Sprint Nextel service to track school buses
A Global Positioning System service offered by Sprint Nextel Corp. will allow school districts to track the locations of their school bus fleets. The service will also show administrators which pupils are aboard the buses and the stops where they get off.
The iX-3 system, designed by Sprint Nextel partner Everyday Wireless, uses the carrier’s iDEN network and GPS signals to track a bus’ location. It can also track rider attendance, and can send automatic alerts if a student gets off at the wrong stop. Finally, the service can also generate automated rider reports for school districts that are required to file such reports in order to receive state and federal funding.
The technology “does not delay the boarding and disembarking process,” according to the companies. Other features include integration with Sprint Nextel’s iDEN push-to-talk service, direct dispatch, two-way text messaging and live audio monitoring and recording.
According to Bill Bair, director of transportation for the Colorado Springs (Colo.) School District, the Everyday Wireless system “has significantly reduced the number of complaints that we received from schools and parents.” He said the technology has “eliminated the need to make return phone calls to parents since now we have the ability to address their issues immediately by looking at up-to-date data.”
You too can wear the crown
CMT Mobile is offering the Miss America Pageant theme song, “There she is, Miss America,” as a ringtone. The song, performed by longtime master of ceremonies Bert Parks, is available for purchase at www.missamerica.cmt.com and via carriers for $3. The Miss America Pageant airs Jan. 29. The company also is allowing customers to vote via text message for the contestant they think should win the Miss Congeniality Award.
No more freebies
Mobile-phone manufacturers are declining to cozy up to the Hollywood elite at Monday’s Golden Globe Awards show. In years past, everything from cellphones, MP3 players, iPods and Palm Pilots found their way into the box of booty given to presenters. Less-valuable swag is also given to many of the attendees in goodie bags. “There’s nothing like that going in this year, we’re literally giving them a bag full of fragrances,” said Cyd Wilson, director of creative development at InStyle Magazine, which for last eight years has been in charge of the freebie gathering and distribution for the show. “We don’t have any wireless products in the gift bags this year,” she said. “We just don’t have anybody that stepped up to the plate this year.”
