login. This basically meant that as long as you had a Flash player installed, you could login from whatever browser and platform, and you'd always get a familiar interface. The webmail is not a pushover either. Goowy's email app provides features that were similar to Yahoo's beta interface (drag-and-drop, etc.) and was launched much before the latter.

Back then when I reviewed it, I was quite impressed with Goowy. Will Goowy die a slow death just like Netscape, which was acquired by AOL and subsequently axed? Or will Goowy bring AOL back into the limelight? Only time will tell. What do you think?

EDIT: Thanks to David for pointing out that Winamp is alive and kicking. It went through a slump in 2003-2004 (as reported in these articles), but since the release of version 5 has regained its share in the limelight. I'm happy - Winamp was my first music player too :)