Real Time Information

The internet offers us the possibility to view up-to-date information on demand; this is called ‘Real Time Information’. There are a growing number of services that offer this on demand services such as: News Updates, Traffic Updates, Parcel Tracking, Cinema Booking and Rail Information. 

News Updates

There are many sites on the internet that offer real time information on the latest breaking news. One of the most prolific online news services is the BBC’s website (www.bbc.co.uk/news). The BBC’s news website offers a wide variety of topics such as: news, sport and weather all encompasses the real-time information aspect that people need. 

News

The News section on the BBC’s website is very easy to use, informative and most importantly offers up to date information with new news stories appearing in the ‘breaking news’ section. The News’s section has a number of different corridors to go down with the option of; World, UK, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with each of these having their own sub headings of Business, Politics, Health, Education, Science/Environment, Technology and Entertainment/Arts. This wide range of topics allows people to search through the site easily and acquiring the information they were after. There is also a most popular section which includes‘Top 5’ news stories of the week; this can help people stay up to date with the news that everyone else is hearing about.

Sports

Sports updates on the BBC Website are also useful. If you miss a match you are then able to find the results. Real-Time Information also allows you to get up to date sports commentary; if you are un-able to watch the match you can get step by step news updates on it. They also offer news on transfers and other sporting news that you could want.

Personal Experience:

As a huge sports fan I find real time information on sports hugely useful. I have read step by step matches on the BBC Website countless numbers of times because I am unable to access a TV.

Weather

Real-Time Information is used to its full potential on weather updates. On the BBC Weather Site shows the 7-day weather, monthly weather assessment and the hot and cold spots in the UK.

Personal Experience

Before leaving the house I always check the BBC weather site which tells me what the weather is going to be like and ultimately whether I need a coat or not!

Air Traffic Information

‘Plane Spotting’ is now seen as a hobby for many people, and with the help of real time information sites offer the public access to plane times and the location of thousands of planes worldwide. Sites such as Flight Rader (http://www.flightradar24.com/) allow people to track the location of planes, the destination and where it came from as well as the air line it belongs too.

Advantages

One advantage of a site like Flight Rader; is that it allows people who enjoy the hobby of plane spotting to have greater access and more information about the planes they are looking at. Another advantage is that Flight Rader shows if there is a delay on the flight, this could be an advantage for people picking people up for the airport and knowing when to be there.

Personal Experience

I have had limited experience on Flight Rader but I can appreciate how useful it is, the plane selected in the image below I could actually seeing flying in the sky above me, I think that it is amazing to be able to do that.

Parcel Tracking:

Real time information allows us to track parcels that we have ordered, this allows us to see where the parcel is, how much it weights etc. A lot of websites now offer this option the most successful ones I have used have been from Amazon and the Online Apple Store; both allow you to see the location and the weight of your parcel.

Advantages:

There are multiple advantages to parcel tracking such as: being able to see where your parcel is and if there are any unexpected delays this then allows you to make sure you are at home or the place of delivery where the parcel arrives thus avoiding trips to the local post office to receive it. You can also see if the parcel has been delivered to the wrong address which is helpful. Below is an image showing the parcel tracking on the Amazon website; notice how it shows the location of the parcel.

Disadvantages

Parcel tracking heavily relies on the delivery driver updates his delivery as he goes along. But I can’t think of any more disadvantages of parcel tracking from my experiences it has been very useful.

It is not only parcels that you can track; other delivery services such as Dominos Pizza offer you a parcel tracker. Unlike other parcel trackers from websites such as Amazon the Dominos Pizza Tracker allows you to follow your pizza as it is being prepared, cooked, boxed and delivered; this screen print below shows the different stages.  

 

The Dominoes Pizza Tracker also gives you a rough estimate on how long it may take to get to your front door, as well as giving you the option to give Dominos feedback on your delivery; as customer feedback is vital this is a important feature.  

Personal Experience

In my experience parcel tracking is a huge advantage, it allows the customer to know when there parcel is arriving and therefore be there for when it does arrive.

Bookings (Cinemas, Theatre)

As I have previously mentioned more and more sites are now adapting real time information. Odeon (a well know cinema in the UK) use real-time information to their advantage, they use it to show customers what films are showing, what times and more importantly which seats are available. Below is an image showing the booking of seats for a film.

 Advantages

I find being able to book tickets online a huge benefit. It allows you to get the best seats possible, and sometimes offers you online deals you wouldn’t get buying over the counter.

Personal Experience

Whenever I am going to the cinema I always book ahead, it allows you to get the seats you want, and avoiding the embarrassing situation when you are told there are no seats to see the film you want!!!

Rail Information (London Transport)

Another great option that real time information can offer us is information on train times etc. Sites such as National Rail Enquires (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/) allows the customer to enter where they are, their destination and the site will automatically produce a list of trains and times; the site also tells the customer if the train in delayed or if there are any problems.

Advantages

An advantage of this service is knowing whether your train is being delayed or not; this allows people who are commuting on the train to know of any delays before they even leave the house. With sites like this now having ‘apps’ people can book tickets, check times and delays on the go.

Disadvantages

There are no disadvantages with this site or any others offering real time information on train times.

Personal Experience:

Whenever I am travelling on the train, before I even leave the house I always check the train times, cheapest fares and whether or not there are any delays I need to avoid.