GASBUM.COM
It was Labor Day weekend. Gas prices were at record highs already — and then prices spiked again after Katrina hit. A discussion with friends about high prices at the pump turned into an argument about where to find the cheapest gas.
“I said, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if you could get that information on your portable device.’”
Dennis Baldwin, a software developer and neighborhood resident, uttered those prophetic words. In a matter of a few days, he had written the code for Gasbum, a Java application that allows users to download the cheapest gas prices in the area to their mobile phone and other portable digital devices.
The service is free of charge, and just requires a zip code to retrieve the prices from MSN’s Autos page once the software has been downloaded onto the PDA from Gasbum.com.
Baldwin says about 2,500 people are using Gasbum, and he’s already planning on making improvements to the application.
“I want to build in a function where when you pass a gas station you could upload the price and update the prices in real time.”
He says he has no plans to charge for the service.
“I wrote it because I wanted to give it back to the community. It’s something I’m passionate about. I love the technology and, hopefully, I can help people save money.”
Dennis Baldwin: You are a gentleman and a scholar.
