Review my app: For you NYC Hackers/Subway Riders

Hi HN! My buddy and I just released an app in the App Store for all you NYC Subway hackers.<p>If you like saving a few seconds to a few minutes on your subway rides, take a peek at our app :)<p>We figured some of you here in NYC love little hacks to save time so we thought we'd share and here your thoughts. I always love the discussion here on HN so I'd love to hear some feedback if you have any!

I live in Atlanta, where the subway system is much simpler (and shittier), but this is exactly how I think when standing on the platform.<p>In short, the app is awesome.<p>Feature addition: Running ticker for total time saved, both for the current user and all users overall. Make it as accurate or "imaginary" as you want. ;)

This is fantastic! I sent this to some other friends here in NYC who have all had the same response: "I always thought that would make a great app."<p>It hits the iPhone sweet spot of being a perfect blend of mostly fun and somewhat useful.<p><i>Edit</i> I just purchased the app. Really nice and slick. Though living off the G (a cross-town line), it's hard to choose from only Uptown and Downtown options. Otherwise, this is great.

In Tokyo (and maybe other cities), this data is displayed in all the train and metro stations. Also, there is data on which car to ride if you want to use the escalator or elevator when you get out.

I bought it, and I have to admit, I'm a little underwhelmed.<p>A basic subway map would have been useful.<p>For the extra points, a schedule would be wonderful.

FWIW, the Tokyo subway posts this data throughout the stations. I always wondered why they don't do this in the US.<p>Edit: here's the best picture I can find: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/eloketh/320918361/sizes/l/" rel="nofollow">http://www.flickr.com/photos/eloketh/320918361/sizes/l/</a><p>It's that blue sign in the background/center. I will try and find a better picture. But at least I know that I am not imagining this :)

I really like the video presentation. Short and sweet while being entertaining enough to watch.

It's nice how you released it for a lot of different platforms. Would you mind sharing the % of sales / platform once you have some sales?

It's exactly what I always do, especially for fastest transfers and being the first one on the stairs. Recently I have been taking the 6, L and G a lot, terra incognito where your app comes in fitting perfectly. Love it!<p>Edit: Installed it, very smooth operation, took less than 6 seconds to find a perfect exit strategy for L -&#62; 6 train transfer. Nice!

I only see one problem with this: During rush hour trains, choosing the optimal exit location is a good way to not get on the train, because people that take the same line every day know where to stand.<p>Maybe a "Overcrowding" mode that does the exact opposite and shows you where the least crowded cars are likely to be?

Nice. This is application equivalent of a comedian "saying what everyone is thinking". When I lived in Tokyo, I always tried to do these kinds of mental calculations on the train on unfamiliar lines (already 100% optimized by daily commute).

Nice! You should add data for other subway systems too. Here are the exit locations for the TTC: <a href="http://www.ttcrider.ca/download.php" rel="nofollow">http://www.ttcrider.ca/download.php</a>

That's just nice… I've had the same strategy, and obviously I know the station exits of my commute perfectly… :)<p>But it makes it all the more annoying to go to some station I don't know, so I think it's just awesome!<p>But as it is right now, I won't buy it. Simply because I'm talking about the Parisian metro… So tell me, do you plan on supporting more subway systems in the future? How do you plan to gather the data? Tell me if I can be of any help.

Extending your idea to it's wildest reaches - could you make an app that used the GPS data and date/time of day to build a statistical model of the best street-level routes and optimum time of day between any given point in the city?<p>It would take a really long time to aggregate enough data to make it useful, but it would be pretty handy eventually.

I haven't bought it yet, but I probably will for my work Blackberry. A suggestion: mark where the elevators are for all the subways too. It would be useful for disabled people and also anyone carrying heavy items or bags. Hopefully you wrote down that information so you don't have to search all the stops again!

This is magnificent. I haven't tried it out yet, so I'm obviously jumping the gun—but that is exactly what I'm working through in my head every time I get on and off the subway. N -&#62; L is an easy one. I'll let you know what I think but this is an app that's very much in line with my own obsessive concerns.

I love the idea. Had it myself, but please please don't tell anyone about it. Isn't it nice being the first one to the stairs? Let's keep the best exits to ourselves.<p>Downloaded the sample on my kindle. It would be nice to see an actual map, if only just one instead of a huge listing of all the stops.

There is a similar app available for the London Underground at <a href="http://www.tubeexits.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">http://www.tubeexits.co.uk/</a><p>The data is pretty good (only found a single sub-optimal station so far), whilst the UI is fidgety at times but I'm sure it will improve.

Haha, that's great. Clever idea. Wish there was some kind of interface for those of us without smartphones who just want to look stuff up online, but that sort of defeats the point of having it as an app. Still, good idea.

Interesting idea - if I were you I'd figure out how to extend the software/engine behind this to support other cities before others become to copy the idea.<p>(and if you're already working on this, then kudos!)

I like the idea, although honestly not that useful for me given that the exits I care about I already know.<p>You've got a decent start on an offline subway map though -- I'd pay for a good one of those.

awesome app - even though i dont live in nyc, i've visited nyc often &#38; i can definitely see how useful it could be to a daily commuter.<p>ohh - and you get double brownie points for the name 'exitstrategy' - gels so well with what your app does..i bet nyt will come calling for a writeup soon - so stay prepped :)

isn't this the kind of thing that people who live in NY know just by virtue of riding the train everyday?

Great demo video and music, fun to watch. A good example of how a demo should look.

love the video you guys put together. Im in SF so have little use for the app, but I really like the ingenuity and looks like you've done a really job of the pr side of things.

A very clever app. One of the best I've seen for iPhone :)

This is great! I only wish I had thought of it first :)

Something like this would also work for airports.

wow, great idea. I was in NYC the other weekend and this would have been handy.

Awesome!

well. It certainly can "sHave minutes" from my trip... You may want to change that typo on your homepage

3 questions: 1) wont this lead to everyone standing at the same positions?<p>2) isnt this useless at peak times ( exactly how often can you choose where to stand)<p>3)isn't this simple enough to build it yourself rather than pay someone else to do?<p>PS:i see that you and your sister are trying to build a business, rather than making an interesting project. If so, your site looks rather amateuristic