Jul 03, 2007
A new era is born in computer-assisted time management. Using a popular calendar application such as Microsoft Outlook, users no longer have to place "Oops Im late!" calls to peers and/or bosses. The software does it for you by calculating the distance between your location and destination, and notifying designated contacts if you are running late.
Oops Im Late! is a unique application that does not require entering coordinates. The program does it for you, integrating GPS into existing appointment information. The result: No more frantic "Im late" emails or text messages for the user, and an appreciated status report for the waiting parties.
Oops Im Late! solves the age-old problem of keep in touch with someone while traveling. Up until the last 100 years, communication based upon arrival was dependent upon ship communications that could took months or years if the boat ever arrived at all. In the last 20 years, cell phone advances have caused many people to talk while driving and eating, sometimes all three at once. Oops Im Late! makes the notifications you want instantly, effortlessly and transparently.
Oops Im Late! utilizes a Creative Commons-licensed formula found at Lateology.com. The open-source formula calculates ETA by dividing distance by rate, taking into account the current time, GPS location and appointment location. The user receives a 30-second countdown warning if s/he misses the scheduled arrival time; unless disabled, Oops Im Late! will notify specified contacts that s/hell be late.
Geocoding (or converting a street address into latitude and longitude coordinates) is provided by another open source service called Geonames.org. Once a user has geocoded the location for where they need to go, they no longer need to be connected to the Internet.
Designated individuals are notified in the manner each are set. Currently supported are SMS text messages and email, as well as automatically phoning a default contact (professional version only). Air charges may apply based upon each users subscriber agreement with their mobile operator.
The Oops Im Late! major use case is for familiar locations such as regular engagements, trips to the store, and so on. Scenarios include:
- Weekly meeting at distant location with variable start time
- On way to location during traffic on freeway
- Long trips with an unknown amount of starts and stops (think trip to the country/city)
- Dates, business meetings, special occasions
- Any travel that requires occasional contact as to ETA
- Failsafes: No notification if the GPS is lost, no false positive "lates"
Oops Im Late! runs $69.99 for the Standard edition and $99.99 for the Professional edition.
Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/07-02-2007/0004619210&EDATE=
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