Trucking Technology Report - Sept. 25
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Both the online report and e-mail are sponsored by @Track Communications, a supplier of wireless communications and dispatch services.
Today's Technology Headlines:
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Motorola and Palm Sign "Smart Phone" Deal
Palm and Motorola recently announced that they are joining forces to manufacture a line of so-called smart phones - devices that combine mobile phones with handheld computers. The announcement raises the competition in the still-growing sector for next-generation phones, which feature over-sized displays, enabling users to surf the Internet, operate a word processing function, maintain an address book, or use other software.
First Wireless Virus Reported
McAfee.com, a manufacturer of antivirus software, has uncovered the first computer virus to be used against wireless device users. Vincent Gulloto, the director of the manufacturer's Anti Virus Emergency Response Team, said he discovered the virus Thursday night. But the so-called Palm OS/Phange Virus is not a significant threat for now, Gullota says.The virus is designed to be used against PDAs using the Palm OS operating system, which is installed in about 79% of hand-held computers worldwide. When infected with the virus, a PDA's screen will show a dark gray box. The dark box is easily removed from the screen by shutting off the PDA and turning it back on again. Furthermore, a user can remove the virus from the device by deleting the Phange.prc file that contains the virus. www.ap.org (09/23/00)
FleetXchange.com Designed for Fleets by Fleets
FleetXchange.com is an Internet site made for equipment and maintenance professionals of small to medium fleets. Charles Kwon, president of Chicago-based Neodesic Corporation, the business to business company that formed the site, believes that FleetXchange will help give small-sized fleet professionals the knowledge to make better decisions and simplify purchasing processes. The site offers a community of advice and opinions from truck manufacturers and service providers.FleetXchange offers an abundance of information that is relevant to fleet operation. Brett Wangman, director of Marketing at Neodesic, explained that the company interviewed fleet managers last year to gather information on what would be most useful for the site's visitors. Visitors to the Web site pay no fee to become members, and can offer help in answering peer questions via e-mail.
There are four Xchanges on the site, including InfoXchange, FleetBuy, PartsXchange, and ServicesXchange. InfoXchange helps solve problems and answer questions presented in ordinary language. The technology takes a question and searches its site for hyperlinks to similar or the exact subject matter. The Question Board allows queries to be posted; they are often answered by other members. The Q&A feature accompanies the Topics of the Day and links to the Weather Channel and Federal Highway Administration.
FleetBuy offers visitors the chance to purchase supplies. The site's partnership with AmeriQuest helps connect members to local sellers. Neodesic also has alliances with Honeywell/CoreBin and J.J. Keller.
PartsXchange offers researched information about the many parts of the cab, engine, and wheels. The section lists average street prices for new or used components, and rates the components.
ServicesXchange contains links to Web sites of compliance software, roadside assistance, and ratings of various providers. Fleet Equipment (09/00) Vol. 26, No. 9, P. 14; Ludorf, Carol A.
Despite Flaws, WAP Is Set
WAP phones have made a less than impressive entry in the European market. The phones had been promoted as having a broad range of Internet access features, such as accessing bank accounts and trading shares, or locating a restaurant in the user's proximity.But as WAP makes its debut, critics say that such promises have not been actualized by the technology. They point to the large cost and slow times required to use WAP for mobile Web surfing or accessing information. Security still remains a concern among consumers and location-based services are still in early stages.
WAP is designed to allow wireless devices to navigate specially modified versions of regular Web sites with the phone's keypad. WAP was created from the combined resources of some of the world's leading telecom companies, including Nokia, Telefon, Ericsson, and Motorola. The companies established a forum to promote the standard in 1997, which now has a membership of over 500 companies world-wide.
Ovum, a research and consulting firm, projects that there will be 684 million users of WAP, or a similar standard, by 2006. But so far in Europe, the launch of WAP-enable phones has proceeded at a slow pace. For instance, Vodafone AirTouch, while announcing it had sold 50,000 WAP products, says it would not promote the new phones until services for users improved.
The current number of WAP sites remains sketchy, but Vodafone estimates that there at least 1,000 presently assessable by WAP users. Critics argue that current phones offer features that are too troublesome for convenient use because of the limitations of WAP 1.1 based services. Wall Street Journal (09/25/00); Chan, Karen
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