ET Now: Firstly what kind of margins are you expecting that you are going to enjoy in theRFID andsmart card segment?
SK Mittal: We are quite optimistic and the future is looking very very bright as far as the deployment of RFID and smart card, which is the focus areas of our company, is concerned. Secondly let me tell you that our presence is there in some other infrastructure based project lines also, primarily into toll management system which are in the focus area for the government highway projects. Also on the major infrastructure things like parking guidance system, parking management systems because these are the common requirement of every commercial or government projects. So overall, we are very very optimistic about the future and company is like committed to have a significant growth in the future itself.
ET Now: How big is the Indian smart card market and who are your big competitors?
SK Mittal: When we talk of the RFID and the smart card combinedly, the government initiatives in the private sector also are spending heavily into the smart card and RFID's initiatives due to multiple advantages which it carries. Security thefts are the biggest driver factor in deployment of these technologies.
ET Now: How would you be utilising the proceeds of the issue?
SK Mittal: It is declared in the prospectus also like, there is a significant investment proposed in the R&D of few futurist products which company has identified. Namely we are launching our PPFA which is a token less two factor authentication which has been made mandatory byRBI of India for all the financial transactions on line into every segment. Secondly, we are also investing in R&D of certain products on3G that video based sort of a video content development.
2011年7月26日星期二
The Conversation Stopper: SEC Inspector General H. David Kotz
H. David Kotz knows what it's like to have all conversation stop the moment he steps into a crowded elevator at work—and resume the moment he exits.
But the inspector general of the Securities and Exchange Commission isn't much concerned with being popular. He's far more interested in "rolling up my sleeves in a matter and trying to figure out what happened," he says.
His investigations range from minor issues (an employee who yells and curses at colleagues) to colossal scandals (Bernard Madoff's $65 billion fraud) to just plain embarrassing (workplace porn, anyone?). "The primary role I have is to ensure the agency is able to perform its mission in an effective and efficient manner," says Kotz, 44, in a lengthy interview in his second-floor office in a far corner of SEC headquarters overlooking a parking lot. With a tight-knit staff of 22, Kotz conducts audits and investigations that touch every aspect of agency operations. Since joining the SEC in late 2007, he's produced explosive reports that have documented SEC shortcomings in painful detail—and led directly to major internal reforms.
"When he got to [the SEC], it was a mess. It's a totally different agency now, in large part because of his efforts," says whistle-blower Harry Markopolos, who tried without success to alert the SEC to Madoff's Ponzi scheme for nearly a decade. "I had lost my faith in government. But he was unflagging. Nothing deterred him or his team. He restored my faith."
Kotz's scrutiny of the SEC remains relentless. In a 109-page semiannual report sent to Congress in May, he uncovered dozens of new mistakes and problems. For example, a regional staff attorney disclosed the name of a confidential Federal Bureau of Investigation informant to an investor and witness, and revealed that the informant was secretly taping conversations.
In another instance, an SEC employee provided "false, misleading, and nonpublic information to investors about an active enforcement investigation and litigation." The employee was an investor in the company, which the report doesn't name—but the dates cited match the SEC's case against Imperia Invest IBC. The company, an alleged Ponzi scheme, targeted deaf investors. The SEC won a court order for millions in disgorgement in February.
Kotz's report also details widespread problems, like granting contractors access to SEC buildings and computer systems before their background investigations are complete. And it flags an ongoing investigation into the SEC's $557 million lease for 900,000 square feet of unneeded office space in downtown Washington, D.C.
On a more personal—and mortifying—note, the report found that SEC lawyers and accountants are still using their office computers to view pornography during work hours, despite a much-publicized prior report from Kotz about the practice. One lawyer received hundreds of "access request denials" for Web sites classified as pornographic, but still managed to view dirty images on his SEC computer. He subsequently quit. Another lawyer looked at numerous photos of partially or fully nude women at work and is being fired.
But Covington & Burling securities practice cohead David Martin wonders if "you couldn't go into any organization in the country, any corporation or government agency," and find similar behavior. "I'm not condoning it, but don't see that the case has been made that the SEC is much different than the rest of the world in this respect," he says.
Martin, who formerly headed the SEC's division of corporation finance but does not know Kotz personally, said the inspector general's high-profile approach to his job "could strengthen the SEC if it makes everyone careful about what they do." But there is a balance to be struck, he cautions: "A little fear is good, but too much is a bad thing."
Kotz earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1990 and is married to Boston Globe health reporter Deborah Kotz. The couple has three children. Kotz prides himself on never missing a parent-teacher conference—he's even found time over the years to coach Little League and soccer teams.
He began his legal career in private practice, working for the now-defunct Graham & James, then Stults & Balber, and Pepper Hamilton, where he was a litigator. In 1999 he moved to the U.S. Agency for International Development and became inspector general of the Peace Corps in 2006.
At the Peace Corps, much of his work focused on the safety and security of the overseas volunteers. When he was hired to be SEC inspector general in 2007 by then-chairman Christopher Cox, the reaction from many people, he recalls, was: "Well, this is very different from the Peace Corps; you're going to have to get up to speed on securities issues."
They quickly offered help. "I remember the chairman and the chief of staff gave me these very, very large books with all kinds of analysis on securities regulation," he says. "And then the first three or four investigations that I worked on at the SEC were identical to ones I worked on at the Peace Corps—procurement fraud, inappropriate use of the computer, things like that."
But he soon found himself in the thick of the securities world with the collapse of Bear Stearns Companies, Inc., in March 2008. His first major report, released six months later, looked at the SEC's role in overseeing the investment bank. "It is undisputable that [the SEC] failed to carry out its mission in its oversight of Bear Stearns," the report stated. There were "numerous potential red flags prior to Bear Stearns's collapse."
Bear Stearns was followed by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and the emergency sale of Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc. But for Kotz, nothing compared to the call from Cox to investigate how the SEC, despite receiving six substantive complaints, failed to detect that Madoff defrauded thousands of clients out of billions of dollars.
After nine months of near round-the-clock work, Kotz and his team produced a 477-page document that whistle-blower Markopolos called "the most unbelievable report produced by an inspector general in the history of government. He told the truth. Every system of checks and balances failed."
Kotz remembers the weight his office was under: "It was a massive undertaking. There was a lot of pressure from Congress to get it done in a timely manner. But we also needed to make sure that after the report was issued, questions didn't linger."
In the course of the investigation—almost on a whim—Kotz decided to request an interview with Madoff himself. He figured, "Who better than Bernie Madoff to find out how Bernie Madoff misled the SEC?"
It was a long shot: "Initially, I didn't think he would talk to me." Madoff had not yet been sentenced, and was not cooperating with the government.
To Kotz's surprise, Madoff agreed. On June 17, 2009, Kotz and deputy inspector general Noelle Frangipane interviewed Madoff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. The disgraced financier was led out in leg irons, and spoke with Kotz for nearly four hours. "He was very forthcoming. He didn't hold back or refuse to answer any questions," Kotz says. "He was very concerned about his reputation . . . but he did not express a lot of remorse for victims."
Kotz came away with some insights into Madoff's character. "I asked him, 'Did you provide the SEC with any false documents?' He said, 'No. In fact, the documents I provided to the SEC were exactly the ones I provided to my customers.' I said 'Okay, but weren't both of them false?' He said, 'No.'
"I said, 'All right, let me try again. Didn't the documents that you provided to the SEC reflect trades that didn't occur?' So he thought for about 30 seconds and said, 'Yeah, I guess I can see how you might view them as false.'
"I think his psychology was that he almost believed he wasn't perpetrating a fraud," Kotz says. "I think that's why he was so effective."
But the inspector general of the Securities and Exchange Commission isn't much concerned with being popular. He's far more interested in "rolling up my sleeves in a matter and trying to figure out what happened," he says.
His investigations range from minor issues (an employee who yells and curses at colleagues) to colossal scandals (Bernard Madoff's $65 billion fraud) to just plain embarrassing (workplace porn, anyone?). "The primary role I have is to ensure the agency is able to perform its mission in an effective and efficient manner," says Kotz, 44, in a lengthy interview in his second-floor office in a far corner of SEC headquarters overlooking a parking lot. With a tight-knit staff of 22, Kotz conducts audits and investigations that touch every aspect of agency operations. Since joining the SEC in late 2007, he's produced explosive reports that have documented SEC shortcomings in painful detail—and led directly to major internal reforms.
"When he got to [the SEC], it was a mess. It's a totally different agency now, in large part because of his efforts," says whistle-blower Harry Markopolos, who tried without success to alert the SEC to Madoff's Ponzi scheme for nearly a decade. "I had lost my faith in government. But he was unflagging. Nothing deterred him or his team. He restored my faith."
Kotz's scrutiny of the SEC remains relentless. In a 109-page semiannual report sent to Congress in May, he uncovered dozens of new mistakes and problems. For example, a regional staff attorney disclosed the name of a confidential Federal Bureau of Investigation informant to an investor and witness, and revealed that the informant was secretly taping conversations.
In another instance, an SEC employee provided "false, misleading, and nonpublic information to investors about an active enforcement investigation and litigation." The employee was an investor in the company, which the report doesn't name—but the dates cited match the SEC's case against Imperia Invest IBC. The company, an alleged Ponzi scheme, targeted deaf investors. The SEC won a court order for millions in disgorgement in February.
Kotz's report also details widespread problems, like granting contractors access to SEC buildings and computer systems before their background investigations are complete. And it flags an ongoing investigation into the SEC's $557 million lease for 900,000 square feet of unneeded office space in downtown Washington, D.C.
On a more personal—and mortifying—note, the report found that SEC lawyers and accountants are still using their office computers to view pornography during work hours, despite a much-publicized prior report from Kotz about the practice. One lawyer received hundreds of "access request denials" for Web sites classified as pornographic, but still managed to view dirty images on his SEC computer. He subsequently quit. Another lawyer looked at numerous photos of partially or fully nude women at work and is being fired.
But Covington & Burling securities practice cohead David Martin wonders if "you couldn't go into any organization in the country, any corporation or government agency," and find similar behavior. "I'm not condoning it, but don't see that the case has been made that the SEC is much different than the rest of the world in this respect," he says.
Martin, who formerly headed the SEC's division of corporation finance but does not know Kotz personally, said the inspector general's high-profile approach to his job "could strengthen the SEC if it makes everyone careful about what they do." But there is a balance to be struck, he cautions: "A little fear is good, but too much is a bad thing."
Kotz earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1990 and is married to Boston Globe health reporter Deborah Kotz. The couple has three children. Kotz prides himself on never missing a parent-teacher conference—he's even found time over the years to coach Little League and soccer teams.
He began his legal career in private practice, working for the now-defunct Graham & James, then Stults & Balber, and Pepper Hamilton, where he was a litigator. In 1999 he moved to the U.S. Agency for International Development and became inspector general of the Peace Corps in 2006.
At the Peace Corps, much of his work focused on the safety and security of the overseas volunteers. When he was hired to be SEC inspector general in 2007 by then-chairman Christopher Cox, the reaction from many people, he recalls, was: "Well, this is very different from the Peace Corps; you're going to have to get up to speed on securities issues."
They quickly offered help. "I remember the chairman and the chief of staff gave me these very, very large books with all kinds of analysis on securities regulation," he says. "And then the first three or four investigations that I worked on at the SEC were identical to ones I worked on at the Peace Corps—procurement fraud, inappropriate use of the computer, things like that."
But he soon found himself in the thick of the securities world with the collapse of Bear Stearns Companies, Inc., in March 2008. His first major report, released six months later, looked at the SEC's role in overseeing the investment bank. "It is undisputable that [the SEC] failed to carry out its mission in its oversight of Bear Stearns," the report stated. There were "numerous potential red flags prior to Bear Stearns's collapse."
Bear Stearns was followed by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and the emergency sale of Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc. But for Kotz, nothing compared to the call from Cox to investigate how the SEC, despite receiving six substantive complaints, failed to detect that Madoff defrauded thousands of clients out of billions of dollars.
After nine months of near round-the-clock work, Kotz and his team produced a 477-page document that whistle-blower Markopolos called "the most unbelievable report produced by an inspector general in the history of government. He told the truth. Every system of checks and balances failed."
Kotz remembers the weight his office was under: "It was a massive undertaking. There was a lot of pressure from Congress to get it done in a timely manner. But we also needed to make sure that after the report was issued, questions didn't linger."
In the course of the investigation—almost on a whim—Kotz decided to request an interview with Madoff himself. He figured, "Who better than Bernie Madoff to find out how Bernie Madoff misled the SEC?"
It was a long shot: "Initially, I didn't think he would talk to me." Madoff had not yet been sentenced, and was not cooperating with the government.
To Kotz's surprise, Madoff agreed. On June 17, 2009, Kotz and deputy inspector general Noelle Frangipane interviewed Madoff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. The disgraced financier was led out in leg irons, and spoke with Kotz for nearly four hours. "He was very forthcoming. He didn't hold back or refuse to answer any questions," Kotz says. "He was very concerned about his reputation . . . but he did not express a lot of remorse for victims."
Kotz came away with some insights into Madoff's character. "I asked him, 'Did you provide the SEC with any false documents?' He said, 'No. In fact, the documents I provided to the SEC were exactly the ones I provided to my customers.' I said 'Okay, but weren't both of them false?' He said, 'No.'
"I said, 'All right, let me try again. Didn't the documents that you provided to the SEC reflect trades that didn't occur?' So he thought for about 30 seconds and said, 'Yeah, I guess I can see how you might view them as false.'
"I think his psychology was that he almost believed he wasn't perpetrating a fraud," Kotz says. "I think that's why he was so effective."
2011年7月21日星期四
Volkswagen Jetta is one cool customer
Every now and then, from the performance and design-dominated world of motoring, comes a car that takes us by surprise because of its sheer simplicity and commitment to what cars were meant to do in the first place: Get us from A to B.
A reliable car with an engine that produces upwards of 100 horsepower and an automatic tranny is what I would call an ideal car, especially for the hectic city of Dubai.
In addition to sufficient power and reliability, a good fuel average and air conditioning that cools the car quickly in summer are factors you need to keep in mind when choosing an affordable family sedan.
A few days with the 2011 Jetta made me realise all of the above are second nature to this sedan from Volkswagen.
Cost is key
Affordability is the key feature of the Jetta, which has a starting price of around Dh69,400, and although it is priced slightly higher than its Japanese rivals in the same segment, it makes up for this by offering a smooth German motoring experience.
The Jetta comes with a 2.0-litre engine that produces 115 brake horsepower. Agreed, that's not a lot but the attractive part about it is that it offers premium build quality for those who don't care too much about how powerful the engine is.
I took the Jetta on a trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai. I was curious about how it would feel on a slightly long-distance run rather than the tiresome city driving it is built for.
On the highway the Jetta was smooth and composed. The 2.0-litre engine provided sufficient power and acceleration to keep up with frequent lane changes. However, although the Jetta isn't technically underpowered, it lacks the aggression and quick acceleration needed to remain a contender in the fast lane.
Driving the car in the city was a walk in the park for the Jetta with its front-wheel-drive system helping manoeuvre the car with minimal understeer. The wheel had a good grip and felt nice and snug, and although the car feels a lot heavier than it actually is (a European car trait), the overall handling is good.
Given the fact this is a city car, it would have been great if it came loaded with a navigation system, but then again, a portable GPS unit isn't very expensive these days.
The Jetta accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a little more than 12 seconds. While point A to point B motorists won't fret about this, its appeal would surely have been greater if it could do this in a few seconds less.
Great for going the distance
The interior is nicely finished - like any other Volkswagen sans the luxury bits. The overall feel and appeal are similar for the entire range of models.
The seats are firm and supportive and legroom is not bad at all for a car in this segment. Long-distance runs don't induce any significant travelling fatigue on the Jetta.
The sound system on the Trendline variant that I got to test drive isn't terribly impressive and the first thing I would do if I got a Jetta for myself is go for an audio upgrade.
The exterior, especially the rear end, bears a strong resemblance to its Audi cousins and it really does stand out as a well-designed car. The front grille and headlights bear the latest VW family design complete with 16" Navara alloy wheels.
One of the car's highlights is its air conditioning. The day we went to Abu Dhabi the temperature was hovering in the high 40s but the Jetta's dual zone air conditioning cooled the inside in a matter of minutes.
Parking assistance is via a voice and graphical guidance and although most cars these days have a rear camera, I really didn't miss it. The car's size is perfect for parking in tight spots.
Fuel average is one of the Jetta's strong points and what most buyers in this segment are really interested in. Especially for those who do a lot of driving, this really is perfect for the daily commute.
Service and maintenance schedules are in multiples of 10,000kms, so it really is hassle-free motoring compared to most Japanese cars that need servicing every 5,000kms or so.
So if you are looking for a comfortable vehicle for city commuting, or if you do a lot of driving around, check this one out.
A reliable car with an engine that produces upwards of 100 horsepower and an automatic tranny is what I would call an ideal car, especially for the hectic city of Dubai.
In addition to sufficient power and reliability, a good fuel average and air conditioning that cools the car quickly in summer are factors you need to keep in mind when choosing an affordable family sedan.
A few days with the 2011 Jetta made me realise all of the above are second nature to this sedan from Volkswagen.
Cost is key
Affordability is the key feature of the Jetta, which has a starting price of around Dh69,400, and although it is priced slightly higher than its Japanese rivals in the same segment, it makes up for this by offering a smooth German motoring experience.
The Jetta comes with a 2.0-litre engine that produces 115 brake horsepower. Agreed, that's not a lot but the attractive part about it is that it offers premium build quality for those who don't care too much about how powerful the engine is.
I took the Jetta on a trip to Abu Dhabi from Dubai. I was curious about how it would feel on a slightly long-distance run rather than the tiresome city driving it is built for.
On the highway the Jetta was smooth and composed. The 2.0-litre engine provided sufficient power and acceleration to keep up with frequent lane changes. However, although the Jetta isn't technically underpowered, it lacks the aggression and quick acceleration needed to remain a contender in the fast lane.
Driving the car in the city was a walk in the park for the Jetta with its front-wheel-drive system helping manoeuvre the car with minimal understeer. The wheel had a good grip and felt nice and snug, and although the car feels a lot heavier than it actually is (a European car trait), the overall handling is good.
Given the fact this is a city car, it would have been great if it came loaded with a navigation system, but then again, a portable GPS unit isn't very expensive these days.
The Jetta accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in a little more than 12 seconds. While point A to point B motorists won't fret about this, its appeal would surely have been greater if it could do this in a few seconds less.
Great for going the distance
The interior is nicely finished - like any other Volkswagen sans the luxury bits. The overall feel and appeal are similar for the entire range of models.
The seats are firm and supportive and legroom is not bad at all for a car in this segment. Long-distance runs don't induce any significant travelling fatigue on the Jetta.
The sound system on the Trendline variant that I got to test drive isn't terribly impressive and the first thing I would do if I got a Jetta for myself is go for an audio upgrade.
The exterior, especially the rear end, bears a strong resemblance to its Audi cousins and it really does stand out as a well-designed car. The front grille and headlights bear the latest VW family design complete with 16" Navara alloy wheels.
One of the car's highlights is its air conditioning. The day we went to Abu Dhabi the temperature was hovering in the high 40s but the Jetta's dual zone air conditioning cooled the inside in a matter of minutes.
Parking assistance is via a voice and graphical guidance and although most cars these days have a rear camera, I really didn't miss it. The car's size is perfect for parking in tight spots.
Fuel average is one of the Jetta's strong points and what most buyers in this segment are really interested in. Especially for those who do a lot of driving, this really is perfect for the daily commute.
Service and maintenance schedules are in multiples of 10,000kms, so it really is hassle-free motoring compared to most Japanese cars that need servicing every 5,000kms or so.
So if you are looking for a comfortable vehicle for city commuting, or if you do a lot of driving around, check this one out.
2011年7月18日星期一
3 Stocks Shaking the Market
Some stocks are one-hit wonders, making a big splash when they first appear, then quickly fizzling into obscurity or oblivion. But for other stocks, that initial big move is only a preview for even bigger and better gains to come.
Today, we've listed three stocks that made some of the biggest upward moves over the past month, which we'll pair with the ratings issued by our Motley Fool CAPS community. The higher each stock's rating, the greater CAPS members' faith in that company's ability to keep on beating the market.
While you were out, the markets have staged a remarkable recovery recently, enjoying its best week last week in almost two years. So before we get shaken out again, let's see why the CAPS community thinks some of these companies might continue to outperform the market.
A mighty temblor
Sure, Australian biotech Genetic Technologies has doubled over the past month, but over the past year, it's gained nearly 1000%, rising from a literal penny stock to over $10 a share. It's this type of gain that penny stock investors typically look for, though GT is the exception more than the rule.
Yet there's still a lot of risk here that the company could lose all of those gains. Genetic Technologies is the exclusive Australian licensee of Myriad Genetics' BRCA1 and BRCA2 patents, genes that indicate breast cancer susceptibility. Earlier this year a judge ruled that companies can't patent isolated DNA sequences since they occur in nature, and last week, Genetic Technologies requested that its shares not trade on the markets as it considers raising capital.
While it said it didn't expect the halt to last past Thursday, the stock has yet to trade and no further explanation has been forthcoming. Investors have a right to be fearful. Significant dilution or a significantly underpriced offering could cause the stock to plummet from its heights. Stopping a stock from trading for a day or two is one thing. For a week is just odd.
With just 29% of the CAPS members rating Genetic Technologies to outperform the broad market averages there's obviously deep skepticism here. But add it to your watchlist to keep an eye on what happens next.
Today, we've listed three stocks that made some of the biggest upward moves over the past month, which we'll pair with the ratings issued by our Motley Fool CAPS community. The higher each stock's rating, the greater CAPS members' faith in that company's ability to keep on beating the market.
While you were out, the markets have staged a remarkable recovery recently, enjoying its best week last week in almost two years. So before we get shaken out again, let's see why the CAPS community thinks some of these companies might continue to outperform the market.
A mighty temblor
Sure, Australian biotech Genetic Technologies has doubled over the past month, but over the past year, it's gained nearly 1000%, rising from a literal penny stock to over $10 a share. It's this type of gain that penny stock investors typically look for, though GT is the exception more than the rule.
Yet there's still a lot of risk here that the company could lose all of those gains. Genetic Technologies is the exclusive Australian licensee of Myriad Genetics' BRCA1 and BRCA2 patents, genes that indicate breast cancer susceptibility. Earlier this year a judge ruled that companies can't patent isolated DNA sequences since they occur in nature, and last week, Genetic Technologies requested that its shares not trade on the markets as it considers raising capital.
While it said it didn't expect the halt to last past Thursday, the stock has yet to trade and no further explanation has been forthcoming. Investors have a right to be fearful. Significant dilution or a significantly underpriced offering could cause the stock to plummet from its heights. Stopping a stock from trading for a day or two is one thing. For a week is just odd.
With just 29% of the CAPS members rating Genetic Technologies to outperform the broad market averages there's obviously deep skepticism here. But add it to your watchlist to keep an eye on what happens next.
2011年7月14日星期四
NBPA Deploys Streetline's Sensor-Enabled Smart Parking System
The New Brunswick Parking Authority (NBPA) of New Jersey has set up Streetline’s smart parking technology in downtown New Brunswick. The web-based and sensor-enabled mobile parking system from Streetline was deployed in the Plum Street Garage.
New Brunswick is an important transit hub for New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey cities. The smart parking technology would help simplify parking and also lessen the carbon footprint of the city. The Plum Street Garage is situated in a prime location in the transit hub.
The parking system will make use of Streetline's "Parker", a real-time, hands-free application for smart parking. The application can provide parking guidance to visitors, commuters and residents and can also reduce traffic congestion. The "Parker" app for iPhone and Android also provides the rate information for 12 area garages and lots owned by the NBPA.
The smart parking platform can locate cars via a network of wireless sensors that are placed in parking spaces. A suite of mobile and web applications in the system improve customer service and boost operational performance. They also help cities to improve the operation, control and monitoring tasks of garages.
The Plum Street Garage program represents Streetline's advancement in providing smart connected garages.
Streetline CEO, Zia Yusuf said that sensor-based smart parking systems played an important role in transforming large parking facilities.
New Brunswick is an important transit hub for New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey cities. The smart parking technology would help simplify parking and also lessen the carbon footprint of the city. The Plum Street Garage is situated in a prime location in the transit hub.
The parking system will make use of Streetline's "Parker", a real-time, hands-free application for smart parking. The application can provide parking guidance to visitors, commuters and residents and can also reduce traffic congestion. The "Parker" app for iPhone and Android also provides the rate information for 12 area garages and lots owned by the NBPA.
The smart parking platform can locate cars via a network of wireless sensors that are placed in parking spaces. A suite of mobile and web applications in the system improve customer service and boost operational performance. They also help cities to improve the operation, control and monitoring tasks of garages.
The Plum Street Garage program represents Streetline's advancement in providing smart connected garages.
Streetline CEO, Zia Yusuf said that sensor-based smart parking systems played an important role in transforming large parking facilities.
2011年7月12日星期二
2012 Land Rover Discovery 4 on sale in Australia in November
Land Rover has announced details for the facelifted 2012 Land Rover Discovery 4. The new vehicle will get similar revisions to the new Range Rover Sport, including changes to the in-car entertainment kit and also two new option packs.
The 2012 Land Rover Discovery 4 will come with new option packs: the Technology Pack and the Vision Assist Pack.
The Technology Pack includes a satellite navigation system with Land Rover’s 4x4i off-road guidance system. The pack also includes Parking Aid with front and rear cameras and ‘Say What You See’ voice-activated navigation.
The Vision Pack includes Surround Camera System including Approach Lamps, Automatic Headlamps with High Beam Assist and Tow Assist/Tow Hitch Assist. It also comes with Xenon Adaptive Front Headlamps and Cornering Lamps.
Other noticeable revisions for the new model include changes to the exterior with new 19-inch alloy wheels for the HSE model, while the existing HSE wheel now comes standard on the SDV6 SE model. A new 20-inch wheel design is available as an option across the range. Some detail changes also make their way onto the body including the grille and front fascia design.
The interior will incorporate Land Rover’s new MOST Gen 2.1 electrical infrastructure. The in-car entertainment has also been updated across the board, with a new colour-screen display, eight-speaker USB/iPod compatible stereo system, and an optional premium 380-watt sound system with 11 speakers. A top line Premium Harman Kardon LOGIC 7 is also available, with 17 speakers.
The 2012 Land Rover Discovery 4 will go on sale in Australia in November. Pricing will be confirmed closer to its local launch.
The 2012 Land Rover Discovery 4 will come with new option packs: the Technology Pack and the Vision Assist Pack.
The Technology Pack includes a satellite navigation system with Land Rover’s 4x4i off-road guidance system. The pack also includes Parking Aid with front and rear cameras and ‘Say What You See’ voice-activated navigation.
The Vision Pack includes Surround Camera System including Approach Lamps, Automatic Headlamps with High Beam Assist and Tow Assist/Tow Hitch Assist. It also comes with Xenon Adaptive Front Headlamps and Cornering Lamps.
Other noticeable revisions for the new model include changes to the exterior with new 19-inch alloy wheels for the HSE model, while the existing HSE wheel now comes standard on the SDV6 SE model. A new 20-inch wheel design is available as an option across the range. Some detail changes also make their way onto the body including the grille and front fascia design.
The interior will incorporate Land Rover’s new MOST Gen 2.1 electrical infrastructure. The in-car entertainment has also been updated across the board, with a new colour-screen display, eight-speaker USB/iPod compatible stereo system, and an optional premium 380-watt sound system with 11 speakers. A top line Premium Harman Kardon LOGIC 7 is also available, with 17 speakers.
The 2012 Land Rover Discovery 4 will go on sale in Australia in November. Pricing will be confirmed closer to its local launch.
2011年7月6日星期三
McCain's ATC Compliant 2070LXN2 NEMA Controller Exemplifies Interoperability
McCain Inc., a leading manufacturer and supplier of intelligent transportation systems, traffic control equipment and parking guidance solutions, today announced a contract award from the City of San Francisco for their 2070LXN2 NEMA traffic controllers.
McCain's 2070LXN2 NEMA controller is part of McCain's next generation of traffic equipment offering open architecture solutions that meet the latest Advanced Transportation Controller (ATC) standards. Participation in this project, which involved collaboration with Fourth Dimension to port their "D4" traffic signal software package to McCain's ATC controller, not only demonstrates McCain's propensity for building interoperable products but also highlights the technological advantages of ATC compliant traffic controllers. The porting process, including verification and field testing took less than three months.
Open architecture presents both buyers and manufacturers with cost benefits. In this instance, the combination of McCain's 2070LXN2 NEMA controller hardware and "D4" software permitted the City of San Francisco to migrate their existing 2070 software to an ATC platform. The software migration allowed them to extend the life of their original software and reduce the projects possible replacement costs. Solutions manufacturers have the added advantage of reduction in "time to market" that gets realized by adhering to standards when developing products.
"Offering interoperable products will help foster a competitive market where buyers get quick access to the latest product offerings at the best possible price," said Kleinjan Deetlefs, vice president of engineering at McCain Inc. "We're pleased to have been selected as the hardware provider on this project, which has given us the opportunity to display the extent of our interoperable solutions capabilities."
The 2070LXN2 NEMA controller's Linux operating system supports a variety of applications based on the software control package used, including: intersection control, ramp metering, variable message signs and changeable lane control. The controller's design is based on three major assemblies, the 2070 Controller, 2070 ATC CPU, and the 2070-2N Field I/O module.
McCain's 2070LXN2 NEMA controller is part of McCain's next generation of traffic equipment offering open architecture solutions that meet the latest Advanced Transportation Controller (ATC) standards. Participation in this project, which involved collaboration with Fourth Dimension to port their "D4" traffic signal software package to McCain's ATC controller, not only demonstrates McCain's propensity for building interoperable products but also highlights the technological advantages of ATC compliant traffic controllers. The porting process, including verification and field testing took less than three months.
Open architecture presents both buyers and manufacturers with cost benefits. In this instance, the combination of McCain's 2070LXN2 NEMA controller hardware and "D4" software permitted the City of San Francisco to migrate their existing 2070 software to an ATC platform. The software migration allowed them to extend the life of their original software and reduce the projects possible replacement costs. Solutions manufacturers have the added advantage of reduction in "time to market" that gets realized by adhering to standards when developing products.
"Offering interoperable products will help foster a competitive market where buyers get quick access to the latest product offerings at the best possible price," said Kleinjan Deetlefs, vice president of engineering at McCain Inc. "We're pleased to have been selected as the hardware provider on this project, which has given us the opportunity to display the extent of our interoperable solutions capabilities."
The 2070LXN2 NEMA controller's Linux operating system supports a variety of applications based on the software control package used, including: intersection control, ramp metering, variable message signs and changeable lane control. The controller's design is based on three major assemblies, the 2070 Controller, 2070 ATC CPU, and the 2070-2N Field I/O module.
2011年7月4日星期一
Rhode Island Welcome Back program helps foreign-trained medical professionals work toward licenses in U.S
The rural hospital in Colombia where Dr. Ericka Olivera worked was so poor that patients often had to bring their own medical supplies. There was no x-ray machine or CT scanner. Sometimes, she recalls, “there wasn’t enough gas for the ambulance to bring a patient to a larger hospital.”
Olivera delivered babies, treated burns and stab wounds, arthritis and heart attacks, asthma and high blood pressure. She taught patients how to control chronic diseases.
Through the Rhode Island Welcome Back program at Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center, Olivera is applying that breadth of experience, as well as her language skills and cultural background, as she works toward medical licensure in the United States.
“When I came here, I had a very low level of English. I had a tutor,” Olivera said. “When my English improved, I decided to get back to my career, but I didn’t know who could help me.”
A friend directed Olivera to the Rhode Island Welcome Back Center in Providence, a statewide initiative that helps underemployed, foreign-trained doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals get licensed and back to work in the U.S. health system.
Modeled after the original Welcome Back Center in San Francisco and one of eight such centers nationwide, the program assists with everything from English proficiency and acculturation to clinical experience, internship opportunities, work-force readiness training and a host of other supports.
Adding these foreign-trained professionals to the mix helps people otherwise stymied by language and cultural barriers to access health care. The program simultaneously aims to fill in work-force shortages in key related areas.
The Welcome Back initiative as a whole was honored in Washington, D.C., in May. Director Manuela Raposo represented the Rhode Island center.
“It’s really hard, you know, to start from zero,” said Olivera. “You have to study all that you did at the university [in Colombia]. This is a very hard, demanding career.”
The center encouraged her “not only not to give up and to get my medical license, but they gave me orientation, they gave me guidance. They provided books for me to study, and study partners,” and financial aid for exam fees. They also placed her in an “observership” at Clínica Esperanza, a free clinic in Olneyville, with which the center partners.
Olivera delivered babies, treated burns and stab wounds, arthritis and heart attacks, asthma and high blood pressure. She taught patients how to control chronic diseases.
Through the Rhode Island Welcome Back program at Dorcas Place Adult and Family Learning Center, Olivera is applying that breadth of experience, as well as her language skills and cultural background, as she works toward medical licensure in the United States.
“When I came here, I had a very low level of English. I had a tutor,” Olivera said. “When my English improved, I decided to get back to my career, but I didn’t know who could help me.”
A friend directed Olivera to the Rhode Island Welcome Back Center in Providence, a statewide initiative that helps underemployed, foreign-trained doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals get licensed and back to work in the U.S. health system.
Modeled after the original Welcome Back Center in San Francisco and one of eight such centers nationwide, the program assists with everything from English proficiency and acculturation to clinical experience, internship opportunities, work-force readiness training and a host of other supports.
Adding these foreign-trained professionals to the mix helps people otherwise stymied by language and cultural barriers to access health care. The program simultaneously aims to fill in work-force shortages in key related areas.
The Welcome Back initiative as a whole was honored in Washington, D.C., in May. Director Manuela Raposo represented the Rhode Island center.
“It’s really hard, you know, to start from zero,” said Olivera. “You have to study all that you did at the university [in Colombia]. This is a very hard, demanding career.”
The center encouraged her “not only not to give up and to get my medical license, but they gave me orientation, they gave me guidance. They provided books for me to study, and study partners,” and financial aid for exam fees. They also placed her in an “observership” at Clínica Esperanza, a free clinic in Olneyville, with which the center partners.
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