People with poor eyesight or severe memory problems could soon be a lot more streetwise, thanks to the Auditory location Finder (ALF) - a wonderful invention being devel-oped by a team at the Edinburgh-based Napier University's Transport Research Institute. The ALF uses short-range radio beacons to put its users in contact with a computer centre, which then sends them a voice message telling them where they are and where to go. The information includes street names, junctions, pedestrian crossings and routes to the nearest bus stop. ALF also has the provision to recall the last known whereabouts of someone who may have gone missing.