Bernie’s Transportation Communications Newsletter (TCN) – August 24, 2010

August 24, 2010 at 5:26 pm

Tuesday, August 25, 2010 – ISSN 1529-1057


Countdown to IBTTA’s 78th Annual Meeting & Exhibition — September 12-15th in San Diego, CA – Register Today!

Join your colleagues in San Diego, September 12-15, 2010, for IBTTA’s 78th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, the year’s most highly-anticipated learning and networking event — attracting more than 700 toll industry experts and decision makers from across the globe. Under the theme, Sustainable Transportation, the technical program offers tracks focused on innovation, policy, the economy, and the California tolling experience. Hosted by the California Toll Operators Committee (CTOC), this event features interactive seminars, influential speakers, technical tours and special events, informative exhibits and more! Register and make your hotel reservations today! Visit IBTTA’s website for details.

AVIATION

1) FAA Set to Plumb Mid-Air Incidents

Agency plans to bring air traffic controllers and pilots together to share information.

Link to article in The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704340504575447883834823838.html

2) Jetliner Crash Shows Dangers of Using Tainted USB Sticks

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/08/infected-usb-thumb-drive-implicated-in-deadly-2008-spanair-jetliner-crash/1

Link to original article in El Pais:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/ordenador/Spanair/anotaba/fallos/aviones/tenia/virus/elpepuesp/20100820elpepinac_11/Tes (in Spanish)

3) Fact Check: Malware Did Not Bring Down a Passenger Jet

Link to blog on ZDNet:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/fact-check-malware-did-not-bring-down-a-passenger-jet/2354

CAMERAS

4) University of Maryland License Plate Scanning System Could Aid Police

Link to article on College Park Patch:

http://collegepark.patch.com/articles/university-of-maryland-license-plate-scanning-system-could-aid-police

ELECTRONIC TOLLING

5) Utah’s Electronic Payment System Goes Live on I-15

Link to article in the Deseret News:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700059605/Utahs-electronic-payment-system-goes-live-on-I-15.html

6) California Bill Would Protect Privacy of FasTrak Users

Link to AP article:

http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_15871881

PEDESTRIANS

7) Mobile Handset Used for Pedestrian Collision Avoidance

Link to article in EE Times Europe:

http://eetimes.eu/en/mobile-handset-used-for-pedestrian-collision-avoidance.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222903300

RAILROADS

8) Positive Train Control Implementation Signals Challenges Ahead

Link to article in Metro:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/Article/Story/2010/08/Positive-Train-Control-Implementation-Signals-Challenges-Ahead.aspx

TELEMATICS

9) Traffic Data Quality Will Determine Telematics Winners

Link to blog from Strategy Analytics:

http://blogs.strategyanalytics.com/auto/?p=140

TRANSIT

10) Technology Helps Paratransit Services Go Lean

Link to article in Metro:

http://www.metro-magazine.com/resources/Images/MET08-Paratransit.pdf

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

11) Massachusetts State Police Seek Solution to Air Show Traffic Nightmare

Link to article in The Republican:

http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-30/1282635940111310.xml&coll=1

VEHICLES

12) Prius Gets Sound Option to Protect Pedestrians

Link to AP article:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Prius-gets-sound-option-to-apf-2437554670.html?x=0&.v=2

13) Report: Car Infotainment Systems to Put Consumers in Driver’s Seat

Link to article in USA Today:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/08/report-a-new-fourth-generation-of-car-infotainment-systems-will-put-consumers-in-the-drivers-seat/1

14) HD Radio Shouldn’t be this Hard

The chief engineer of WOR Radio recounts his difficulty in getting an HD Radio for his new Ford Escape.

Link to article in Radioworld:

http://www.radioworld.com/article/104712

News Releases

1) Jacobs Helps Washington State DOT Achieve Smarter Highways

2) Trucking Coalition, ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council to Facilitate IntelliDrive Workshop for Commercial Vehicles

3) QNX and Freescale Team Up to Accelerate Design Cycles for Automotive Infotainment

4) Sensys Networks Awarded 6th Patent for Wireless Vehicular Sensor Network

Upcoming Events

Rail-Volution Conference – October 18-21 – Portland, Oregon

http://www.railvolution.com/

Today in Transportation History

1910 **100th anniversary** The schooner, Catherine M. Monohan, sank off the North Carolina coast.

http://www.nc-wreckdiving.com/WRECKS/MONOHAN/MONOHAN.HTML

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