Argos, a worldwide tracking and environmental monitoring program, monitors one of the largest international buoy networks. Over 3000 buoys in this network collect data about the worlds’ ocean and changes in its environment. Although these drifter buoys collect an enormous amount of data, the need for more ocean data and more ocean communications networks grows. [...]
The environmental monitor and sensing market is one of the few markets that continue to grow. Research reports indicate that the market now hovers at around the $10 billion mark with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in the range of 5 percent.
Although the oceanic segment is not one of this market’s largest, it has [...]
For some nothing compares to the thrill of the catch! Ever wonder where you can catch the next ‘big one’?
As America’s Cup takes place in Valencia, Spain, who will finally win is one of the major questions. Will it be the defender of the cup, a catamaran named Alinghi 5, or the challenger, a trimaran named BMW Oracle USA 17?
The answer will depend on a number of variables. Chance and luck will play a [...]
Wireless energy is the next step forward for informed boaters. Boaters who want a safer boat, a boat that moves quicker and a boat that’s not cluttered, are moving to wireless instrumentation systems, wireless switches and wireless displays. The latest wireless instruments use just a fraction of the power that older ones do, and the [...]
WiFi array technology is the new hardware for the new WiFi networks, and there are many reasons why. WiFi arrays can connect far more WiFi users with higher bandwidth and higher range with much less hardware. And that makes lower cost network solutions possible for connecting cities, harbors, ports, schools and businesses.
Xirrus (Thousand Oaks, CA) [...]
One company that is on the forefront of Wireless over Water is Intellicheck Mobilisa (Port Townsend, Washington, AMEX: IDN). The company not only coined the phrase, but has built and tested what it calls Floating Area Networks (FAN). These FAN networks define Wi-Fi communication perimeters in harbors and ports. Once a boat enters these regions [...]
Satellite music channels are starting to reach deeper into the boating market. One can now find cruise ships that offer stern to bow satellite radio. And with the music comes weather data that streams into navigation display systems. One of the reasons is that Sirius XM Radio (New York City, New York, Nasdaq: SIRI), one [...]
Today, the cost of navigation systems is dropping, giving more navigation capabilities for less money. This is making it much easier for more and more boaters to protect their boats from the dangers of the sea.
The newer systems can warn of impending storms, changing weather conditions and hazardous waters. And they can do it all [...]
There are a wide variety of hardware centric features that can be found on GPS handhelds. These include barometric altimeters, electronic compasses, short-range wireless transceivers, temperature sensors and zoom cameras. All of these can be used to build your own portable and transferable geographic information system.
For the building of photonavigation systems, most GPS devices automatically [...]