Real Time Information

Real Time Information

Travel time, RSS feeds, weather, chat, sat nav, theatre and concert booking, travel booking, webcams, parcel tracking, plane tracking

Real time information is data updated instantaneously at once. It’s the fastest way to receive information.  They occur immediately and instantly, additionally real time information is data that are displayed instantly after it has been collected. Real time information can also means that a specific event simulated by a computer at the same speed or time that they would occur in real life. This makes it easier for everyone to be informed about travel time (bus or train), rss feeds, weather, chat, webcams and theatre and concert booking.  

Travel time- this can be broken down into many subjects like bus times, train times and more. This is very helpful to the public as they can now check online when or where they can get the bus/train from instead of waiting for the bus/train for a long time.  Because of real time information you can also track bus location exactly and you can tell whether the bus is running late, early or on time.

It also gives the operator the chance to make changes to the bus whilst on route. You can book your ticket online 5 days before or couple hours before getting the bus or train, this is faster and comfortable way of buying tickets. You can also get discount if you book your train ticket online which is a bonus as you don’t get discount when buying it in the train station itself. Thanks to real time information we have the freedom to do this.
Advantages- real time data gives you information that is happening at that particular moment, therefore there are no delays. It can also be useful for tracking plane, bus and train times.
Disadvantages- Sometimes the information you will find is not updated therefore can be misleading and this could be a huge problem.  Also people who do not have internet won’t be able to access it so that lowers down their target. Some information can be reliable and some information given is not always useful.

I have checked and booked a train ticket online myself, it’s faster and very accessible. You no longer have to wait in the queue. Checking the arrival and departure times is also simple, I will know when exactly I need to leave my house and be on time for the train.

RSS feeds- also known as Rich Site Summary. It is used in many news related websites. It gives you update about websites, it gives you news about it. It’s like newspaper, but faster. RSS feeds are a wonderful resource; it has many interesting applications like news headlines, music, receives instant notifications, movie releases and more. RSS feeds benefit both readers and web publisher since the site owners can get their updated content to subscribers faster.

 An important aspect to RSS feeds is that it is in chronological order, which means that new items appear to the top of the list and older items at the bottom.  Users also have free choice on which websites to subscribe in and they can change at any time they want. It also saves time, as it provides a summary of the related article. One of the best features of it is its spam free, unlike email or others.  It doesn't ask for your email to send updates thus your privacy is kept safe. It can also be used for advertising but its new and upcoming technology which means that many sites still doesn't support RSS feeds.
Advantages- it's easy to read on your computer screen. RSS feed also saves time as you wont need to go on the website to check for updates.

Disadvantages- Some users still prefers receiving email updates over an RSS feed. Photos do not appear in all RSS feeds which are a big minus.  RSS feeds do not display the actually URL which can be confusing on what feed a user is actually reading. They cannot also determine how many users are subscribes to their feed and how many times they visit therefore they would not know the reasons why some users unsubscribe.

I do not use RSS feeds myself as I have never actually encountered it before. I still get my updates via email which I find easier. I’m sure RSS feed can be very helpful but maybe they need to advertise it better so that other users will notice it therefore it’ll improve their subscribers rate.

Weather- weather update is very important now a day.  Having an online weather update makes it even better and quicker. Online weather updates is very access able online, you can find it any news site or radio site there is, one of the exactly is the yahoo UK website which has a direct link to the weather in the UK. Checking the weather update online will not only be easier but you can also get 5 days or even monthly forecast, this means what you can plan ahead to whatever you want to do. By having a 5 days or monthly forecast you’ll be warned on how bad or good the weather will be like therefore you’ll be more prepared.

Advantages- On an everyday basis, people use weather forecast to determine what to wear on a given day. Forecast can also be used to plan activities, and plan ahead. 
Disadvantages-  not all forecast are accurate; there is a chance that the forecast will be incorrect sometimes. Some online weather update website can be unreliable.

I have checked the weather forecast online many times before, it’s very useful and it gives me an 
idea of what would the weather be like for the whole day. It’ll also give you an idea on what clothes to wear, for example if it’s going to cold then you’ll be warned instantly and therefore will put on an extra layer of clothing. I also wanted to go to thorpe park one day but found out it will be raining, and because of online weather update i knew that it'll rain and therefore did not go.

Traffic update- traffic update is vital for people who travel a lot, this give me idea on what is going on around the area where they will be travelling. Traffic update is very popular and clever. By using or listening to traffic updates you will know what road or motorway to missed out and find another route. The updates are all up to date, which mean that it’s live and happening right now. You can also find out if there are any accidents or road work.

Sometimes traffic update is hard to receive using radio, it’s sometimes lagging, slow and very hard to listen into. Sometimes it also freezes so you’ll miss out a bit of the update.

I have listened to a traffic update before, it’s very useful and if you have good connection to the radio station it’s very easy to listen into. The update will give you details about which area are traffic and if there is any delayed. I think that traffic update is very useful but need a big of improvement.

Chat- live chat is now vital in all social networks, its one feature that should not be missing. Users now find it easier to “chat” because the users get an instant replies and its more realistic but with no emotion. You can now also have a “group chat” which you enable you to chat with more than one person at the same time. Real time chat also allows you to send news or any message to people quickly. Business now uses chat to talk to their employees and update them. This saves them a lot of money and this can also advertise their business. You’ll meet a lot of people who have the same interest as you in chat; this could be good if you are doing some kind of work or research.

Sometimes chat can be slow and some messages you’ve send doesn’t goes through. You can also come across to some strangers if you are on a “free chat”. You cannot also use chat without being online therefore you will need internet for it and you can’t have a connection when you are out on public.

I do use chat to talk to my friends, it doesn’t cost anything therefore its very popular to public. I personally think that chat is easy to use and very accessible if you have internet or wifi connection.

Travel booking- booking travel or holidays online is very effortless if you have done it before. It’s very quick as online travel agencies help you find the best accommodations and place to stay. It also saves some money as the travel agencies will give you variety of choices to choose from. It saves a lot of time doing it online on our own time. You can also check if the date you want is available and if it’s not then you can just easily find another date you want.

Most online agencies are not very reliable and sometimes it becomes impossible to find a good agency, they are always problem arising when you are about to leave.  Booking online reduces the existence of traditional travel agents who could provide better views and opinion.

I have never booked online before but I know that my parents have. In my opinion it is cheaper and quicker although sometimes it can be misleading as the pictures can be different from the actual thing. Booking online is now getting popular.

Theatre and concert booking- booking online is the most convenient way of getting tickets as it cost much less hassle and they can also give you several benefits. There are also varieties of sites you can get tickets from which sometimes you can find cheaper prices.  You will also receive the ticket immediately and therefore will no longer have to wait for the queue. They can also give you information about the seating.
Advantages- easy and convenient to book. You can get discounts and see what tickets are available. 
Disadvantages- Sometimes some website is not 100% reliable therefore you can get the ticket for higher price. Also the tickets might get mixed up and you won’t get the ticket you asked for.

I have booked ticket online before, all you need is a credit card and it easy from there. The tickets also arrive immediately and there was no problem with it.