Some 17 years ago, Demetrius Thompson had the idea that mobile phones would 'beep' when cars exceeded a set speed, or were approaching traffic lights or schools.
But it didn't come to fruition until recently, with the almost ubiquitous use of the 'smart' phone, as well as developments in GPS mapping.
Now Thompson's Los Angeles-based company, Global Mobile Alert (GMA), started offering the app in the Android Market in the US on July 10. It sells for $54.99 for a year's subscription or $4.99 a month.
GPS is expected to be in 79.9 percent of all cell phones shipped in the US by the fourth quarter of 2011. That's up from 56.1 percent in the first quarter of 2009 and driven largely by smartphones.
The arrival of the app was also made possible because Navteq added US traffic lights to its extensive mapping system.
There's nothing to look at when the phone 'beeps'. It just acts as a warning that there's need for a little extra care ahead. BB
