New app doubles as alarm clock

Most transit-tracking applications promise to let you know if you have enough time to grab a cup of coffee on the way to work. TravAlarm goes one step further and warns you about travel delays while you’re still in bed. The free iPhone and Android app, currently available for systems in London, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington (DC), monitors real-time service updates. Commuters select up to three routes for the app to monitor; when a delay occurs on one of those routes, the alarm will wake them up at a predetermined earlier time with a voice message describing the delay and its location. The information — and the early wakeup — is intended to allow transit riders enough time to find an alternative route or just to leave early in hopes of making up for the delay. “It’s so much more convenient to be woken up with that delay information instead of having to fiddle around on the Internet trying to check the status of your favorite subways,” said developer Arkajik Bala. “Not only that, you get woken up earlier so you can make up for that delay by leaving earlier or taking another route into work, thereby never being late again.”

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