Real time information

Real time information

How do people use real time information?

The internet now is becoming a dominant figure for obtaining information and obtaining real time information is no different. People use real time information to check:

1)       Weather reports

2)      Travel reports

3)      Cinema and theatre booking

4)      Travel booking

5)      News services

6)      Tracking devices for public transport.

Weather

Weather reports are used via a satellite to display real time information about the current weather in each country, city and town.  Weather reports on the internet are usually very detailed on what the weather at that time actually is going to be, types of pressure low/high, the current/predicted temperature. Each weather report is updated all the time so we should constantly look at the different updated reports as the weather changes as we can’t be sure of what the weather is actually producing without comparisons. Having access to weather reports allows a person who is planning on travelling to forward think allowing time for possible traffic delays. But it is not just through using a computer or a laptop to access online weather reports we can now use smart phones e.g. blackberry’s to access the internet to view weather reports which are intantainsly updated. When you consider that the mobile phone seems to be part of human culture now, having the ability to access the internet and through that weather reports is that now causing computers to reach their cell-by date?

Advantages of weather reports online

1) We can now access the internet not only through the use of a computer but also through smart phones and other mobile devices that allow internet access. When you consider how much our mobile phone affect our lives having that ability to access the internet and then having an application that allows us to view weather reports is making the internet more versatile than ever.

2) What makes accessing weather reports through a smart phone like blackberry better than accessing the data through a computer/laptop is with a computer/laptop you have to be part of a Wi-Fi connection with in some places is free and other a fee is applied. You could look at that as a disadvantage with it is but the thing with accessing the weather through a smart phone is Wi-Fi isn’t applied it requires an internet subscription and downloading the application which can be used anywhere and anytime.

3) Sometimes when you try and access weather reports through broadband connection/modems interactive servers are down meaning you can’t access the data. But with a smart phone that is significantly reduced meaning we can access the data even in bad weather conditions.

4) But the best advantage is the weather reports are constantly updating so this is more reliable than going on just one report so if a person is planning on travelling than can allow sufficient time to travel depending on the weather. I looked at the weather for Tel-Aviv in Israel to see if the weather reports actually were updated, it turns out that it does, if you look at Monday’s weather, on Friday when I looked at it said sunny intervals but today it says showers. Last updated at 10:45, Sunday 25 September

 5) The weather reports aren’t just about what the type of weather is, it also tells us what the temperature is an advantage in that case is whether a sports fixture like cricket can be played for that day so it allows us to plan day to day activities by knowing this information.

 Evidence that the weather reports online show not only what the weather is actually going to be also includes the temperature, wind speed and pressure.

Disadvantages of weather reports

1) To access the weather reports online we have to have broadband which includes quite an expensive cost to us or even if we have a smart phone that allows internet access we have to download a weather application that costs and the internet access is going to have a cost. And the worst of that disadvantage is international costs for data rooming because Watchdog did a report on data roaming and the people who were surveyed only spent an average of 30 minutes connected to the internet. Why’s that a problem? Well because in the case of accessing weather reports it constantly updates with a lot of megabyte updates being applied without us even knowing which causes high phone bill costs equivalent to thousands of pounds.

Here the independent has a story summing up the charges http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/eu-announces-crackdown-on-data-roaming-costs-2307737.html

2) Because the reports are updating all the time it means we have to continuously view the updated reports from time to time which causes us in some cases to stop our day to day activities to look at the weather reports meaning a lot of time is spent viewing the updates.

3) One major disadvantages of online weather report is we can’t trust the source entirely just because for example the BBC says it’s going to rain it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s going to happen. The only way we can get a reliable forecast is by comparing forecasts from different sources but that takes time and something from trying to find out a weather report to comparing sources is a big step and is relatively inconvenient for a person.

4) Also if a weather report is inaccurate it presents a very difficult scenario for example if the forecast for one day is snow a person may stay at home because it may not be possible to get out of their property, and the next day the weather is sunny then the person is losing money.

 What do I use online weather reports for?

I use the online weather reports because the internet is very broad I can compare reports to other reports to get a more reliable forecast which is better as I can plan a day better than going on one report. My experiences of using online reports initially were very confusing as a novice in understanding pressure for example online reports aren’t very helpful to understanding this so that in itself is a problem for anyone new to using online weather reports, it is best to note that at times the reports can be very complex and difficult to understand so I would recommend doing some background reading on understanding how the online reports function.

The internet as a whole for online reports

The internet is very broad in its sources so an internet user can expect to find a variety of weather sources to get a forecast so the internet isn’t providing limitations on its sources only that the internet costs to access it, especially abroad where the costs are more unless you sign up for a data roaming cap which is available from most mobile manufactures.

Online booking services

Online booking is now the more convenient way to book tickets for events or even travelling either via train, plane or even taxis. By having the ability to book tickets online rather than going to a nearby kiosk it creates a more relaxed environment for the user by they can put there on music on while booking. Also when booking for tickets there are no queues meaning it is quick for the user to book the tickets and saves time for doing other activities which in an age where we’re encouraged to adopt a healthy active lifestyle this way is promoting a more time efficient way and allows time for more exercise in our lifestyle’s. The online booking service is basically a series of stages through an application to book tickets for an event or booking for public transport. Most major companies have now adopted this way of buying for tickets to make this easier for customers to enjoy their experience.   Requiring a lot of stages before the purchase of the tickets is confirmed.


 Picture shows Eurostar's long stages of booking for a train online

Advantages of online booking

1) This method of buying tickets is relatively quick compared to actually having to buy via the company at their ticket office. As this method is quicker it is going to encourage repeat business from that customer as the customer service was good and efficient.

2) By buying online a more relaxed environment is created for the customer meaning they can buy the tickets with their own music on in the comfort of their own home. If the customer is in a better environment they are more likely to buy the tickets than that in the normal environment of buying tickets from a ticket office.

3) Buying tickets online saves petrol, which means our CO₂emmisons are lowers and overall contributing to a better and greener planet by not heating the Earth. Also by saving petrol it saves costs which are rapidly rising and means that even though the internet costs are high this out ways the petrol costs.

4) By buying tickets online there are no queues that the customer has to endure meaning that the customer is more likely to buy the tickets than having to queue up for them and from then on not being likely to enjoy their experience as there was bad customer service.

5) When we get to buy the ticket/s at a ticket office a series of stages are required to give the person in charge the specific details of what the customer requires. By buying online tickets you can click on the opinions available to you and doesn’t require an explanation of the different options at the ticket office.The customer can search for specific requirements when purchasing the tickets.

 Picture shows list of options by booking online.

Disadvantages of online booking

1) Because the online booking requires a lot of stages, it requires a lot of typing which is very convenient for the user especially if they are in a hurry to purchase the tickets. If  purchasing something requires a lot of stages the customer’s interest is most likely going to reduced even with a high costs as they may feel there isn’t any value for money ,a quick service is always going to win over a slow service as there will  be repeat business for the better and quicker service.


 Picture shows Eurostar's long booking process starting from search to payment.

 Eurostar purchasing requires a lot of stages which is going to cause a customer’s interest to be less and most likely is going to reduce any repeat business.

2) By buying tickets online there is no socializing with people, especially in queues there is a chance to talk with people to get the real shopping experience. By creating this environment we as human beings are more likely to create aggression and no real contact of meeting people which is bad for society.

 Picture shows that when chosing your package there is no socializing compared to if you bought tickets at a ticket office where you could ask what would be better and any details about the different packages.

3) To fully understand and access online booking you need to first have an online experience to book or you are most likely to do something wrong, but with buying tickets from a ticket office the person in charge can guide you through the process so you won’t have many problems to encounter through this way. The second thing you need with online booking is internet access and in some areas in the world this is harder than others, to access the internet it requires relatively expensive equipment whether that a smart phone which cost 100s of pounds or a computer/laptop with the necessary equipment which is also expensive .

4) You are responsible for keeping your personal details safe; some online booking services could be fraudulent meaning for anyone typing in their details will ultimately result in those fraudulent people putting a piece of software called spyware which will log your activities and steal any personal information you type in so it’s important you have an up to date antivirus which in themselves aren’t cheap. So it is the upmost importance you are aware of what you entering in terms of the source and can trust it.

5) If the website server is down which can happen you can’t enter the website to book your tickets meaning you will have to do this latter which is inconvenient if you are in a hurry or even having to go to the company in person and buying the tickets which is bad if you don’t have a reliable means of transport to that place, but even if you do that’s is going to implement a cost.

My experiences of using online booking are that it presented a problem for me in that it required before I got to the payment section it took a very long time before I got to that section. There also was no socializing what so ever and for me encouraging that isn’t very good for the industry of working, what happens when you are working in a team and are faced with solving a problem but because you don’t have the necessary skills to communicate you can’t solve that problem. I was faced with so many options when tying to purchase tickets, for example I specified the times and I got times that weren’t applicable to my search.

 A selection of times that I didn’t ask for when I specified for a specific search of times that are available.


In  a previous picture that I uploaded you could see at the search stage that i asked for times around 7.00 only, however when I got to a latter stage there were more choices that weren't around 7.00. A major disdvantage as at a ticket store I would be given the specific times that i wanted.

Overall the internet is not limited on the availability of online booking services but the problem is for people that it takes too long to book where in fact it would probably take the same time to book tickets the normal way of booking from a ticket office. To really improve this type of service there needs to be fewer stages when it comes to searching and paying for the tickets to really secure the customer’s customs because for me as soon as I looked at the Eurostar booking process my interest was son lost as the amounts of stages seemed too increased.

Traffic reports

Traffic reports online is our ticket to learning the latest obstacles when it comes to travelling. The reports constantly update making it easier for the traveller to understand where and were to divert themselves on the road as you sometimes find there are no diversion times. Even though that it is rare it can happen and so for anyone travelling they should before their journey check the traffic reports and when they find time to check the reports again to get the updated news. For some of you reading this you are wondering can’t traffic reports just be found via computer internet services, well you can actually access traffic reports via smart phones such as the blackberry for example. Because this is wireless this turns into a very effective gadget for any traveller in possession of one because they can stop at anytime and check the reports but for a laptop user Wi-Fi is needed and on the road that is a difficult task.

To access the travel reports I have included a link for you to use on your mobiles provided you can access the internet on your phone.

bbc.co.uk/mobile/travelnews

Advantages of online traffic reports

1) The traffic reports online allow us to plan our journey’s to make them less daunting when it comes to getting to our destinations quickly and easily. If we can get to our destinations quickly and easily the service we use will most likely be used again.

2) Because we know where the incidents/accidents are and where the long queues are having access to the online traffic reports allows us to change our route accordingly, because of this we can possibly be less late to school, work or any activities that we are planning to attend to.

3) We can access the traffic reports not only via a computer or laptop but also through our smart phones or other phones that allow internet access. What makes this better is the fact that our smart phones are wireless and don’t require a Wi-Fi connection or a modem to connect to, it simply requires you to be connected to the internet. And because the smart phones are wireless we can stop somewhere when travelling and access the updated traffic reports to plan your route.

  This is a picture of the blackberry app ‘e-mobile GPS Traffic’

4) It should also be noted that you can also access Traffic reports through a satellite navigation system which is a cheaper option of owning a blackberry and having the application for the GPS system. On some sat navigation systems it tells you about on coming delays and reroutes the journey to avoid those obstacles.

 This is an example of a satellite navigation system that allows you to receive traffic reports that are updated through a traffic receiver.

Disadvantages of online traffic reports

1) To access the traffic reports you need to have internet access. The problem also with this is you need to have an internet provider which is going to implement a cost and if you wish to have internet access via your mobile you need to have a phone that allows this for example a blackberry smart phone.

2) Sometimes with a delay there is only one route, some navigation systems and traffic reports don’t actually provide alternate routes in this situation so to get anywhere fast you need to have an up to date knowledge of the area.

3) Sometimes with a traffic report there is a service to contact the source about a possible update, so these updates rely upon people phoning in to make an update on the delay so it is fair to say that this may not necessarily be reliable unless it is compared to other reports.

Is this method unreliable by allowing people to comment on an incident? Also if you did contact it is at an expense to yourself so you are solely responsible for increasing a phone bill.

4) With a satellite navigation system it is important to know where the source is from, can we really trust a source just because it says delay’s oncoming? Anyone can put red liens on a system with the right technology so is it really reliable to agree with the system. Also leading on from that with some satellite navigation systems I have found that when a delay occurs the sat- nav sends you in a complete tangent even though there is a clear sign pointing to a diversion so they aren’t always accurate. Usually the more expensive the equipment is the more likely it is going to be more accurate when travelling and a more reliable source. Overall message is also look at the road as well as listening to your sat nav.

My experiences of traffic reports/satellite navigational systems

When I last used a sat-nav system we were planning to go to Devon when the M25 was down because of a lorry incident, the satellite navigation system didn’t do a diversion and so we had to use initiative to find a route. I would strongly recommend against satellite navigation system in Britain because we can all read English but abroad they are reasonably good where the signs are difficult to read. But in some cases I have noticed that certain satellite navigation systems like Tom-toms tell you the speed limit of cameras which is good if you are uncertain of the speed even though most signs tell you the speed you should be going. Some traffic reports for me can be unreliable as you sometimes can’t trust the source, or example an accident happened when I was travelling with my family and the report said the road would be opened at 1pm, it updated and said 12 noon and then re-updated to 3pm so it was very unreliable and inaccurate.

Limitations of the internet

The internet has some applications that allow the downloading of GPS systems but you have to a specific model of phone which means having to update your phone. Following on from that the internet is limited in what it can offer in terms of traffic reports, the only websites you can really trust is the AA or the BBC how offer a more detailed report on the traffic disruptions. I also find the internet is lax in people how can confirm the reliability of the sources which is annoying as ultimately you don’t know if you can trust the source.