Technology Briefs - July 6 - July 12
The Latest Headlines:
- Eaton Corp. Forms Partnership With VTTi
- N.J., D.C. Ban Handheld Cell Phones While Driving
- Qualcomm, Snap-on Form Alliance
- N.J., D.C. Ban Handheld Cell Phones While Driving
Eaton Corp. Forms Partnership With VTTi
Parts supplier Eaton Corp. said July 17 that it entered into a five-year agreement with VTTi Inc. of Tustin, Calif., to develop software to transmit vehicle performance information over cellular telephone networks.The software, which will be part of the Eaton MD Mobile Diagnostics product line, collects fault and general performance information such as engine speed, transmission output shaft speed, fuel use and average miles per gallon.
The VTTi software would allow customers to choose whether they want to transmit the performance diagnostic information over cell, PC or wireless network, said Matt Starks, manager of installation and support development for Eaton Corp.’s Truck Components division.
Starks said the company expected to release the product in the second quarter of 2005. He said there was no estimate of the sale price or how many units are expected to ship in the first year.
Eaton, of Kalamazoo, Mich., manufactures drivetrain systems and components for medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks; its Roadranger division sells diagnostic tools, lubricants and truck information systems. VTTi, a division of Balboa Instruments, makes diagnostic and data-transmission hardware and software. Kelvin Childs
N.J., D.C. Ban Handheld Cell Phones While Driving
Laws went into effect on July 1 in New Jersey and the District of Columbia making it illegal to use a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving, news services reported.The District's legislation was first introduced as a cell phone ban, but amended to become a much broader prohibition against various forms of distracted driving including reading, fixing makeup and playing with pets, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Distracted driving will be a primary offense, meaning police can stop and fine drivers $100 even if the motorist is doing nothing else wrong.
The New Jersey law only covers cell phones and makes their use a secondary offense, with fines running from $100 to $250.
New York was the first state to pass the ban on using handheld cell phones while driving in 2001. Transport Topics
Qualcomm, Snap-on Form Alliance
Digital-communications services provider Qualcomm Inc. and diagnostic-tool manufacturer Snap-on Inc. said they would jointly develop and market diagnostic and asset-management products.The companies said they intended to market “several initiatives” to customers in the transportation, logistics and heavy-equipment industries worldwide, but provided few details.
They said the plan’s most significant item would integrate eTechnician, Snap-on’s Web-based diagnostic and vehicle monitoring application, with Qualcomm’s OmniTRACS fleet-management product.
Snap-on’s eTechnician enables the communication of vehicle diagnostic data to a central operations base, with the ability for base operators to query vehicle data at any time, the companies said. It also has a command-and-control feature that allows vehicle parameters to be reprogrammed while the vehicle is on the road.
Financial terms of the deal were not announced. Transport Topics
