Speed Trap Alerts via SMS

Looking for a new way to dodge speed traps set by police? Look no further than Trapster.com, a website that has created new technology to allow motorists to alert other motorists using their mobile phones to offer details on speed traps they encounter on the road.

“Trapster works like this: Go to the Web site, and sign up for a free membership. Then download the Trapster software to your cell phone or PDA. Tenereillo said that most current-generation cell phones, Blackberries and other PDA’s can accommodate the Trapster software,” CNN says.

If you see a police officer yourself while on the road, all you have to do it punch in #1 on your phone or dial their designated toll free numbers. Any other trapster.com users are then alerted by phone whey near that same trap.

One great thing about that is that it's hands-free," says Tenereillo. "You don't have to be looking at the phone or even be holding it to be notified of the speed trap -- which, of course, is safer, because you don't have to take your eyes off the road to be notified of the trap." Trapster was launched in April, and while Tenereillo declined to comment on the exact number of subscribers, he did say the site is booming. "We're going crazy, we've had so many people sign up that it's been hard to keep up with," he said. "We initially had some capacity issues as a result, so we had to re-do some of the architecture." In May, Trapster also became integrated with Dash Navigation Inc., an Internet-connected GPS device for vehicles that can be mounted on the dashboard. Trapster relies partly on the WiFi technology provided Skyhook Wireless Inc., a Boston-based firm that provides positioning services that depend on various WiFi access points. It also relies in part on satellite-based Global Positioning Systems.