Thursday, January 6, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

AVIATION

1) Sabre Ramps Up Online Travel Battle with American Airlines

Link to AP article:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Sabre-ramps-up-online-travel-apf-1642619200.html?x=0&.v=9

Link to news release from American Airlines:

http://aa.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=3114

2) Shift of Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Impacts Tampa Airport

Link to article in The Tampa Tribune:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/jan/05/051900/shift-of-earths-magnetic-north-pole-impacts-tampa-/news-breaking/

Link to notice from Tampa International Airport:

http://www.tampaairport.com/about/media/press_releases/2011/20110104-runway-designation-change.pdf

3) US Airways to Close Manila Call Center

Link to article on TheStreet:

http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10965556/1/us-airways-to-halt-customer-calls-to-manila.html

CAMERAS

4) Traffic Cameras Could be Used to Help Fight Crime in Richmond County, Georgia

Link to story and video on WJBF-TV:

http://www2.wjbf.com/news/2011/jan/06/traffic-cameras-could-be-used-help-fight-crime-ric-ar-1308664/

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) Live Traffic Comes to TomTom

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/live-traffic-comes-to-tomtom/

Link to news release from TomTom:

http://investors.tomtom.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=541839

MARITIME

6) Acoustic Cloak Hides Underwater Objects from Sonar

Link to article on ZDNet:

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/emergingtech/acoustic-cloak-hides-underwater-objects-from-sonar/2449

Link to news release from the University of Illinois:

http://www.news.illinois.edu/news/11/0105sound_fang.html

OTHER

7) Panel Advises Leadership, Tech Changes for Texas DOT

Better communication with the public one of the recommendations.

Link to AP article:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7368269.html

Link to further information from TxDOT:

http://www.txdot.gov/about_us/organizational_review.htm

8) Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police Launch Web Site Where People Can Post Videos of Traffic Violations

Link to article in the Central Chronicle:

http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=55479

Link to site: http://www.jktrafficpolice.nic.in/

9) Florida DOT’s SunGuide Disseminator – January 2011

Link to newsletter:

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/TrafficOperations/Newsletters/2011/2011-001-Jan.pdf

SAFETY / SECURITY

10) Driving Instructor Challenges McDonald’s Commercial

Says advice to keep hands at “10 and 2” on the steering wheel is outdated.

Link to article in the Times-News:

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_390cbc59-c256-533c-8b2c-66f86a470988.html

VEHICLES

11) Obama Signs Law to Require ‘Quiet’ Cars to Get Noisier

Link to article in The Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110104/AUTO01/101040430/1361/Obama-signs-law-to-require-%E2%80%98quiet%E2%80%99-cars-to-get-noisier

12) GM Plans to Add Wireless Charging Feature to Cars

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/g-m-plans-to-add-wireless-charging-feature-to-cars/

13) Russia’s First Hybrid Car has GLONASS Navigation, Standard Feature

Link to article in GPS World:

http://www.gpsworld.com/transportation/news/russia%E2%80%99s-first-hybrid-car-has-glonass-navigation-standard-feature-10889

14) Ford’s Chief Technology Officer Says Technology Aims for Safe Driving

Link to video on Bloomberg Television:

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/65712172/

15) Fujitsu Shows Android-Based Car Computing at CES

Link to article on CNET:

http://ces.cnet.com/8301-32254_1-20027541-283.html

16) Why the Biggest Thing at CES is … the Car. And Check Out That Radio!

Link to blog on BNET:

http://www.bnet.com/blog/electric-cars/why-the-biggest-thing-at-ces-is-8230-the-car-and-check-out-that-radio/2923

17) Audi Touts Tech at CES

Link to blog in Forbes:

http://blogs.forbes.com/davidewalt/2011/01/06/audi-touts-tech-at-ces/

News Releases

1) Beat the Traffic to Release RealSpeeds Features on iPhone App

2) CES Showcases Technologies that Bring Internet Into Cars and Combat Distracted Driving, Reports Edmunds.com

3) Telemetria Launches New Telematics Product to Transform Driving Experience

4) Avis Adds Roadside Assistance Feature to Mobile Applications for Apple iPhone

Upcoming Events

Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition – April 11-13 – Memphis

http://www.globalairportcities.com/about-airport-cities-2011.html

Today in Transportation History

1711 **300^th anniversary** Philips van Almonde, a Dutch admiral who distinguished himself during several naval battles, died.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philips_van_Almonde

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

(Source: Wall Street Journal)

The first clear pictures of what appears to be a Chinese stealth fighter prototype have been published online, highlighting China’s military buildup just days before U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates heads to Beijing to try to repair defense ties.

The photographs, published on several unofficial Chinese and foreign defense-related websites, appear to show a J-20 prototype making a high-speed taxi test—usually one of the last steps before an aircraft makes its first flight—according to experts on aviation and China’s military.

China was probably several years behind Russia, whose first stealth fighter, the Sukhoi T-50, made its first flight in January 2010, but that Beijing was catching up faster than expected.

The Chinese prototype looks like it has “the potential to be a competitor with the F-22 and to be decisively superior to the F-35,” said Mr. Fisher. The J-20 has two engines, like the F-22, and is about the same size, while the F-35 is smaller and has only one engine.

China’s stealth-fighter program has implications also for Japan, which is considering buying F-35s, and for India, which last month firmed up a deal with Russia to jointly develop and manufacture a stealth fighter.

Editor’s Note: This development is not only a challenge to the American dominance and technological superiority in the world of military aviation but also a test (and a considerable threat) to many of so-called China’s regional adversaries, especially the ones noted above – Russia, Japan and India.  Anyone aware of the regional geopolitics in South Asia can likely expect China to pass along the technology (at the least, sell these stealth fighters) to its regional-ally Pakistan in the decades ahead, to counter India’s edge with the joint-production of a stealth fighter using Russian technology.  This will not only up the “heat” at a regional level, but will further push the two nations, as well as the entire region, towards another wave of arms buildup. Though there is no mention of the high-altitude capability of this stealth fighter, it would be interesting to watch how China would deploy these fighters along its disputed border regions with India to guard against any threats from the Tibetan side.  Also, the capability of this new war machine to operate from a sea-borne platform (aircraft carrier, which China is building) would definitely test the power balance between the US and the Chinese in the South China Sea. Above all, I believe this development will encourage other nations to accelerate their own efforts to build a stealth fighter.

Related articles

• China prototyping J-20 stealth fighter? (panasianbiz.com)
• Photographs reveal secret J-20 Chinese stealth fighter (culturalhealth.blogspot.com)
• China media report mystery stealth fighter photos (sfgate.com)
• Chinese J-20 Stealth Fighter Pictures Leak (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)
• China media report mystery stealth fighter photos (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Photos of China’s Stealth Fighter Emerge (newser.com)
• Photos of Stealth Chinese Fighter Jet Emerge (patspapers.com)
• China Leaks Pictures Of New Stealth Bomber On Internet [Picture] (realestateradiousa.com)
• U.S. officials cast doubt on China stealth jet reports (nationalpost.com)
• East Chases West: China’s Stealth Fighter, Japan’s Own GPS (fastcompany.com)
• “China Now Has A Stealth Fighter, Aircraft Carrier And “Aircraft Carrier Killer” Missiles” and related posts (businessinsider.com)
• China has a prototype stealth fighter (nextbigfuture.com)
• Chinese Fighter Photos Up Ahead of Gates Visit (foxnews.com)
• A Stealth Challenge? (online.wsj.com)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

BUSES

1) Angry Passengers Still Not Sure Why Greyhound Stranded Them

Bus stopped by bad weather in Ontario, but riders say they were abandoned with no information.

Link to article in the Calgary Herald:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/Calgary+travellers+describe+hour+ordeal+Greyhound/4061267/story.html

OTHER

2) ITS Japan News: Japanese Government Launches ‘ITS Task Force’

Link to article from ERTICO:

http://www.ertico.com/its-japan-news-japanese-government-launches-its-task-force/

ROADWAYS

3) Thieves Steal SIM Cards from Johannesburg’s Traffic Lights

Link to article in the Mail & Guardian:

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2011-01-04-thieves-steals-sim-cards-from-joburgs-traffic-lights

4) Smart Highways, Smarter Drivers

Link to article in Government Technology:

http://www.govtech.com/transportation/Smart-Highways-Smarter-Drivers.html

TELEMATICS

5) OnStar, Verizon Unveil High-Tech Ideas

Link to article in The Detroit News:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110105/AUTO01/101050399/OnStar–Verizon-unveil-high-tech-ideas

6) Automakers Tie Mobile Networks to In-Car Systems

Link to article in The Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704405704576064080514279232.html

7) Tech Early Adoption: Fun in the Living Room, but Safe in the Car?

The new MyFord touch system’s best function may be as a warning to other car manufacturers of how not to go about innovating when it comes to high-tech dashboards.

Link to article in Fortune:

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/01/05/early-adopter-fun-in-the-living-room-but-safe-in-the-car/

TRANSIT

8) California’s Big Blue Bus Receives Award for High-Tech Bus Stops

Link to article in the Santa Monica Daily Press:

http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2011-01-04-71042.113116-BBB-receives-award-for-high-tech-bus-stops.html

TRAVELER INFORMATION / TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT

9) Demand Blamed for Bad Road Info in Victoria Following Flooding

Department of Main Roads and Transport traffic information phone line and Web site overloaded with users.

Link to article in The Observer:

http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/story/2011/01/06/call-flood-bad-road-information-racq/

News Releases

1) NTSB Issue Recommendations Dealing with Emergency Locator Transmitters in General Aviation Aircraft Following Crash Involving Senator Stevens

2) OnStar Expands Beyond GM Cars – Services Available in a Standalone Rearview Mirror

3) Hyundai Launches All-New Blue Link Telematics Platform

4) Idaho Transportation Department Introduces New ‘Dashboard’ to Track Performance

5) American Airlines Kicks Off 2011 with New Video Campaign to Welcome and Thank Customers

6) ZoomSafer Unveils New Software Service to Measure Use of Phones While Driving

7) Audiovox Launches New ‘Distracted Driver’ Safety Solutions for the Aftermarket

8) Clear Channel Radio’s Total Traffic Network: Navigating the Future with a Fresh Platform, New Partners and Additional Markets

9) Search Airport Parking Launches Park Sleep and Fly Web Site

Upcoming Events

Live Radio Interview on the Traffic Incident Management – January 6 – Sirius/XM Radio

XM channel 171/Sirius channel 147 at 9:05 am ET.  Program will focus on the challenges of the recent ice and snowstorm in New York State.

Today in Transportation History

1781 **230^th anniversary** British forces, led by Benedict Arnold, landed at Westover, Virginia prior to marching to Richmond.

http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/hiway_markers/marker.cfm?mid=4280

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net

Monday, January 3, 2011 – ISSN 1529-1057

---

AVIATION

1) American Airlines Barred from Safety Board Inquiry

Company copied data from flight recorder before turning it over.

Link to article in The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/01/us/01airline.html

Link to news release from the NTSB:

http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2010/101231.html

2) Pilot’s Radio Blooper Forces Evacuation of US Capitol

Link to article in The Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/pilots-radio-blooper-forces-evacuation-of-us-capitol-20110103-19dbj.html

3) Online Travel Site Expedia Removes American Airlines Flights

Link to story on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/01/02/american.expedia/

4) How Private Aviation Can Stop Wasting Millions on Advertising

Link to column in Forbes:

http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/2011/01/02/how-private-aviation-can-stop-wasting-millions-on-advertising

GPS / NAVIGATION

5) UK Researchers Using Robot Head to Develop Emotional Machines

Experiments including using the robot as a GPS assistant.

Link to article and video in IEEE Spectrum:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/artificial-intelligence/charles-babbage-robot-head

ROADWAYS

6) Arizona DOT Plans to Take Over Logo Signs Program

Link to Capitol Media Services article:

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/article_eea669b4-146a-11e0-9df2-001cc4c002e0.html

7) Latest Issue of Nordic

Road and transport research news from the Nordic countries.

Link to magazine:

http://nordicroads.com/website/index.asp?pageID=390

TRANSIT

8) Curbs Imposed on Tobacco Items’ Ads on Gujarat Public Transport Buses

Link to IANS article:

http://www.sify.com/finance/curbs-imposed-on-tobacco-items-ads-on-gujarat-public-transport-buses-news-default-lbbtuehijeb.html

9) High-Tech Upgrades to Drive MBTA in ’11

Riders will get more apps, info.

Link to column in the Boston Herald:

http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20110103high-tech_upgrades_to_drive_mbta_in_11_riders_will_get_more_apps_info/

VEHICLES

10) An Unlikely Duo’s Auto Safety Quest

A college professor and a former federal transportation official team up to seek standard installation of black boxes in cars.

Link to article in the Los Angeles Times:

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/01/nation/la-na-auto-safety-20110102

Link to further information from IEEE:

http://standards.ieee.org/develop/wg/MVEDR-EC.html

News Releases

1) Ford Sync Now in Three Million Vehicles; Customer Satisfaction, Use of Voice Control on Rise

2) Monterey-Salinas Transit Launches New Web Site

3) Aéroports de Paris and JCDecaux Plan Joint Venture to Leverage and Commercialize Advertising Space in Parisian Airports

4) AutoNavi to Provide Connected Navigation Services in China

Solicitation

–  Invitation to Submit an Abstract – 2011 National Rural ITS Conference

http://www.nritsconference.org/2011program.html

Upcoming Events

Institute of Transportation Engineers Technical Conference and Exhibit – April 3-6 – Lake Buena Vista, Florida

http://www.ite.org/conference/

Today in Transportation History

1936 **75^th anniversary** The Air Transport Association of America was founded.

http://www.airlines.org/About/AboutATA/Pages/History.aspx

1986 **25^th anniversary** The SkyTrain began revenue operations between Vancouver and New Westminster, British Columbia.

http://tripplanning.translink.ca/hiwire?.a=iScheduleLookupSearch&LineName=999&LineAbbr=999

======================================================================

The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

Become a TCN fan on Facebook!

Questions, comments about the TCN?  Please write the editor, Bernie Wagenblast at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

© 2011 Bernie Wagenblast  www.bwcommunications.net