Posted by
John Dark on Tue, Sep 20, 2011 @ 06:40 AM
While our
XTracker Vessel-Tracking devices are generally used to track moving vessels, like polar cruise ships, here's a very cool application on a power-generating buoy. The XTracker ticks away giving precise location data.
[caption id="attachment_895" align="alignleft" width="578" caption="GMN XTracker on Ocean Power Technologies Power-Generating Buoy"]
[/caption]
From the Ocean Power Technologies Press Release
Ocean Power Technologies Deploys Autonomous PowerBuoy for US Navy Maritime Security Program
Pennington, NJ – August 22, 2011 -- Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTT) (“OPT” or “the Company”), a leading wave energy technology company, is pleased to announce the deployment for sea trials of a unique autonomous wave energy device, marking an important milestone in the expansion of the Company’s PowerBuoy product line.
This latest deployment is an autonomous PowerBuoy? designed and manufactured by OPT under the US Navy’s Littoral Expeditionary Autonomous PowerBuoy (LEAP) program for coastal security and maritime surveillance. The LEAP PowerBuoy structure, incorporating a unique power take-off and on-board energy storage system, is significantly smaller and more compact than the Company’s standard utility PowerBuoy. It provides persistent, off-grid clean energy in remote ocean locations for a wide variety of maritime security and monitoring applications.
Under the LEAP program, OPT has integrated its autonomous PowerBuoy with radar network and communications infrastructure from Rutgers University’s Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences in partnership with CODAR Ocean Sensors. This PowerBuoy provides power at the lower levels needed for the sophisticated vessel detection and tracking system, enabling maritime surveillance in the near coast, harbors and littoral zones worldwide. Mikros Systems Corporation provided data and systems architecture support for the PowerBuoy/radar network.
Currently, systems requiring remote power at sea are often powered by diesel generators, which need frequent maintenance and fuel replenishment. The LEAP PowerBuoy system was developed by OPT to provide constant power in all wave conditions for the sea-based radar and communications system. The Company’s proprietary power management techniques and on- board energy storage capability are key innovations of the system, and enable operation even in extended zero-wave sea conditions. In addition, the system has been engineered to require no maintenance for three years.
“This is a significant achievement for Ocean Power Technologies in the development and commercialization of its technology,” said Charles F. Dunleavy, Chief Executive Officer of OPT. “Today’s news marks the deployment of our first grid-independent, autonomous PowerBuoy for the LEAP program and is an exciting step forward for our product line focused on remote ocean applications. Our innovative autonomous PowerBuoy technology enables continuous operation of the sensors and communications equipment at sea for the US Navy, providing consistent, mission-critical power. The US Navy is our first customer in an attractive market for our technology in national security applications and in industries for which power is needed offshore. We are proud to be a part of this program for national security and grateful for the continued support from the US Navy and Coast Guard. We also appreciate the assistance of the New Jersey congressional delegation in bringing this program to fruition.”
The LEAP system was deployed on August 11, 2011 by a US Coast Guard vessel and will be ocean-tested approximately 20 miles off the coast of New Jersey. It will be integrated with the Rutgers University-operated, land-based radar network that provides ocean current mapping data for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Coast Guard search and rescue operations. The ocean test of the LEAP vessel detection system will therefore demonstrate dual-use capability of the radar network and verify OPT’s technology as a persistent power source for systems requiring remote power at sea.
About Ocean Power Technologies
Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPTT) is a pioneer in wave-energy technology that harnesses ocean wave resources to generate reliable and clean and environmentally-beneficial electricity. OPT has a strong track record in the advancement of wave energy and participates in an estimated $150 billion annual power generation equipment market. OPT’s proprietary PowerBuoy? system is based on modular, ocean-going buoys that capture and convert predictable wave energy into clean electricity. The Company is widely recognized as a leading developer of on-grid and autonomous wave-energy generation systems, benefiting from 15 years of in-ocean experience. OPT is headquartered in Pennington, New Jersey, USA with an office in Warwick, UK. More information can be found at www.oceanpowertechnologies.com.
Posted by
John Dark on Thu, Sep 15, 2011 @ 04:24 AM
Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web Satellite Phone Data Service Introduced by GMN
Satellite Phone Data Service Lets Users Access Email And The Web Via Wi-Fi Using Iridium Hardware And Service From Anywhere On Earth’s Surface
MARYVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 Global Marine Networks (GMN), the leaders in advancing satellite data speeds and services, today announced a strategic partnership with Iridium to provide Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web. The service enables Iridium subscribers to access email and connect via Wi-Fi to the Internet for light web browsing from anywhere on Earth’s surface using their smartphones, laptop and tablet computers, the Iridium AxcessPoint Wi-Fi hotspot accessory and Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 handset.
“We are excited to work with Iridium to provide the world’s first fully integrated mobile satellite services data service,” said Dr. Luis Soltero, President and CTO of Global Marine Networks. “Iridium sets the standard in providing high-value and reliable data communications services, and GMN sets the benchmark in accelerating satellite email and web-browsing. By developing this solution together, we have created services that allow more people and organizations to stay in touch in new ways.”
Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web software enables users to get the most out of their Iridium satellite data service through email and Web-browsing services that are optimized for the Iridium network, and accessible via Wi-Fi. Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web services are available to users when they are connected to an Iridium handset via Wi-Fi through either the new AxcessPoint Wi-Fi device or the Iridium AxcessPoint Connect Wi-Fi application.
Iridium AxcessPoint Mail is a fast, reliable and easy-to-use satellite phone email service. Features include:
-?????? Up to 15 times faster email transfer speeds through compression and custom server protocols
-?????? Attachment filtering lets users preview headers to save unnecessary downloads while keeping large files safely accessible for later viewing
-?????? Email fetching from compatible POP and IMAP services such as Yahoo!, Hotmail and Gmail
-?????? Mid-file restart and automatic signal detection
-?????? SMS notification of new emails on Iridium handsets
-?????? Virus Scanning and Spam Filtering
-?????? Full DES/PGP Encryption for optimum security
The service is intended for email and light web-browsing, and not recommended for high-bandwidth applications made for terrestrial networks such as video or music.
Iridium AxcessPoint Web service accelerates web browsing an average of three to five times faster than uncompressed rates through compression, page re-rendering and ad-blocking, giving users easier and more reliable access to web sites.
Iridium AxcessPoint Wi-Fi is a lightweight, portable device that connects via USB cable to current Iridium handsets to establish a Wi-Fi hotspot. Iridium AxcessPoint provides Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, with connectivity from anywhere in the world through Iridium, the only truly global network.
Iridium AxcessPoint was announced together with the new Iridium Extreme handset. Iridium AxcessPoint Connect is a downloadable application that turns any Windows laptop into a global Wi-Fi hotspot when connected to an Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 phone, enabling compatible Wi-Fi devices to access email and the Internet with the AxcessPoint Mail & Web service.
Iridium Extreme provides customers one, in-hand solution for voice, data, GPS, SOS, tracking and SMS, enabling them to make the connections that matter, under tough conditions, from the furthest reaches of the planet. Iridium Extreme is the smallest and lightest Iridium handset model ever released. It meets stringent U.S. Department of Defense Military Standard 810F for durability and is rich in capabilities, featuring the first dedicated, two-way emergency SOS button on a satellite phone. The Iridium Extreme satellite phone is the most advanced, rugged handset on the market.
“Iridium pioneered the satellite phone industry more than 10 years ago, and with Iridium Mail & Web we’re going beyond what we once thought possible,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “We’re enabling people traveling out of the reach of cell phone networks to stay in contact with the office or friends, or browse the Internet, through devices they carry with them every day.”
CompatibilityIridium Mail & Web service is exclusively available while using the Iridium network through the Iridium AxcessPoint Wi-Fi device, which is compatible with the Iridium 9555 and new Iridium Extreme handsets.
Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web software is being developed for compatibility across a broad range of operating systems, including:
-?????? Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP
-?????? Apple Macintosh OSX
-?????? Apple iOS for compatibility with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices
Additionally, web-browsing acceleration will be available to Android users through designated proxy servers.
Pricing and AvailabilityIridium Mail & Web is free to Iridium subscribers when used with the required Iridium AxcessPoint Wi-Fi device.
Standard airtime charges apply for use over the Iridium network. Users will be able to download the new Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web application beginning in fall of 2011 from Iridium.com.
Iridium AxcessPoint is immediately available for pre-order from Global Marine Networks at
http://www.globalmarinenet.com/iridium-axcesspoint-wifi-device.php with anticipated delivery in the fourth quarter 2011. For more information on Iridium AxcessPoint, and Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web software, visit Iridium.com.
About Global Marine Networks, LLCGlobal Marine Networks (GMN), the leaders in advancing satellite data speeds and services, helps Fixed and Mobile Satellite Services providers and their customers by offering the industry’s fastest, most reliable and easy-to-use E-mail, web, and other hardware and software services to maritime, oil and gas, first responder and business continuity users. The company’s products include high-speed satellite email, weather and oceanographic data software, satellite data control routers, vessel tracking systems, and ship to shore communications solutions for users of satellite and wireless data services.
GMN has numerous awards and certifications for technical innovation and holds pending patents on its products. For more information on how GMN is Making Airtime Count™ - whether ship to shore, or in remote or emergency communications environments visit www.globalmarinenet.com.
About Iridium
Iridium Communications Inc. (Iridium) is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ever-expanding ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. The company has a major development program underway for its next-generation network – Iridium NEXT. Iridium is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbols IRDM (common stock) and IRDMW ($7.00 warrants). For more information about Iridium products, services and partner solutions, visit
www.iridium.com.
# # #
Posted by
John Dark on Wed, Sep 07, 2011 @ 07:03 AM
Today, Iridium announced a new suite of products and initiatives, including the Iridium AxcessPoint Wi-Fi device and Iridium Mail & Web service.
September 7, 2011
Iridium Force(TM) -- A New Vision for Global Communications -- Designed to Enhance and Expand the Way People and Organizations Connect Everywhere
Iridium Introduces New Products and Services That Demonstrate the Power of Iridium Force
MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) today announced its vision for the future of personal mobile satellite communications,?
Iridium Force™. This vision uses the power of the world's furthest reaching network to accelerate the development of enhanced personal communication capabilities for people and organizations everywhere. Iridium Force breaks the mold of traditional satellite industry go-to-market strategies by making Iridium technology more accessible and cost-effective for partners to develop a wider range of Iridium-based products and services. This new vision opens the licensing of core Iridium technologies as well as the company's most fundamental offering — global connectivity.
Five key tenets guide the Iridium Force strategy:
- Extend beyond satellite phones: Iridium is enabling communications where people need them most, and in more ways than they expect, and connecting to Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as smartphones (BlackBerry?, Android? or Apple iPhone?), tablets and laptops, as well as favorite applications, far beyond the reach of terrestrial networks;
- Simplify connections: Iridium is investing in making its technology more accessible and cost-effective for partners to embed across an ever-widening range of services;
- Drive innovation: Iridium is opening and licensing its core technologies and its network so it can collaborate with a broader set of innovators to create new solutions for expanding new markets;
- Enable location-awareness: Iridium is integrating GPS location-based services for on-the-go location-specific applications and personal security capabilities; and
- Perform without compromise: Iridium continues its promise to provide tough, dependable, truly mobile devices and services that work reliably everywhere on the surface of the planet.
"Iridium pioneered the satellite phone industry more than 10 years ago with the first handheld, commercial satellite phone," said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. "With Iridium Force, we are leading an industry transformation once again by significantly extending the universe of handheld connectivity options. Iridium Force is our strategic vision for rapidly connecting more people in ways never thought possible?
— even going beyond the limits of our own devices. Iridium Force is more than the launch of a new satellite phone; it signifies our commitment to enable powerful new capabilities including those devices that are already in customers' hands to work on the Iridium network
— today and in the future."
New product and service offerings being announced today encompassing Iridium Force include:
Voice and Data Products
- Iridium Extreme™ — Iridium Force has inspired the introduction of the most advanced, rugged satellite handset on the market. Iridium Extreme is the smallest and lightest Iridium handset model, with the ability to precisely locate users anywhere on the surface of the planet. It meets stringent U.S. Department of Defense Military Standard 810F for durability and is rich in capabilities, featuring the first dedicated, two-way emergency SOS button on a satellite phone. The phone leads the market in its offering of online tracking portals, with fully integrated GPS and location-based service (LBS) capabilities for web-based location identification and tracking of friends, loved ones or employees. Iridium Extreme delivers reliability, safety and peace of mind everywhere.
- Iridium Core 9523 —This voice and data module is the "brains" of the Iridium Extreme satellite phone. The Iridium Core 9523 is a sophisticated and flexible device packaged into a small and cost-effective platform for partners to develop new Iridium-based handheld solutions. Iridium is licensing this core technology to innovators who require the building blocks to develop their own Iridium-based global voice and data communication devices and solutions. A number of our partners are already developing products and services surrounding the Iridium Core 9523.
Location-Based Services (LBS) Data Offerings
- Iridium Tracking Portals— Customers can now access location monitoring, messaging and safety tools enabled by the Iridium Extreme satellite phone. More than 17 of our partners are creating customized online tracking portals developed using Iridium's open software platform. Portal features include tracking an Iridium Extreme user's real-time status and location, zooming to street level via online maps, scheduling regular check-ins, providing emergency services, "geo-fencing," and sending free-form, canned and social networking messages.
Wi-Fi Products and ServicesIridium is also introducing new products and services that will allow Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops to connect anywhere on the Iridium global network.
- Iridium AxcessPoint — Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops will be able to connect anywhere through the Iridium network. Iridium AxcessPoint is a portable and lightweight Wi-Fi hotspot accessory that easily connects BlackBerry and Android devices to the Iridium network using an Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 satellite phone. iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, and Windows and Mac laptops, will need to download the new, free Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web application. Iridium AxcessPoint is expected to be available in fourth quarter of 2011 with a suggested retail price of less than $200 (USD).
- Iridium AxcessPoint Connect — Created for Iridium phone users travelling with laptops, this downloadable application for use with the Iridium Direct Internet software connectivity tool turns any Windows laptop into a global Wi-Fi hotspot when connected to an Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 satellite phone. Iridium AxcessPoint Connect enables Wi-Fi compatible devices, such as smartphones, to synchronize and respond to email or use the Internet over the Iridium network. Users can download Iridium AxcessPoint Connect and Direct Internet applications free of charge.
Standard airtime charges apply for use over the Iridium network for the solutions listed above.
"A satellite-based hotspot and product suite will empower today's enterprise and consumer users, who demand ubiquitous connectivity on devices they are familiar with," said Yankee Group Analyst John Keough. "For multinational organizations, such a suite provides a simple global alternative to navigating the complex roaming agreements currently found on terrestrial networks."
For more information on Iridium Force and the products and services announced today, visit?
www.iridium.com.
About Iridium Communications Inc.Iridium is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ever-expanding ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. The company has a major development program underway for its next-generation network — Iridium NEXT. Iridium Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbols IRDM (common stock) and IRDMW ($7.00 warrants). For more information about Iridium products, services and partner solutions, visit?
www.iridium.com.