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Schedule info has screwed me multiple times. I’ve ended up missing the last bus on a route, standing in the rainsnow for 30 minutes without an umbrella, and walking a good 20 minutes along the route just to have something to do. All because I tried to relied on sources other than TransLink’s official schedule system - through both Google Transit and MyBus.

Now, it’s understandable that MyBus’s info may be off - they have to scrape TransLink’s website to get the times, and depending on if that system is working at all - it can really be off. That problem has to do with TransLink not making the info available for free to private developers.

But Google Transit should be a whole different story. TransLink worked side by side with Google engineers (AFAIK) to get the product off the ground, and all schedule information that is provided through GTransit is updated manually by TransLink. So here, when something is off it’s all TransLink’s fault.

With GTransit, I’ve encountered some problems. My regular stop features two routes - sometimes the routes times would be the opposite - meaning that the 320 I was told to catch at 4:50 is actually the 341, and the 320 came at 4:41. Sometimes, the map won’t even show any information at all! (I’m talking here about clicking on individual bus stops on the map, not creating travel info).

Today, I was searching up schedule information at all three places, and once again, I’m faced with three different scenarios. How the hell am I, as a transit rider, supposed to figure out when to even catch the friggin bus with a situation like this?!

MyBus:

TransLink’s NextBus:

Google Transit:

How many of you just absolutely *hate* TransLink’s PDF system? It’s just god awful, and I’m even on a Mac - which makes the situation slightly more bearable than on a PC. At least I don’t have to wait for the ridiculously slow Adobe Reader to load up before I can check out the transit information.

TransLink currently stores both schedules and maps on PDF. I have no reason why they haven’t embraced the new millennia and chosen a more accessible and easy to use format for this information, like the WMATA, ACTransit, or the MBTA.

Frankly, we already know their schedule information is available in a chart/table format (i.e. GTFS) - otherwise we wouldn’t have Google Transit for Vancouver (not that it even works anymore. They removed schedule information from it ever since they realized they weren’t the same times as the *actual* schedules. Something I encountered twice. Ugh). But this post isn’t about schedules.

This is about maps. Something that, really, beyond David’s cool project, you really can’t find any TransLink routes in a format other than PDF. Completely sucks right?

Well, I’ve got the perfect solution. I came across this great platform, Zoomify, which sucks in images, cuts them up, and along with a flash engine, puts them into an easy to use zoomable flash interface. Click the image below to use the example I did.

This is a perfect stopgap solution, until TransLink gets some cool Google Maps routes interface happening. All they have to do is transfer their PDFs to image files, throw them into Zoomify for a couple of minutes, then throw the new files up on their server.

So come on TransLink, why not?

I don’t even know how this makes the news. Damn old media is screwed up bad.

First off, just because Facebook growth is slowing compared to in previous months, and Nexopia is still growing at a steady pace, does not mean that people are switching.

You also ought to compare the number of users as well as the areas in which these users live. For example, I have heard that Piczo is huge in the Maritimes.

As anyone who knows the social networking industry would understand, you choose a site based on where your friends are - not features. Features only contribute to where people initially head, and can lead to an eventual switch. But, if 80% + of your friends are on MySpace, versus a handful on Orkut, you’ll use MySpace more often, and eventually attempt to convince the other 20% to switch.

Frankly, Nexopia is the has-been in social networking, at least in Vancouver. Everyone used it, then eventually switched almost a year ago. In terms of usage actually, Vancouver and Toronto are two of the three regions where Facebook is used the most - the third city is London. With a stranglehold on the area, it’s unlikely people will switch anytime soon, at least until there’s a site with cool enough features to warrant it.

Perhaps kids in Edmonton are still using Nexopia. But as far as I understand, most big cities in Canada have graciously embraced Facebook as their social network of choice - especially adults, one of the largest growing markets using the service.

Furthermore, teens *cannot* hide out in Nexopia. One of Facebook’s strengths is that it’s a closed platform: people cannot see your profile or almost any of your info; they have to be your friend for that access. And even then, you can limit who sees what. So the claim that teens are using Nexopia to hide from their parents on Facebook makes absolutely no sense.

And as for worlds colliding, just because your parents or other family add you, doesn’t mean you have to accept them. Smart parents would understand there needs to be some distance between them and their kids and won’t be too upset over it.

Misty Harris: You are one poor journalist.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, Metro Vancouver is currently renewing the Livable Region Strategic Plan (which developed the concept of town centres in a “sea of green”). This new Regional Growth Strategy is to focus on five main goals:

1. A sustainable compact metropolitan structure
2. Diverse and affordable housing choices
3. A strong diverse regional economy
4. Protect and enhance the region’s natural assets
5. A sustainable transportation system

Metro has embraced the web as a powerful communications platform by not only creating an online discussion forum, and posting the draft plan’s survey on it’s site, but has also allowed the results of said survey to be viewed in real time. Which is pretty cool stuff for a governmental organization. This “real time” view gives us a pretty good idea of what the public wants, and as of now, it’s clear they want some big change.

Metro’s problem has also been a lack of control over the region. In the survey, there was generally three to four options, ranging on a scale of Metro retaining it’s current powers, to giving it the abilities to override a municipality in certain cases.

For example, with “Strategy 10 - Advance a regional network of roads and highways that prioritizes goods movement, transit operations and high-occupancy vehicles”, there’s three options, progressively giving Metro more power:

• A) State the general Strategy to prioritize the movement of goods, transit and HOVs in the regional network of roads and highways
• B) Identify regional roads and highways network on a regional map and state general principles for prioritizing
• C) Identify a regional roads and highways network on a regional map as well as provide guidelines for prioritizing use

Surprisingly enough, each and every strategy is overwhelmingly choosing the “C” option, or the one with the most added power for Metro. It’s not clear how many people have taken the survey, but judging by the many written comments viewable on the site, it’s quite evident there’s a good sampling source. Does the public’s approval of more power mean big changes coming forth for Metro Vancouver?

CBC RadioOne has been trying to shift to the FM dial for over 10 years now, and the opportunity has finally come up. But, to make it a reality, the CRTC requires over 300 handwritten support letters. With this in mind, the CBC is asking for your help to send in a message within the next two weeks before comments deadline on January 23rd. Final decision occurs on February 26th.CBC RadioOne brings us several great radio programs including the ever-popular Early Edition, On the Coast, and of course Quirks and Quarks. Surprisingly enough, Vancouver is the only city in the country where RadioOne is not available on FM.FM provides users with way better reception and audio quality. FM also has a far larger userbase than AM (and has for a *long* time now).So come on, help out the only news service with any journalistic integrity these days in Canada. Here’s how:

Electronic Interventions/Comments Form

• By using the electronic interventions/comments form located on the CRTC’s website under Public Proceedings. 
• Go directly to the form on the CRTC website and send your comments click here and click on the button #2007-18.
• Then, check the box beside #200714239 (in the list, this is the second CBC application) and go to the bottom of the page and select next.
• Follow the instructions to complete your letter of support.
• And please remember to also copy CBC on your e-mail at REGULATORYAFFAIRS@CBC.CA

Fax

• Or fax your comments to: The CRTC Secretary General at 819-994-0218, copying CBC Regulatory Affairs at 613-288-6257, and referencing Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2007-18.

Mail

• Or mail your comments to: CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, copying CBC at Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs, CBC/Radio-Canada, P.O. Box 3220, Station C, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 1E4, and referencing Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2007-18.

There aren’t very many transportation writers in the regional mainstream media, but of the few out there, I doubt there is one any more concise or on the ball than Jeff Nagel. It’s rather unfortunate that his writing is currently relegated to local community newspapers, but I suppose that’s how the cookie crumbles in old media.

Jeff brought my attention to something I had absolutely no clue was in the pipeline for TransLink: a premium, regional express coach system. Yes, similar to the idea I floated about a week ago, where everyone admitted that the concept of express services are highly attractive, especially with services such as comfortable coaches.

The West Coast Express train service is the least subsidized transit service in the region (SkyTrain actually makes money), recovering about 90% of it’s costs. Unfortunately, due to rail contract limitations, I assume, service only operates five trains in the morning, and five at night. Not the most convenient thing if you don’t follow a strict 9-5 schedule.

So, TrainBus service was introduced a number of years ago. It supplements the train, providing express coach service in the early morning, afternoon, early evening, and nighttime.

Anyways, the rather faulty research and statistics of current WCE riders (which I’ll attack in another post) is apparently convincing TransLink pursue an expansion of West Coast Express from a local brand to a regional one. This would be the type of transit that would allow people in Abbotsford or Chilliwack to get directly to Downtown, quickly and comfortably.

Consultants are set to examine four potential routes:

• White Rock/South Surrey to Downtown
• Ladner/Tsawwassen to Downtown
• Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish to Downtown
• Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission to Surrey, Coquitlam or Downtown

As part of a premium brand, the consultants will look into including some of these features:

• High quality including smooth ride, comfortable seat, lots of leg room
• On-board amenities such as electric plug-ins, fold out trays, headphones, washrooms, reclining seats, coffee and newspapers, A/C and heating, individual reading lights
• Seat specific reservations
• On board storage areas such as luggage racks, overhead compartments, or bike racks
• Premium stations including inside heated waiting area, real time arrival/departure information, Wi-Fi, coffee shop, newspaper/magazine vendor, etc.
• Park and rides with reserved spaces
• Enhanced security at stations and on board including cameras, telephones, etc.
• Guaranteed ride home insurance for missed or full buses - potentially allowing customers to take a taxi home

While this is a premium service, estimated prices really aren’t all that bad:

• Mission to Downtown: $11.25
• TriCities to Downtown: $6.25
• Whistler to Downtown: $20
• Squamish to Downtown: $11.25
• Abbotsford to Downtown: $12
• Chilliwack to Downtown: $20
• Ladner to Downtown: $6.75
• Tsawwassen to Downtown: $6.75
• White Rock to Downtown: $8.25

I have to admit, this is the type of system I’ve dreamed about. I mean, yes, prices are a premium. But when you consider a three zone adult fare is now $5, an extra 2 or 3 bucks for this service is *so* worth it. Consider what you get:

An express coach service, with comfy seats, plenty of on board “premium” amenities, indoor stations with real time information, WiFi, and food/coffee. I really don’t think you can get much better than this.

And because it’s not going to take the leasing of expensive private rail tracks, I assume such a service wouldn’t cost all that much to provide. Frankly the premium price would likely pay for the service after a short while. They’d just need to buy the coaches, maybe some minimal land, design the stations, and you’re good to go.

I actually got a one day lift ticket for Whistler during Christmas, but there’s actually very few options to get there from Vancouver without a car. An high class touristy train only runs during spring, and the private coach service, which only runs two times a day, is already costly at $25 one way.

I also find it interesting how this could be a way around the Canada Line contract agreement whereby TransLink had to divert all current express coaches (not a premium service, but those yellow buses) to Bridgeport Station. See, considering it would a be a premium brand, this wouldn’t be under the contract. And I think if people in Coquitlam are willing to pay a slight premium for an express service downtown, people from Ladner, Tsawwassen, and White Rock certainly will.

Whether it’s to Whistler, Chilliwack, or just White Rock, I definitely see a market for TransLink here, especially with their expanded territories. We desperately need region wide express transit options here, and our little SkyTrain network just doesn’t cut it at the moment. I think such a service would be very popular, even with the premium price, and I could easily see new lines being developed for routes to the ferry terminals, to the airport from the Valley, or even going up to Mount Seymour or Cypress. I’m very intrigued to see where this goes.

GPS is a pretty cool system, especially having it available to the public instead of reserved for industry or governments. It has a ton of applications, with just a few examples off the top of my head:

• tracking a package in real time
• navigation during travels on the road, the ground, or the water
• tracking a bus in real time to help with connections
• geocoding photos

I’ve used an in-car GPS once in a rental car, which worked okay. But for Christmas, my Dad bought a famed TomTom, which I got to play around with today.

My main qualm with GPS has been it’s slow market penetration. The economies of scale have not exactly taken place, and it’s due to having a very fluid and expansive market with crappy products. When I say expansive market, I mean all the manufacturer’s products are so different and incorporate so many variables that it’s difficult for the consumer to easily choose between one or the other.

For example, some products require a subscription, some rely on expensive map upgrades, while others are just very expensive from the get go. Some are mobile, some are in car - some have expansion capabilities, some can play MP3s, some have Bluetooth, etc! It’s almost as bad as the cell phone industry, except less people need a GPS as much as they need a phone.

And yes, the products themselves are cool. But they sure aren’t easy to use for your regular Joe. Let alone being pretty. This is all about user experience and it’s something that Apple has been forcing the tech industry to raise the bar in every year since it’s inception. It’s about creating a product that’s not only easy to use, but fun too! Most GPS fail miserably on this mark.

The TomTom is apparently one of the best in this regard. And while I give it props compared to others I’ve seen, it still wasn’t that great. Yes, it had a nice menu system and UI overall, in a small portable touchscreen piece of hardware, but it’s maps really sucked. And the maps are the single most important thing in a GPS! (It also had some bad lag, making me think the engineers should improve system efficiency or throw in a faster processor).

So, to fix the UI problem, I figured the GPS market should follow the PC market - where multiple manufacturers create a bunch of hardware, while a few players create some nice software. If the biggest problem is maps, then why not get some main players in there who have some experience with maps: Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. Then, people have a recognizable, easy to navigate mapping interface for both their portable GPS needs and online maps via the web.

Google has already worked on adapting their maps to an in-car GPS, so it wouldn’t be hard to expand from there. This would open up new sources of revenue for the big three, just like how Microsoft gets a cut for providing the OS for most PCs. It would also improve the interface and overall experience for GPS users, driving demand, and lowering prices.

It’s time to take the next step in GPS.

It was frustrating enough to see TransLink waste 1 million dollars on iMove, but it makes it ten times worse seeing them refuse to improve the site, especially after promising improvements down the line. I’ve known about iMove for nearly half a year now, with absolutely no major fixes to the site in that time.

I’ve checked into the site every once in a while, and from what I can tell, it’s never updated with any real time crashes or incidents (it’s main purpose). Looking at it right now, it shows a bunch of “incidents” from November or early December. The site also refuses to make the proper distinction between “construction” and an “incident” - most have a triangle, but one uses a cone…

I’m also interested in seeing if that real time traffic overlay actually works. And why do they have it for the Massey Tunnel and Highway 1 near the Second Narrows, but not for the Lion’s Gate (especially when that bridge has the technology in place, viewable on this site)?

That’s without mentioning the ugly interface, an area where absolutely no fixes have been seen. What’s going on with iMove?

Gord Price linked to a recent hidden post on Google Earth’s official forums by Graeme Brown, a staff member at the famous TransLink. Graeme recently created a very cool visualization, merging the mapping data of Google Earth with TransLink’s new automatic passenger count systems. This transforms the static passenger load data into a new visual experience, giving this whole new spatial sense when viewing the stats.

It’s very cool to see that there are some innovative staff at TransLink like Graeme working on these types of projects. If anymore of this kind of stuff is being worked on behind the scenes, it would be a huge boost to TransLink’s rep to making it all public. I’d also love to see these visuals being made for many of the popular routes, or at least the passenger info being available for independent developers to create and expand on projects like this. Good job Graeme!

This is part 2 in a series discussing how the digital revolution is currently reshaping society. Don’t know what’s going on? Go back: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

This is the post I’ve been building up to all series and the only one that actually relates to the title. I’ve spoken about the Internet as software, Computers as hardware, economies of scale and barriers to entry, the OLPC project, and more. Well, we’re finally going to delve into digital kids.

The Internet is already cheap enough for most to afford it and prices will continue to go down, even as speeds go up. There’s also some innovation going around in the field, from mesh Wi-Fi to WiMax, as the industry attempts to provide connection for the last mile (aka: people out in the boonies). And as I mentioned in Part 4, the OLPC has created a whole new market of hundred dollar computers, finally breaking any barriers to entry for hardware. It has also enabled computer access for millions of children in developing nations, and has the possibility to provide all children in the 6 to 12 market with their own personal computers, something new for the Western World. Up until now, personal computers are generally obtained in the teenage years.

But, obviously, there’s more to technology and the digital world then just computers.

And this is where it begins to get very interesting, beyond the question “what would happen if every child in the world had a personal computer?”

I was doing some research on children’s gifts earlier this month, and found two lists, both of which outlined a number of tech toys designed for the children’s market. Here’s some that caught my eye:

• Digital Cameras: Fisher Price, National Geographic, Polaroid, and VTech are all producing kid friendly digital cameras with simplified controls but surprisingly good quality, with up to 3 megapixels! Pricing is between $50 and $70 dollars, cheap enough to replace if the camera gets wrecked.
• Cell Phones: There’s two main options up here in Canada - Migo, by Telus (and Verizon down south) and Firefly, by Rogers (and Cingular down south). In the States, there’s also the Tictalk by Leapfrog, and Disney has been venturing in this space. Basically, it’s a very simplified phone with the ability to call a handful of programmable numbers, along with a 911 direct button. Some are even GPS capable!
• AI Robots: These have existed for a bit now, starting with that darned Furby and the Poo-Chi robot dog. The toys available today, such as the Pleo, are more advanced than the animatronics at Disneyland! It features “organic movements and adaptable behaviours”, making it seem way more lifelike than your grandpa’s robot. In fact, the Pleo is said to learn from it’s experiences…
• Virtual Worlds: *You* may know Second Life, but children today live and play in two extremely popular virtual worlds: Webkinz and Club Penguin. Webkinz has the child purchase a real life plush animal, which features a code enabling them to create a whole house for this pet online and participate in a larger world filled with games. Similarly, but without the plush component, Club Penguin, recently purchased by Disney, is your kids MMO. For a cheap fee, kids can have their own penguin and roam around this online world playing games and talking (with minor restrictions) to other players.
  
• Digital Video Cameras: Polaroid has released a video companion to it’s kids digital camera, the Pixie. It features 640×800 resolution, a 1.5″ pop-out screen, and expandable SD memory. All for $80!
• MP3 Players: SanDisk is the first to enter this market with a digital music player designed from the ground up for children: the Shaker! It has a built-in speaker, two headphones jacks, and is as small as a salt shaker. Just load an SD card with MP3s, and pop it into the player. Price? Only $30!

Aren’t you amazed at the cool tech gadgets that are being created for this emerging market? I mean, this technology is barely five years old and is not only available for so bloody cheap, but is also being designed specifically for children.

There is bound to be *huge* aftereffects of giving kids these technologies at such a young age, most of which I see as being good. The worst part is the gadgets might get lost or wrecked, but then they are so cheap anyways it’s not really a big deal.

These are pretty big things: digital cameras, virtual MMOs, intelligent robots, cell phones… All available from age six! I can only imagine the cool things I could’ve created if I had this type of technological access from such an early age.

Just envision giving a kid a digital camera at 7. This child can just go around taking thousands of pictures of everything around him. Over the years he can improve and perfect his photographic skills. I wonder how advanced he will be by 11… by 20…

What about the communication and web skills kids are learning at this young age by participating in these virtual worlds? No longer are they jumping in at 13 or 14, in the prime of their teens, wanting to rage against the machine. These are children just beginning to learn respect, manners, and reasonable limits. Does this mean that, now that they have prior experience with the Internet before the tumultuous teen years, the web will be a nicer place? Maybe, thanks to the resources on the web and having the skills to access them, these kids will know where to turn when something is getting them down…

The Millennials are kids that were born after 2000 into a digital world. Today, there are absolutely no barriers of entry to the digital market, even at age 5, no matter what your income bracket! Will our brains rewire into multitasking, super networking organic machines? The effects are boundless, and I for one am genuinely exciting at finding out how it all unravels.