GPS-STI: GPS with static traffic info

Idea: Garmin, and most other companies selling GPS devices offer traffic receivers. They come in pretty handy because they avoid traffic tie-ups by adding a traffic receiver and traffic services to your compatible GPS device. Your GPS navigator uses traffic information to minimize traffic delays on your route. The only catch here is you got to pay big bucks for this dynamic content. I claim that the amount of traffic content you really need to base your decision upon is not really dynamic. Not only that, but in case of a really dynamic event, even traffic receivers might not do the best job. So, how about storing last year's average (hour-by-hour, every 15 minutes) traffic information along with the maps on your GPS device. Using this static information, your GPS can make intelligent choices for you, and guess what you don't have to worry about your traffic receiver malfunctioning or paying for the dynamic content which you really don't need.

Reward: Since the information is static, software can do significantly better job (TSP?) at finding you the best route for the hour.

Bonus: You could also study last 5 (or 10) years traffic data and make traffic predictions. Also, based on this static information, you can avoid paths with higher statistics on accidents in certain season.

Scenic Drive, Everywhere

Idea: I happen to be on California Highway 1, which is considered one of the best scenic drives in the country. The drive begins in Monterey, the capital of Alta California under Spanish and Mexican rule and the home of some of the oldest buildings in the state. You drive south on Highway 1 toward Morro Bay through the California wilds, flanked by parks, reserves, and a sea otter refuge that extends from Carmel to Cambria. In addition to seeing California's wild beauty, Highway 1 drivers experience the wild adventure of two-lane, cliffside driving through Big Sur country, where jagged mountains plunge down into pounding surf. I started thinking, why do people have to come all the way to California to enjoy the scenic drive. What if the car windshield and the windows can simulate the exact ambiance! All the driver needs to see is the vehicle (moving objects) around his/her vehicle and road-signs. All these could be covered in a beautiful backdrop with some AI and computer graphics (detect moving objects, road-signs, pedestrians, etc. and re-image the rest with your favorite scene).

Reward: Well, your drive to work can be a scenic one. And guess what, you can adjust a few knobs and you could be on a completely different scenic drive to work.

Bonus: Extend this to racing tracks and you should be able to install CGI from NFS into your car and play a real race with real speed-racers in any terrain you wish.