Finally the transit smart card comes to GTA!

It was about time! Hong Kong has a very successful system called the Octopus card where you can use it to swipe at any transportation system (subway, bus, tram, train, ferry). Toronto and GTA needs something like that. I've been wanting something like this for a long time, so I don't have to carry a monthly GO student pass and tokens for the subway. Well, it looks like they are trialling the "Presto" smart card fare system.

Unfortunately, they are first trying this out in Mississauga for those riders that originate their trip from Cooksville or Meadowville stations and take Mississauga Transit shuttle routes, or transfer to Toronto Transit Commission vehicles outbound at Union Station. Apparently, it will come to Oakville in late 2008. I would love to try it now, I've been an avid supporter of having a smart card fare system for a long while. Toronto and the GTA needs to be more modernized and technologically competent. Otherwise, we risk losing our competitiveness to other cities.

Another thing that Toronto and the GTA needs is a good transit web site that tells you if you're starting from your origin and you want to go to your destination, what transit routes you need to take. San Francisco and the Bay area has the 511 system, and when I was there last summer, I loved it! It told me which route to take and what time the bus or train would come so I could plan my trip. Extremely useful and something really needed in the GTA.

On Technorati: GTA, Toronto transit

Big laptop at Union Station

Yesterday morning, I saw a huge laptop powered with the Intel Core Duo processor as advertisement in the center of Union Station on my way to school. So, naturally, I took a picture on my camera cell phone



I went near the laptop and touched it, but the keys were not real, it was just flat.
This morning, the laptop wasn't there anymore.

On Technorati: intel, Union Station, GO train, laptop

Palm Train

I was waiting for the GO train at Union Station on platform 3B, when I saw this train car coming near me. It was an advertisement of Palm on the train car. So, naturally, I had to sit in it. I took a picture of it with my Palm (of course, the Palm and gadget geek that I am), while passengers were boarding the train.

Then, I took a picture of it again after I arrived back in Oakville. Yes, it's these things, that I have to take, it's in my gadget blood!



On Technorati: Palm train,Palm