New gadget put on mobile phone beats speed cameras

• Free iTunes software download
• Suits iPhone and Blackberry
• Helps keep motorists in check

AUSTRALIAN motorists can now get legal mobile and fixed speed camera and red-light camera alerts on their phones.

Wikango 2.2 software is now available as a free download from iTunes. It joins Trapster software, which is suitable for iPhone and Blackberry.

Both software programs allow users to share information about speed traps and receive warnings as they approach them.

Wikango 2.2 is produced by AlerteGPS which makes dedicated GPS units.

Doug Lloyd, managing director of Next Destination, the Australian distributor for AlerteGPS, says the iPhone application will make motorists safer and more aware.

"The more information a driver has about the locations of these cameras - and there are a lot - the more they will stay within the speed limit," he says.

"You really can't drive very far without being alerted about a fixed speed camera or a location where there has been a mobile speed camera.

"With mobile cameras you never know if they are there or not, so the net result is you always keep to the speed limit."

Lloyd says the idea of offering the application for free on iPhone is to attract drivers to their GPS products.

"As the iPhone is a trend setter, the app will appeal to people with a technology interest who will get a taste of the benefits of knowing where speed cameras are located and hopefully will them move to the dedicated products produced by AlerteGPS," he says.

The iPhone application provides only fixed and mobile speed camera and red-light camera data and not the school zone, railway crossings, black spots and speed zone features of dedicated GPS products.

"The idea is to migrate iPhone app users to towards the dedicated unit," Lloyd says.

"It's also unlikely that iPhone users will run their phones all the time while driving with the GPS and app running as this could run up extra costs with their phone company provider."

He says the benefit for AlerteGPS is that iPhone users running the application will collect new camera location positions which will immediately be added to the company's GPS database.

Lloyd says software which gives locations of speed cameras has been available for some time and has not attracted any negative response from police.

The Wikango 2.2 App has already clocked up more than 700,000 users around the world.

My Critique:

In my opinion, the Wikango 2.2 software made by AlerteGPS should be given a note as it involve a brilliant idea with great practical way to achieve the aim of reducing the road accident. Kudos should be given to the company who create the program who really understand the strength of using Iphone and Blackberry as a medium to install the program. I believe the influence of Iphone and blackberry on society will encourage more people to install the program in order to protect their life and others as well.