Sony Connect and Minnesota Department of Transportation: Difference between pages

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The '''Minnesota Department of Transportation''' ('''Mn/DOT''', pronounced "min-dot") oversees transportation by [[land]], [[water]], and [[air]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Minnesota]]. The [[cabinet]]-level agency is responsible for maintaining the state's [[trunk highway]] system (including [[List of Minnesota state highways|state highways]], [[U.S. highway]]s, and [[interstate highway]]s), funding municipal [[airport]]s and maintaining [[radio navigation aid]]s, and other activities. Minnesota's lieutenant governor, [[Carol Molnau]], is currently head of the department (Commissioner of Transportation).

'''Sony Connect''' is an application made by [[Sony]] to compete with Apple's [[iTunes Music Store]]. This program is only supports Sony's [[SonicStage]] software and Sony-manufactured music players (as well as Sony electronics, like [[Clie]] PDAs and the [[PlayStation Portable]]) and is not compatible with any third-party hardware. It is very similar to the [[iTunes Music Store]], but isn't as popular due to SonicStage's poor interface, more-limited song selection, and the limited interest in Sony's music players as compared to Apple's [[iPod]].

==History==

Songs downloaded are in Sony's [[ATRAC]]3+ format, which is based upon the standard [[AAC]] format.

The agency's history can be traced to the state's '''Railroad and Warehouse Commission''' which emerged slowly from [[1871]] to [[1905]], and the '''State Highway Commission''' created in 1905. However, the Highway Commission was abolished in [[1917]] and replaced by a '''Department of Highways'''. For air transport, the '''Minnesota Aeronautics Commission''' was created in [[1933]]. Much of the railroad oversight was transferred to the [[Minnesota Department of Public Service]] in [[1967]]. Two years later in [[1969]], the [[Minnesota Department of Public Safety|Department of Public Safety]] was established and took over the [[Minnesota State Patrol|Highway Patrol]] and [[driver's license|Driver's License Bureau]]. Mn/DOT finally came into being in [[1976]] and took over the functions of the aeronautics and highway departments, plus transportation-related duties of the [[Minnesota State Planning Agency|State Planning Agency]] and Department of Public Service.

==Services and projects==

The marketing team for Sony Connect has partnered up with [[United Airlines]] and Visa to allow customers to use their frequent flyer miles for downloading music.

Mn/DOT operates networks of [[ramp meter]]s and [[traffic camera]]s in the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul]] [[metropolitan area]] in order to manage traffic flow. In [[2000]], the ramp meters were turned off for a study period mandated by the [[Minnesota Legislature]]. The bill was backed by [[Republican Party of Minnesota|Republican]] [[Minnesota State Senate|State Senator]] [[Dick Day]] of [[Owatonna, Minnesota]], who has often been critical of Mn/DOT policies and projects. The study showed that ramp meters reduce the number of crashes on highways, and marginally reduce travel time in many cases. However, the study also showed some places where the meters were more of a hindrance, and metering strategies have been altered since that time. There are about 430 ramp meters and more than 280 traffic cameras.

The department has also put up informational [[variable message sign|electronic signage]] along highways to provide alert messages. Message boards have been in [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester]], [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]] and the Twin Cities for some time. Part of the reason for the Rochester signs is occasional [[flood]]ing of [[U.S. Highway 52]]. The department expanded use of the signs after [[Amber Alert]] legislation allocated funding for larger networks. In the Twin Cities, Mn/DOT began using them to display freeway travel times in [[2003]] or [[2004]] to help drivers plan alternate routes to avoid heavy traffic if necessary (although a generic message like "buckle up for safety" is often encountered).

[[Twin Cities Public Television]] (TPT) station KTCI channel 17 has been used for many years to display [[weather]]-related information that is funded by Mn/DOT. The department also had a long-standing partnership with [[KBEM]] radio (88.5 FM) in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota|Minneapolis]] to relay area traffic information, although that relationship is coming to an end. After public outcry, the term was extended, but it is unclear how long the two organizations will continue the relationship. Mn/DOT paid KBEM [[United States dollar|US$]]400,000 per year to provide the information, about half of the station's annual budget. Video from traffic cameras is also shown on [[cable television]] systems in the metro area (at one time, this had also been shown on KVBM channel 45, today known as [[KSTC-TV|KSTC]]).

{{compu-soft-stub}}

[[Snow plow]]s used on trunk highways are also operated by Mn/DOT.

== Competitors ==

* [http://www.audible.com Audible]

* [http://www.apple.com/itunes/ Apple's iTunes]

* [http://www.napster.com Napster]

* [http://musicdownloads.walmart.com/ Wal-Mart Music]

==See External Links also==

*[[Mn/ROAD]]

* [http://www.connect.com Sony Connect]

*[[MnPASS]]

* [http://www.sony.com Sony]

* [http://www.mileageplusmusic.com/ United Mileage Plus Music]

==External links==

*[http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ Minnesota Department of Transportation]

*[http://www.511mn.org/ 511mn.org] (state [[5-1-1]] webpage)

*[http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/trafficinfo/map/refreshmap.html Twin Cities traffic map]

*[http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/trafficinfo/metrocams/mapindex.html Twin Cities traffic cameras]

[[Category:Government of Minnesota|Department of Transportation]]

[[Category:Transportation in Minnesota|Department of Transportation]]