Will AwareSpot work on my phone?
How do I find out about available alerts in my area?
What if there are no public service or media alerts in my area?
How do I send alerts to a group of friends or family, or co-workers at my company?
How much does the AwareSpot service cost? Will there be charges on my phone bill?
Why would I choose a non-published list instead of an invite-only list?
What is the difference between a regular alert and a sticky alert?
Why doesn't AwareSpot use GPS or other location technologies like Google Maps does?
Will AwareSpot(TM) work on my phone?
AwareSpot works on any mobile phone that can receive text messages.
How do I find out about available alerts in my area?
To get AwareSpot alerts you must subscribe to what is called a "distribution list". Trusted sources such as public safety, newspapers, TV, and radio stations advertise the names of AwareSpot distribution lists, but you might also find some relevant list names by searching the List Directory here on the site (note: many lists are not published, and many are private, invite-only).
What if there are no public service or media alerts in my area?
This is a brand new service. Trusted sources such as public service and media already have the information you want. This is just a simple and effective way for them to deliver some relevant portion of that information to you. So contact your local TV or radio station, or public service office, and ask them to create a distribution list for your city! It will take them less than 5 minutes to set up, and only a few seconds to issue each alert! And it's free to them and you!
How do I send alerts to a group of friends or family, or co-workers at my company?
If you are watching the local news on TV and see that a road in your city is closed, or there is a traffic jam, why not let all your friends know about it? They will certainly appreciate it on their commute home from work! Or maybe you just heard that a great band is playing downtown. Let them know about that too! First create a new distribution list. Next use the "invite" function to let them know to subscribe. Then just start creating alerts about events they will be interested in. Distribution lists can be published, non-published, or invite-only.
How much does the AwareSpot service cost? Will there be charges on my phone bill?
AwareSpot itself is FREE! As far as your phone bill, standard rates apply. Your carrier may charge you for text messages. The amount will likely depend on which carrier you use, your specific cell phone plan, and the number of text messages that are sent to you. Note that we do not control how many text messages are sent to your mobile phone. If you are concerned, you should check with your carrier for more details.
Why would I choose a non-published list instead of an invite-only list?
Invite-only lists requires that you manage all of the members of the list. You will need to send an invitation for each new member. To do this, you will need to know their e-mail address. This takes considerable effort, especially if the list has a large number of members. Non-published lists have slightly less privacy, but allow for members of the list to tell other people about it, so they can join. Invite-only lists are best for small, private groups.
What is the difference between a regular alert and a sticky alert?
Regular alerts get sent out as text messages or e-mails. Once they are sent, they cannot be modified, deleted, or cancelled. For example, a regular alert should be used for a temporary traffic slowdown caused by an accident. Sticky alerts can be sent initially as text messages, but the alert stays active in the system until the distribution list owner moves, edits, or deletes it. For example, a sticky alert should be used for a longer term traffic slowdown caused by a contruction zone. Also, sticky alerts can be downloaded onto navigation devices as POIs. For example, all construction zones in a given city could be preloaded each day on a Garmin Nuvi Personal Navigation Device. AwareSpot e-mails subscribers daily if sticky alerts in the areas they are subscribed to change.
Why doesn't AwareSpot use GPS or other location technologies like Google Maps does?
The goal of AwareSpot is to provide a simple means of notification about infrequent, important, events, in areas or along routes, at days and times of interest, but also to do it in a way that works without the need for any special type of phone or downloaded application. Any type of GPS based mobile application requires the user to run that application at all times. Most people simply will not do that. We have several other services that use GPS and wireless location technologies. If you have a group of friends who want to play geocaching games, or send GPS location based messages that can be received at very specific locations, check out another service we offer, called JotYou™.