T&T: Active Captain on the Palm OS

[Jeffrey Siegel]

> "There does not appear to be a track record feature
> which would be nice."
> 
> Jeff, is it already there somewhere?
> 

It's not part of the current product because I'd like to implement it a
little differently than what's been done by other chartplotters and other
software.

The ability to track where you are and where you've been shouldn't just be
local/onboard functions.  I see it as an optionally shared data object.
There are many devices today that are providing these types of tracking
functions (The Spot Satellite Personal Tracker is a good example).  The
whole idea behind using a mobile phone for many functions like this is that
the phone is generally with you all the time.  Because of that, pack in the
features available to remove the issues of powering, storing, maintaining
and carrying other devices.

If you're going to cross oceans, your mobile phone isn't the device to use
for this (yet!).  But for most of us, it does provide the connectivity
needed to perform all of these functions today.  And the coastal (20 mile)
connectivity is getting really good if not at 3G/broadband speeds already.

If you think about the markers in ActiveCaptain, they are data objects that
are shared over maps and charts that others can update and view on their own
displays.  I see tracks as the same thing.  If you give permission for it
("public", "friends only", or "only my account"), others will be able to
plot your track or current position on their mobile phone and our web site
(you choose - current position only or full track).  As you're tracking
others, their path will pop up on your display allowing you to see their
last known position or track.  There would surely be other functions like
"show me all captains within 5 miles of where I am".  There are some nice
community building things like this that just don't exist anywhere today.

This was all a long-winded way of showing that there are more issues than
storing your current track for display.  I need to be able to store it and
view it quickly in a way that can be shared.  I was too afraid of developing
something that would change significantly when sharing was implemented.

Routes and waypoints should be shareable too - but those are static and easy
to do.  That's coming also.  Why have to create a route every time you're
traveling between two new positions?  Someone's done it before.  Grab theirs
and review it closely instead.  It's much quicker than drawing a new one.
There should be reviews and even "sea stories" stored with each route.
Today I have experimental software that uploads ActiveCaptain routes to
Raymarine chartplotters/autopilots.  ActiveCaptain Mobile itself supports
sharing routes/waypoints with Coastal Explorer and Maptech products today.
I use it all the time so all routes are synchronized and show the exact same
data for my autopilot.  That needs to be expanded to other helm and software
systems and made into a real product.

The first mobile product has only been out for 5 months on one platform
(Palm)!  There's a lot more coming.



==================================
Jeffrey Siegel
M/V aCappella
DeFever 53PH
W1ACA/WDB4350
Castine, Maine

www.activecaptain.com
Content, Communications, Community

 
 
 

 
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