computer science

Trapster (software)

Trapster (software) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Trapster (software) rather than just read about it. In short: Trapster was a navigation social networking mobile application and website, provided for free, that maps out and alerts users in real time to the presence of live police speed traps, DUI checkpoints, traffic, red light cameras, speed cameras, and areas where police often hide. Further, it allows users to record trip data and share it via the web, including interfaces with Facebook and Twitter.

Key takeaways

Trapster (software) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Trapster (software) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Trapster (software) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Trapster was a navigation social networking mobile application and website, provided for free, that maps out and alerts users in real time to the presence of live police speed traps, DUI checkpoints, traffic, red light cameras, speed cameras, and areas where police often hide. Further, it allows users to record trip data and share it via the web, including interfaces with Facebook and Twitter. Trapster was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 10 Best iPhone Apps for Dads in June 2009. In addition, Wired listed Trapster as the number 1 application in their 10 Mobile Applications that Make the Most of Location and CNET named Trapster as their number 1 free iPhone automotive app. Trapster's mobile GPS app supported the operating systems Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS, Windows Mobile, webOS, S60, and unlocked Java ME phones with GPS. In addition to these mobile phones, Trapster had support for both Garmin and TomTom navigation units.

Features Trapster can use Wi-Fi or GPS to pinpoint the user's current location and send them audio alerts or text messages when they are approaching a ticket threat. Users report the existence of a trap by pressing the touch screen or using a key combination on the mobile device. To negate the effect of pranksters or the police entering bogus locations, users can verify the locations of existing traps in the same manner. Trapster gives greater weight to traps that are rated more reliably. Users can customize the alerts via the Trapster website or the mobile app so that they only receive notifications of conditions they are interested in, such as red light cameras or live police. Information about static traps, such as red light cameras and speed cameras, stays in Trapster's database indefinitely. Live speed trap locations are kept in the system for one hour, as it is likely that the officers will move on to a new location.

History Pete Tenereillo launched Trapster, the modern equivalent of headlight flashing, where motorists warn other motorists of police speed traps, in November 2007, and by early 2009, had 1/2 a million users signed up. On July 20, 2009, Trapster had signed up its 1 millionth user. Less than a year later, the company claimed to have in excess of 4 million users. As of October 2012, the company had over 17 million users, and peaked at 22 million users before being shut down in 2014. Law enforcement officials have differing reactions to Trapster, although it is thought to be legal in all 50 US states, and in most countries worldwide. Washington D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier denounced the technology as a 'cowardly tactic' and said that "It's designed to circumvent law enforcement — law enforcement that is designed specifically to save lives." Later, a D.C. police spokesperson said that Lanier was misquoted and that the department has no opinion on the matter. Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations stated that he is all for it if the result is that people slow down. "If someone slows down because of it", he said, "it's accomplishing the same goal of trying to get people to obey the speed limit." Additionally, Sgt. Brent Barbee of the Amarillo, Texas Police Department said "Having (motorists) slow down on their own is a lot less manpower-intensive than having us forced to spend time writing tickets. Whether they slow down because their friend told them to slow down (by using Trapster) or a ticket, the net effect is the same: They've slowed down." Pete Tenereillo sold Trapster to the NAVTEQ division of Nokia in 2010 and is no longer involved with the company. In January, 2011, Trapster's servers were apparently hacked, and the user database of more than 10 million email passwords were possibly revealed. On December 1, 2014, Trapster announced that it is shutting down its services at the end of 2014. When checked on December 21, 2014, it was discovered the Trapster website was put into closure mode, thereby cutting off new activations, and the Twitter account permanently closed. Pete Tenereillo re-acquired the assets of Trapster in late 2017.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Trapster (software)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Trapster (software) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Trapster (software) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Trapster (software) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Trapster (software)

In research: Trapster (software) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Trapster (software) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Trapster (software) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Android (operating system) software, BlackBerry software, IOS software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Trapster (software) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Trapster (software) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Trapster (software) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Trapster (software) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Trapster (software) in simple terms?

Why does Trapster (software) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Trapster (software)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Trapster (software).