Technology Briefs — Jan. 17 - Jan. 22

This briefing can be e-mailed to you every week. Just click here to register.The Latest Headlines:

• Georgia Weigh Stations to Use PrePass
• Purolator Selects Software System from Carrier Logistics
• Iowa Plans Internet Kiosks at Rest Stops
• President to Address Global Warming in Tuesday Speech

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Georgia Weigh Stations to Use PrePass

The Georgia Department of Transportation, in partnership with Help Inc., is installing PrePass technology system to reduce the frequency a cargo tractor trailer truck must stop to be weighed while traveling on Georgia’s interstates.The partnership “will enable Georgia to improve commercial vehicle enforcement, save motor carriers time and improve highway safety” Georgia DOT Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl said in a statementPrePass is a coast-to-coast system enabling qualified motor carriers to comply electronically with state weight, safety and credential requirements while traveling at normal highway speeds rather than stopping at state truck inspection facilities. PrePassPLUS is a service that enables users to also pay E-ZPass system tolls electronically. With a monthly toll bill approaching $11 million, PrePassPLUS is believed to be the nation’s single largest toll account, PrePass said. Transport Topics

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Purolator Selects Software System from Carrier LogisticsCanadian courier company Purolator Courier Ltd. has chosen the Carrier Logistics “Facts” system to support its new freight division, Purolator Freight.Facts is a freight-management system developed by Tarrytown, N.Y.-based Carrier, which will give Purolator Freight employees greater accessibility to information in real time, Carrier said.A major component of the new system will be the new Purolator Freight Web site, where information on shipments will be powered by the system.The Web site will feature the capability to trace shipments, view freight charges, retrieve images, generate pickup requests, and more, Carrier said. Transport Topics

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Iowa Plans Internet Kiosks at Rest Stops

Motorists traveling across Iowa will be able to acess the Internet at rest stops beginning March 1, the Associated Press reported.The Iowa Department of Transportation will install Internet kiosks with road information at interstate highway rest stops starting then, AP said.The kiosks will have interactive, touch-screen options to give motorists information about weather and road conditions or where to find a gas station, restaurant or motel, said Steve McMenamin, AP reported.The state already has computer monitors at most rest areas, but in most cases, travelers can’t choose what they want to see, AP said. Iowa has 40 rest stops on its interstates. Transport Topics

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President to Address Global Warming in Tuesday Speech

President Bush will unveil what aides have billed as a new national strategy on energy and global warming during his annual State of the Union speech Tuesday, the Boston Globe reported.In previewing the speech, administration officials strongly hinted the president will outline steps the government may take toward reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which many scientists believe contribute to global warming, the Globe said in a front-page story Monday.The White House did not discuss details in advance of the speech, though many in Congress and the energy industry expect it to include raising fuel-economy standards for automobiles and more support for renewable energy sources, the paper said.The commitment would mark a shift for the White House, which critics say has tried to undermine scientific evidence of the link between air pollution and trends toward warming in the environment, the Globe said. Transport TopicsPrevious Technology Briefs