[TCN] Thursday, July 31, 2008

 

Transportation Communications Newsletter

 

 

Thursday, July 31, 2008 -- ISSN 1529-1057

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Registration for IBTTA's 76^th Annual Meeting and Exhibition Now Open – Baltimore, MD USA, September 21-24, 2008

 

Join IBTTA for the most significant gathering of toll industry professionals and business partners in the world. More than 1,000 delegates from 25 countries on six continents will converge on Baltimore's Waterfront to examine best practices and critical innovations in toll industry finance, marketing, technology, customer service, environmental stewardship, operations, maintenance, and related issues. This meeting is hosted by the Maryland Transportation Authority. Registration cut-off for this meeting is September 5, 2008. For more information, visit IBTTA's website and register online today! www.IBTTA.org.

 

AVIATION

 

1) Congress: No Annoying Airplane Cell Phone Calls

Link to AP story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/31/AR2008073101850.html

 

2) Airlines Pull Out All Stops to Bring Passengers Wi-Fi in the Sky

Link to Newhouse News Service story:

http://www.nj.com/business/times/index.ssf?/base/business-4/1217477197305500.xml&coll=5

 

3) Australian Government Proposes Checking MP3 Players at Airports

Link to story on News.com.au:

http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,24089084-5014090,00.html

 

CARTOGRAPHY

 

4) Google Street View is Approved for the UK

Link to CNET News story:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10003556-93.html?tag=nefd.top

 

5) Google: No Such Thing as Complete Privacy

Files response to lawsuit over Street View service.

Link to CNET News story:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10003036-93.html?tag=nefd.top

 

OTHER

 

6) 'Green Transport' Web Site Launched in Taiwan

Link to story in The China Post:

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national%20news/2008/07/31/168004/Green-transport.htm

Link to site:  http://greentransport.iot.gov.tw/

 

ROADWAYS

 

7) Kentucky Governor Orders Bill on Electronic Billboards Withdrawn

Link to story in The Courier-Journal:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS0101/807310416/1008/NEWS01

 

SAFETY / SECURITY

 

8) Airlines May Face Fines Over Mistaken Terrorist IDs

Link to story in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-07-30-tsa_N.htm

 

9) US DOT's ITS Joint Program Office Announces Its Draft Vision for Safety

Link to story from ITS America:

http://www.itsa.org/industry_member_news_content/c219_d2403/News/Industry_amp_Member_News.html

 

TELEMATICS

 

10) Audi Takes on Stop Lights

Pilot uses sensors to tell drivers the speed they should travel to avoid red signals.

Link to story on Kicking Tires:

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2008/07/audi-takes-on-s.html#more

 

11) Microsoft Announces In-Car Hosted Internet Search for Automakers

Link to story on TMCnet:

http://internetcommunications.tmcnet.com/topics/enterprise/articles/35705-microsoft-announces-in-car-hosted-internet-search-automakers.htm

 

12) Microsoft to Build on Auto Unit

Sync technology creator hires Detroit native to boost connectivity in cars.

Link to story in The Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080729/AUTO01/807290374/1148

 

TRANSIT

 

13) Google Maps Adds Mass Transit Support for S60 And Windows Mobile Phones

Link to story in InformationWeek:

http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/07/google_maps_add.html

 

14) MasterCard: Contactless Fares Well in Transit

Link to story in American Banker:

http://www.americanbanker.com/article.html?id=20080731FSB954XJ

 

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

 

15) Radio Groups Build a Shared Data Channel

Broadcaster Traffic Consortium plans to create a national network to transmit traffic information via HD Radio technology for client Navteq.

Link to story in Radio World:

http://radioworld.com/pages/s.0049/t.14740.html

 

VEHICLES

 

16) Acura Teams with XM for Driving Weather Forecasts

Link to story in The Washington Times:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/01/acura-teams-with-xm-for-driving-weather-forecasts/

 

 

News Releases

1) Carmanah Partners with ENCOM to Offer Wireless Control of Solar-Powered Traffic Beacons

2) Text Messaging: Emergency Physicians Express Safety Concerns as Kids Go Back to School

3) Westwood One and AirSage Partner to Launch Next Generation Platform for Traffic Reporting

4) Detroit Drivers Welcome Free Mobile Traffic Service

5) Northwest Airlines Launches Fully Redesigned nwa.com

 

 

Upcoming Events

Roundtable Discussion: Open Platform Concepts and Vehicle Infrastructure Integration – August 5 – Cambridge, Massachusetts

http://www.its.dot.gov/vii/vii_roundtable.htm

 

 

Today in Transportation History

1948 **60^th anniversary** – New York International Airport, also known as Idlewild Airport, was dedicated. http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/nyregion/20080729JFK_index.html

 

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Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at i95berniew@aol.com.   

© 2008 Bernie Wagenblast