The blog
Iridium announced to its distribution network the shutdown of the AxcessPoint WiFi router at the end of February (¹) which allows an iPad or iPhone to connect to an Iridium phone to access an email service.
No need to worry for current users : the associated Iridium email service will remain active and accessible to all users. However, this router will no longer be able to be ordered from the 25 February. Read more …
The year 2015 barely started, the developers are already giving us the developments of their applications, probably made between two glasses of champagne during the holidays. I consider iNavX and iSailor as the two best navigation apps so far under iOS. These are the ones that offer the most extensive functions and the selection of the best charts. They each have their qualities and faults., and I take advantage of the new features brought by their recent update to try a quick function/price comparison.
Warning, this exercise is associated with a snapshot vision, valid today but quickly obsolete tomorrow, as changes are rapid in this domain. On the other hand, it is always difficult to distinguish between objective and subjective aspects in a comparison., I was already confronted in the past (¹). Read more …
By a corrected notification on 23 December 2014 (¹), with NWS (National Weather Service) NOAA announced a major update to its GFS weather prediction model to be effective in mid-January 2015. Actually, This model has been partially available on an experimental basis since the beginning of December.
March, the Global Forecast System (GFS) is a weather forecasting model produced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) dependent on the NWS. Dozens of variables (²) are available through this dataset, from the temperatures, winds and precipitation down to soil moisture and atmospheric ozone concentration. The entire world is covered by the current GFS model with a horizontal resolution of 27 km between grid points up to 10 days. The horizontal resolution is 70 km for forecasts between one week and two weeks. The GFS model is a coupled model, Composed of four distinct models (An atmospheric model, An ocean model, A terrestrial model, and a sea ice model), that compete together to give an accurate picture of weather conditions. Changes are regularly made to the GFS model to improve the performance and accuracy of the forecasts. Mesh data is available for download via NOMADS servers (National Operational Model Archive and Distribution System) and widely used by app developers around the world.
Since release Apple iOS 8 early October 2014 the messaging app Iridium Mail & Web app (who replaced Iridium Mail & Web app) was no longer able to export an attachment to another application using the “Open in” function.… ”. As a result, a GRIB weather file received as an attachment from the SailDocs server could no longer be used in any application, mainly Weather4D PRO.
It took more than 3 months for two successive updates to correct this severely handicapping problem for Iridium customer users :
[Update 26 August 2018]
I have been an ardent supporter of vector maps for several years.. Compact, of low numerical weight, easy to update, they are perfectly suited to use on our mobile devices.
According to the good old adage that only fools don't change their minds, Recent technical developments in hardware and software, added to maritime events that have occurred in recent years, have led me to reflect on the correctness of my opinion. Trained in the old school of safety in Glénans Sailing School, The only bias I must allow myself to express is that of the safety of human life at sea. This may sound a bit "old-fashioned" for some, but I assume. Hang, It's going to be a long time.
During a search on the App Store for my previous post, I found out under the term "Simrad" an application that furiously reminds me of something. From research to research, I discover the company Electric Pocket. This British applications publisher Develops the Mobile Apps from 1997, andrecently the applications Nautical under the name Pocket Mariner. That Company is based in Wales, United Kingdom, and deals with partners from all over the world.
Read more …
A few days before the opening of the Nautic Paris boat show where, I remind him, I will be present on the stand iTabNav (Hall 2.1 – D31), An overview is in order. And precisely, in our immediate horizon we shall have, like every year, proximity to marine electronics manufacturers and their representatives.
At the previous edition of the boat show, I had noticed the reluctance – not to say hostility – of manufacturers towards the growing phenomenon of tablets and other smartphones on the navigation market. By dint of promoting these devices and their applications, I probably didn't just make friends in this business. However, Strong pressure from boat buyers, and therefore navigation electronics, has forced those manufacturers to integrate a minimum of interactivity between their own hardware and the mobile devices now owned by a majority of browsers.
This prompts me to take a quick look at the status of the applications provided and the progress of the proposed functions.
The company ShipModul website has made a Mac OS X version of the configuration utility MPX-Config configuration utility for the multiplexer Miniplex-2Wi (¹). It is now available in Downloads section of their website. This utility allows you to make the settings of the multiplexer without going through Windows.
[Update 2/11/2014] MPX-Config V.3.70.0 is compatible with OS 10.10 "Yosemite". He manages the firmware 3.30 and sup. of Miniplex-2Wi. You'll need to connect your Miniplex to a Mac (as Windows PC) with USB cord, after downloading and installing the latest version beforehand, as well as the latest USB driver provided on the ShipModul website (²). You must be connected to the Internet, or in WiFi, either in 3G/4G, in cellular connection sharing if necessary.
iPolar 2.0 arrives with several improvements, including one expected from the beginning : the possibility of exporting fleeces by email. Done, and moreover the export of fleeces (single or multi-sail) is systematically done in 3 file formats : CSV, TXT and POL. Enough to reuse the fleeces with any application on Mac, PC or other mobile devices.
The dream !
With iNavX, with iPhone like iPad, charts update goes through two processes. It is necessary to distinguish individual charts update, and update full charts folders with a new edition. Read more …