I did something today for the first time ever - I used a GPS-enabled iPhone to take a bus ride in a part of town I hardly knew. A quick search revealed the nearest store that I wanted was a few miles away. I clicked to calculate directions, then clicked the bus option at the top of the screen (middle-top of screenshot).
It immediately told me a bus was coming to the bus stop within 2 minutes, and the connecting bus would arrive 2 or 3 minutes after I reached the connecting point. As I rode, the GPS showed me when I was getting close to my stops, and another click calculated the reverse directions and bus times. And if I missed the bus, there's a clock icon that brings up the next alternative connections.
The nice thing about this is I could repeat the same procedure in dozens of US cities http://www.google.com/transit , and have the same confidence in getting there (unless the battery ran out on the phone or the network went down.)
Granted, all of this has always been possible. But to depart on a moment's notice without a sheaf of bus schedules (that have to be up to date) or computer printouts was liberating, and made taking the bus easy. I've used google transit before (see an example at http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&dirflg=r&ll=48.193178,-122.474342&spn=0.539648,0.555218 ), but you have to print out all your possible options if you miss a connection, before you set out.
I take the bus regularly to work, and for that route it took several months to become familiar with the vagaries of timing and alternate buses if I missed a connection. Now it's all in the palm of your hand. Luddites beware.
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