Pasadena (CA) - Driving in Southern California is a stop and go affair. Car accidents, Cal-Trans road closures and other mishaps conspire to make the commute long and frustrating. TrafficGauge showed a handheld device that will show traffic congestion points in Los Angeles and Orange Counties in real time.

Traditionally, radio was the most popular way of getting traffic updates. The problem is that these updates occur once or twice every ten minutes. In addition, all traffic incidents may not be reported because each update has to be short enough to fit into a time window. Drivers often get stuck behind a traffic accident, only to hear about it a few minutes later.

The TrafficGauge promises to fix all that by giving real-time data from the CalTrans and Metro sensors embedded in 850 miles of Southern California freeways. The device is about the size of a typical PDA and runs on two AA batteries. Data is transmitted on a 955.580 Mhz frequency, which is the old Page America network.

The map is fixed on the screen and shows Los Angeles and Orange Counties. If the freeway has no traffic, then the route will be clear on the map. Congestion and stop-and-go traffic are shown as a steady line or blinking line respectively.

The TrafficGauge sells for $80 and includes one month of service. Service is $7 every month after. Users can go month to month without service contracts. The TrafficGauge can be purchased through TrafficGauge website .

What should we expect in the future ? TraffiGauge’s dream device would store five cities, so users could get coverage wherever they travel. In addition, the firm envisions to utilize SMS messaging and other customized content for their device. (Humphrey Cheung)