NearBio Makes Finding Biodiesel Locations Easy

      WHDC LLC, a company that specializes in mobile applications, has launched a free service designed to enable cell phone users to easily find nearby biodiesel fueling locations. NearBio (www.nearbio.com) enables mobile phone and computer users to find the nearest biodiesel fueling locations based on city, zip code or GPS coordinates.
      A national database of more than 1,000 individually verified locations is updated daily and is complete with driving directions, hours, payment options and blend information. The web site's graphical map of nationwide locations uses a color-coded icon for each pump location to identify the specific blend available. While on the road, cell phone users can access the site and retrieve the five nearest fueling locations along with driving directions, phone numbers and other details. For mobile devices that do not have Internet access, NearBio supports location retrieval via text messaging.
      "We are very excited about leveraging mobile technology to accelerate the adoption of biodiesel fuel and its many benefits," said Lisa Hull, vice president and co-creator of NearBio.com. She added, "We expect the service to be quite popular because of growing consumer awareness and interest in alternative fuels."
      To facilitate prompt and precise updates, instead of relying solely on retailers and manufacturers to enter their individual pump locations, NearBio encourages biodiesel suppliers to submit the Internet address of a page on their web site containing biodiesel pump locations. NearBio automatically monitors these web pages for changes. As a result, NearBio ensures database entries are current, and eliminates the need for biodiesel providers to constantly update external systems when new locations are added or changed. Further, NearBio validates all submissions.