French Device Could SolveParking Woes

 As always, there are pieces of a story that stick with you more that others. Here are those pieces that stuck with me:

"New technology being tested in France, lets drivers find free parking spots in real time. The technology, which uses cell phones, is being developed together with the French space agency. There is a downside, however, the system also tells the authorities when your meter has expired."

We've talked about the pros and cons of various technologies in our class, Web Technologies. No device is going to have great benefits without having some flaws. If you know you have a system that tells authorities when your meter expires, don't let your meter expire. It's that simple.Majority of the time, you have other things to do anyway so this device just may be the motivation people need to make their day productive. No one wants to spend an hour looking for a parking space. It's frustrating and has to be one of the greatest wastes of time ever. holiday shopping was a pain: crowded malls and shopping centers and no parking spaces. I would love the device. I get stuck in malls when I know I should probably on my way home so I can get schoolwork done. I know the device would help me. If I get a ticket, I'll have to pay for that instead of a new pair of shoes. (Not a good situation)

"A piece of French technology may put an end to headaches with parking. This new device can help drivers locate free spots by contacting them on their cell phones. The technology was developed to deal with a slightly harder problem. It was first developed to help send scientific equipment to the planet Venus"

I would like to know specifically who would be contacting me. Would they be using photographs, text messages, or a phone call? How fast would the device work (Can't have anyone else taking my parking spot)? How far away can I be from the parking spot before it is detected?  The general idea sounds nice. Its amazing how the devices we use here were first created to solve much more difficult problems. Science and technology are wonderful in that way; you can be exploring one thing and find the answer to another.