The Answer to What Time is My Bus Arriving
I guess this is a technology that will never arrive or be successful in Malaysia. Iris Next Bus in collaboration with Singtel has provided the ability to check your next bus arrival time via sms. So simple, all you need to do is sms the bus stop number followed by the service number and send it to a short code and walla! you know how long more you need to wait before you make a split second decision to continue waiting for the bus, grab a cab or go to the neareat MRT station. With the efficient transportation system in Singapore, how long can one possibly wait, compared to Malaysia’s efficiently inefficient public transports. This is a convenience to the public given the fact that public transport is the most common means of transport in Singapore and better yet only cost them SGD0.05 per query. Unfortunately, it is only available to Singtel’s post-paid subscribers. Why is their competitors not coming up with the same facility, well, let’s just say it is an investment that only Singtel have the deep pockets to subsidize so much so the service can be given at such low rates.
Besides mobile, the bus arrival time can be queried from the SBS transit (Singapore’s bus company) website or wapsite at www.sbstransit.com.sg/mobileiris/. How the bus location is identified is the location of the bus is feedback to the HQ via GPS. Taxis have this location feedback facility too using technologies like Grid which allows HQ to get accurate information on the location of certain taxis so that they can query for the nearest taxi to their passengers.
Well, perhaps in Malaysia, the better sms technology will be querying for information on traffic conditions so that you know which roads to avoid at which times. This technology is also available in Singapore in which a Singtel subscriber (again!) can call a certain number to find out the traffic conditions in causeway prior to travelling out of Singapore. By calling a pre-defined number, an IVR will inform you the traffic condition in Causeway Link at the point of calling. Thus, subscribers are empowered to know if their trip North is worth taking and if they should use an alternative route like Tuas instead. The power of mobile services! 
A down-to-earth commentary on mobile technology, internet and telecommunications from an employee working in a network operator in Asia. Feedback and proposals most welcomed.