Technology Briefs - Dec. 2 - Dec. 8
The Latest Headlines:
- Founder, CEO Berlin Leaving Pegasus TransTech
- Canadian Province Using New System to Test Truck Brakes
- Philadelphia-Area Bridges May Lose E-ZPass Discount
- Minorplanet Reports Net Loss in Fiscal 4Q
- Canadian Province Using New System to Test Truck Brakes
Founder, CEO Berlin Leaving Pegasus TransTech
Pegasus TransTech, which provides truck stop scanning, said Thursday company founder Leslie Berlin has resigned as chief executive officer and is leaving the company at the end of this year.Chairman Bob Helms will take on the additional role of CEO, the company said in a release.
Helms became a board member of Pegasus four years ago, prior to being named chairman. Transport Topics
Canadian Province Using New System to Test Truck Brakes
Alberta Transportation is testing an infra-red camera system that can tell in three seconds if passing trucks have brake problems, the Edmonton Journal reported WednesdayThe system, developed by Thermal Eye Technologies of Edmonton, can be set up on any highway with a revolving camera that is mounted on a van.
If the wheel hubs show up white on the screen, it means the brakes are emitting heat and are working. If the hubs are dark, there's no heat and the brakes are not functioning, the article said.
The system, which costs about $500,000, can also tell if the brakes and bearings are malfunctioning due to overheating. Transport Topics
Philadelphia-Area Bridges May Lose E-ZPass Discount
The Delaware River Port Authority is considering making its E-ZPass users the first in the nation to pay more for using the electronic toll system than cash, the Associated Press reported.The change would affect the Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman and Commodore Barry bridges in the Philadelphia area.
Although in most cases, people who pay electronically qualify for discounts, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell said the convenience of E-ZPass is worth a higher cost.
The port authority estimates that ending the discounts would increase revenue by $12.2 million, erasing most of the agency's projected $15 million budget shortfall for 2004, AP said.
However, New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey, who governs the state where most affected commuters live, has veto power over the decision, according to AP. Transport Topics
Minorplanet Reports Net Loss in Fiscal 4Q
Minorplanet Systems USA Inc., a provider of wireless management systems for commercial fleets, said Tuesday its net loss for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Aug. 31 was $3.9 million or 8 cents per share, compared with a loss of $2.8 million or 6 cents a year earlier.Total revenues declined to $8.3 million from $16.7 million, the company said in a release.
For the full fiscal year, the company's net loss was $16 million or 33 cents per share, compared with a loss of $18.6 million or 39 cents for fiscal 2002.
"Financial results for fiscal 2003 were heavily impacted by the current business model for our VMI (Vehicle Management Information) technology that proved to be more expensive and less effective in driving sales than had been originally anticipated," said W. Michael Smith, chief operating officer. Transport Topics
