gTrax: AIS Vessel Tracking for the iPhone
gCaptain.com has teamed up with Maritime Information Systems (MIS), U.S. provider of vessel tracking solutions to the maritime industry, to offer gTrax, Vessel Tracking For The iPhone.gTrax harnesses MIS's network of redundant secure, Automatic Identification System (AIS), antennas to gather information directly from commercial ships and boats underway in the harbor. Once processed through MIS's server, the information is pushed out to your iPhone and the location of each ship is plotted on the app's built in google map.The vessel's location is just the start. Each ship is color coded according to its speed and oriented by course giving you an accurate "heads-up" view of the marine traffic around you. Clicking on the vessel brings additional information including the ship's destination, job function, navigational status and more.Advanced sorting capabilities allow you to sort by the vessel's name and function. For example, if you want to find the exact location of a ferry, you can select to view only passenger vessels. If you know the name of a specific ferry, simply type it in and the map will automatically center on the vessel's current location.You can sort ships by type including: - Cargo of Tanker (Large Commercials Ships) - Passenger (Ferry's & Cruise Ships) - Law Enforcement (Coast Guard & Police) - Oil Spill Response - Fishing Boats - Plus 14 other categories.In addition the app tracks mega-yachts, sailing ships and pleasure boats equipped with AIS-B transmitters.Locations currently supported include: - San Francisco, Calif. - New York City, N.Y. - Baltimore, Md. - Beaumont, Texas - Boston, Mass. - The Great Lakes - Miami, Fla. - Seattle, Wash. - Shanghai, China - Tampa, Fla.12. New Roads/St. Francisville Ferry Closed for RepairsThe Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced that the New Roads/St. Francisville ferry is closed to allow crews to make engine repairs.The ferry will return to its regular schedule by mid-day on Thursday, Jan. 7. The operating hours for the New Roads/St. Francisville ferry are 5 a.m. - 9 p.m. seven days a week. Before traveling, drivers can call the Toll-Free Ferry Information line at 1-888-613-3779 for the status of the ferry, or visit the “Ferry Status” page on the right-hand side of the DOTD Web site. Drivers can also access updates on the ferry through Twitter by visiting: www.twitter.com/StFran_FerryBy creating a Twitter account, drivers can receive automatic updates on the ferry’s status via their Twitter Web page or text message. For questions about DOTD’s Twitter page or any other DOTD-related questions, contact DOTD’s Customer Service Center at 1-877-4LA-DOTD (1-877-452-3683). The center’s normal business hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
gTrax: AIS Vessel Tracking for the iPhone