Recently, I was reading about an invention that makes me think, "That's such I great idea, I wish I would have thought of that!" Amos Tamam is the developer of a technology that has created great strides in the advancement of the taxi industry. In 1992, he headed the development team to create the first credit card taxi meter. Aside from the convenience factor, this is a tremendous safety benefit for taxi drivers. It allows them to carry less cash, therefore, lowering the risk of being robbed.

VeriFone Transportation Systems is the company founded by Amos Tamam to develop this innovative system. This technology is currently available to taxi riders in New York and Philadelphia. VeriFone technology also includes touch-screen monitors that provide local news, weather, sports updates and restaurant and nightlife information. Upcoming features will include event traffic and information.

Amos Tamam was quoted saying "As the public is becoming more and more aware of it, we're seeing a steady increase in transaction volume every month." As word of this technology spreads, he expects to see it in cities across the country. While I'm still waiting to come up with the next million dollar idea, thankfully, there are people like Amos Tamam who have already turned their ideas into reality.