A different kind of mobile innovation

I love paradigm-changing innovation (even if that is one of those buzzwords we are not supposed to use anymore).  

There is a new company called PlanetTran that just started in Boston and San Francisco.  The idea is to bring taxi service into the 21^st century.  Their services include

• Tweetaride: Tweet them a time and place in 140 characters and a taxi will meet you there.
• Calendar synch and GPS: if you are running late, the company can tell from your GPS location and adjust the time the taxi arrives accordingly.
• Ride-sharing: if you sign up for this option, when two people are starting and ending in approximately the same locations it will link them together to share a ride and split the cost.
• Wi-Fi in all taxis

 And as you would expect, the taxi lobby is up in arms.  They don’t want this kind of competition.  They are trying to get the company banned on technicalities regarding livery licenses.