Numerous AIS tracking networks broadcast over the internet are available. Among the best known : Marine Traffic, Vessel Finder, SiiTech, LocateEverything, and many others. One of these networks particularly stands out, AIS Hub, an AIS data sharing center in NMEA format, that provides developers with an API for integration of its network into applications, and therefore display of AIS targets received via the Internet directly in the application. Featured from the origin in the functions of Weather4D Routing & Navigation, this system has made it possible to envisage new and particularly innovative services. Read more …
Weather tutorial available on Amazon [Update]
A new version 1.4 of Tutoriel Météo « Initiation à la météo marine » pour Kindle est disponible sur Amazon. Available on almost all media and operating systems thanks to free " Kindle ". This version was reviewed and aligned with the latest IOS version, avec vidéos fonctionnelles sur les plus récents appareils (*).
Understanding of weather phenomena up to requests and decryption weather forecasts and GRIB weather files, ce guide propose, après un rappel des notions de base de la météorologie, une démarche pratique et concrète pour accéder aux informations pertinentes, les visualiser et les analyser. An indispensable learning tool before addressing navigation weather applications like Weather4D, SailGrib, and others. Read more …
New at Navionics
The few hundred boaters, Android devices users, Who made me happy to follow this blog have been able to see with disappointment the absence of news since the end 2014. I am well sorry, But still to date I note very little in the field of maritime navigation. Apart from the applications already mentioned above which present updates without a revolution, The Android universe seems little of interest to the developers of navigation apps. When analyzing the global market share of Android on smartphones and tablets, and conversely the poverty of navigation applications compared to the proliferation under iOS, We remain doubtful. But that's how.
Therefore I am happy to find a pretext to take back my editors, supplied by Navionics, which for once in its commercial policy offers an improvement in the price of its Navionics Boating application. Read more …
Marine electronics manufacturers and the tablet phenomenon
Quelques jours avant l’ouverture du Nautic de Paris où, je le rappelle, je serai présent sur le stand iTabNav (Hall 2.1 – D31), un tour d’horizon s’impose. Et justement, dans notre horizon immédiat nous aurons, comme chaque année, la proximité des fabricants d’électronique de marine et de leurs représentants.
Lors de la précédente édition du salon nautique, j’avais pu constater la frilosité – pour ne pas dire l’hostilité – des fabricants à l’égard du phénomène croissant des tablettes et autres smartphones sur le marché de la navigation. A force de promouvoir ces appareils et leurs applications, je ne me suis probablement pas fait que des amis dans ce milieu. However, la forte pression des acheteurs de bateaux, et donc d’électronique de navigation, a contraint lesdits fabricants à intégrer un minimum d’interactivité entre leur propre matériel et les appareils mobiles possédés désormais par une majorité de navigateurs.
Ce qui m’incite à faire un rapide point sur l’état des applications fournies et l’avancée des fonctions proposées.
iTabNav.fr
The 14 mars 2011 I announced the appearance of the e-commerce website specializing in accessories, Supports and connection devices dedicated to iPhone and iPad for maritime navigation : iPadNav.fr. Since then, its founder and I maintained a close collaboration, our complementary actions allowing us to provide an effective response to all new users of these wonderful tools perfectly suited to nautical activities. Many of you were able to meet me several times on his stand, both at the Grand Pavois in La Rochelle and at the Nautic in Paris.
After three years of existence, Dominique Gauthier’s company has grown considerably, to the point of wanting to expand its offering to users other than boating : outdoor sports, hiking, trekking, fitness, and all leisure activities for which numerous targeted applications are now available, both for Apple devices and for the fast-growing market for Android devices.
For this reason, iPadNav has just announced in a press release the change of name of its website to iTabNav.fr July 1st 2014, in a stated desire to open its offering to all accessories useful for tablets and smartphones, regardless of brand or operating system, and for all leisure activities.
Let's hope that this new extended offer meets the same success as for pleasure boating., because iTabNav.fr will offer specialized products scattered across multiple foreign websites on a single French website. With local French service and support as a bonus.
NavLink soon on Android
English society Digital Yacht just announced on his blog the imminent arrival of its application NavLink, present for some time on Apple devices under iOS. I give you the translation here :
Navigate with a French smartphone
Crosscall is a French mobile brand created and run by the company Tech&Me SAS whose headquarters is in Châteauneuf-les-Martigues near Marseille. It develops a series of mobile telephone devices intended mainly for outdoor leisure activities and professionals in restrictive environments..
3 models are offered under Android (4.0.4) : Wild, Element et Odyssey, whose prices range respectively from 149 up to 315 € approximately at resellers. Dust and waterproof, equipped like most smartphones with a GPS receiver associated with a cellular location service, they can be used perfectly with maritime navigation applications. Read more …
Navionics Boating sur Android [Update]
How to do something new with something old ? Navionics knows it ! After publishing geographic areas including a navigation application, here is now an application, but without cartography. These Italians are too strong !
Navionics Boating completes, since January 2014, la collection d’applications Marine (smartphone) et Marine HD (tablets). Also available in standard version for smartphones and HD for tablets (7″ et +), Navionics Boating has version number 3.0.0 while the others have the number 2.9.8. Navionics précise, on the dedicated page from its website, that Navionics “Boating” does not replace Navionics “Marine” which will continue to be kept up to date. However, it is permissible to ask for how long, because this new application has a very unpleasant surprise in store. Read more …
The GRIB race will take place
It’s an interesting match-racing game that’s emerging on Android in the field of marine weather applications.. Indeed, since Olivier Bouyssou ported his software to Android Weather4D, the friendly Henri Laurent, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Nautic, has worked hard to bring new features and improvements to its application SailGrib/WR. In this “digital regatta” he thus marks a formidable opponent, although it has not yet carried the advanced functions of the iOS version to Android. This tactic, which aims to maintain a lead by placing yourself resolutely in front of your opponent, is often used by the best sailors.. Read more …
Happy holidays in the storms
End of year celebrations taking place under a nice train of depressions, no less than four from Christmas Eve to the beginning 2014. Happy New Year holidays to all and my best wishes for great sailing in 2014.