Archive for the ‘Traffic’ Category

New study shows how traffic reporting effects news

Beat the Traffic and Kovsky & Miller Research has released a new study that details how newscasts content is effected by traffic reporting:

TV stations in the study spent nearly 10% of their newscast content time making viewers aware of morning traffic conditions and hazards. Stations using Beat the Traffic technology covered 25% more topics like accidents, road conditions, and visibility despite spending nearly 17% less time on traffic reports. Thus Beat the Traffic stations were 46% more efficient in keeping a broad audience informed of impending auto transportation problems.

Greater use of maps was responsible for the breath of coverage and effective time usage advantages at Beat the Traffic stations. These stations spent nearly 23% more time than its competitors giving traffic information via various map displays.

Beat the Traffic launches BlackBerry App

Earlier this year we covered some of Beat the Traffic’s new innovations for television stations, now Beat the Traffic has introduced an App to make everyone’s commute faster than ever.

The Beat the Traffic App for BlackBerry provides live traffic maps, showing traffic speeds and incidents on major routes for more than 100 cities in the USA and Canada.

Live traffic cameras are accessible in 33 cities: New York City, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Toronto, Phoenix, Seattle, San Bernardino, Minneapolis, Denver, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Providence, Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Hartford, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Raleigh-Durham, Tucson, Fresno, New Haven, Omaha, Bakersfield, Boise, Chattanooga, Redding, Macon, Beaverton.

(more…)

Beat the Traffic featured in Discovery Channel documentary

Read more coverage of Beat the Traffic here.

NewscastStudio@NAB: Sunday Photos

Wii! NewscastStudio takes Beat the Traffic’s video game control for a spin

I’ll admit I was skeptical about how well Beat the Traffic’s Wii remote technology would work, especially considering my lack of eye-hand coordination and general video-gaming skills.

But, after a short introduction from the company’s CEO and founder Andrew Gueziec, I was zooming around a virtual map of Seattle with relative ease (and after just a few minutes of practice).

Beat the Traffic translates the user’s broad sweeping movements and hand rotations into smooth movement on the traffic system’s 3D renderings. The built-in vibration feature of the controller provides a subtle signal that you’ve hovered over a clickable data point with either a live camera flyout or detailed incident information.

The demo’s layout also mimicked a control key wall set up and I made a point to use test the Wii controller with my back to the meeting room’s large projection screen facing forward. Even without the benefit of monitors on either side or in front of me, the device was still easy to use. (more…)

Beat the Traffic takes viewers on a ride with Wii controller

Beat the Traffic has added an innovative new feature to its traffic reporting offerings — the use of the Wii video game console controller as an alternative to the typical garage door opener-style devices used by on-air talent.

Beat the Traffic combines this new offering, which is currently in initial testing at about ten stations, with its high-quality maps and 3D graphics.

Traffic information is key at this time, says Joseph J. Coscia, Beat the Traffic’s spokesperson, because the current economic climate means saving time in traffic translates to using less gas and being more productive. (more…)