From the article:

The Los Angeles Fire Department has been the toast of the blogosphere in recent weeks after its efforts at using the micro-blogging site Twitter came to light.

Twitter allows users to post short (140 characters or less) notes. The fire department uses Twitter to post information about fires or other emergencies that it is responding to. These messages are then sent to users signed up to receive the information on their mobile devices.

Source: PC World

A live ticker that shows catalog records as they are added/updated in the OCLC Worldcat database. Fun! Interesting!

Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, 2008

The PROFIT 100 table ranks the 100 fastest-growing companies in Canada by percentage revenue growth from 2002-07, while the Next 100 table features companies ranked from Nos. 101 to 200.

Sort tables by:
* Rank
* Alphabetical order
* Revenue 2002
* Revenue 2007
* Growth 2002-07 (%)
* Profit margin
* Employees (number of)
* Exports as % of sales

Source: Canadian Business

+ More Traffic on Yahoo! Maps

+ New Content on Ancestry.com

+ Australian Academic Press reaches preservation agreement with Portico

+ [NY] Times Reader Beta for Mac Coming This Month

From the announcement:

Air travelers whose flights have been canceled or diverted can now greatly improve their chances of finding a seat on the next available flight thanks to a new flight availability service from FlightStats.com and mobile.flightstats.com. FlightStats’ availability service will show available seats by class and cabin on planes that are either at a nearby gate or will soon arrive, giving those who use the service a head start and reducing the risk of becoming stranded at an airport.

Direct to Both Services via web and mobile web:
http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightAvailability/flightAvailabilityByRoute.do

Mobile:
http://mobile.flightstats.com/go/Mobile/flightAvailabilityByNextAvailableFlight.do

From the NY Times article:

Microsoft on Thursday plans to introduce a Web-based service for driving directions that incorporates complex software models to help users avoid traffic jams.

The new service’s software technology, called Clearflow, was developed over the last five years by a group of artificial-intelligence researchers at the company’s Microsoft Research laboratories. It is an ambitious attempt to apply machine-learning techniques to the problem of traffic congestion. The system is intended to reflect the complex traffic interactions that occur as traffic backs up on freeways and spills over onto city streets.

Source: NY Times

An online, user-friendly map that tracks flood conditions has been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

As expected rains drive flood waters higher along the Mississippi River Valley, USGS crews are in the field collecting data needed to update the flood maps, prepare forecasts, manage the flood and warn communities

Source: USGS

ResourceShelf Webcam Collection: Mt. St. Helens
Live shots of the volcano that update every 5 minutes. The cams, including the new “HD” cam, come courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service.

Source: USFS

Two of these cams allow users to pan, zoom, etc.

+ Huntington Beach (Orange County), CA
2 cams.

+ Sydney Harbour, Australia
Tilt, pan, and zoom. Requires Flash and Java.

+ Niagara Falls, ON
4 cams including a tilt/pan cam. Streaming video also available.

+ San Francisco (via Marin Cam)
A view of SF skyline from the Marin County side of the SF Bay

+ Various views of ships using the Panama Canal

+ Five Live Webcam Images of Vatican City

Sources: Various

See Also: More Webcams and Real Time Information Resources.

We continue developing our collection of databases and other services offering real time or near real time public transportation information.

+ Boston: MBTA Service Updates
Rider alerts and advisories for the entire MBTA system.
See Also: T-Alerts

+ New Jersey Transit: MyTransit: Alerts Sent to Mobile Devices

+ Montreal: Buses
The service is called AUTOBUS.

+ Philadelphia: SEPTA Trainview
Learn More.

Georgia is one state that is planning to offer hourly (or when large updates take place) email messages with the latest returns.

You can register for the free service on this page direct from the Secretary of State. You can also access Georgia returns on this SOS web page. Look for more info on real-time returns in upcoming posts.

Real Time Information: New York and New Jersey Bridge & Tunnel Alerts Page (E-Mail, SMS)

The Port Authority is launching the first phase of a motorist alert service for our bridge and tunnel customers. We are seeking subscriber information to further refine the system. We value your input! Please send us your comments by using the feedback button on the left hand side of the page.

Port Authority Bridge & Tunnel Alerts is a free subscription service that notifies customers of incidents or events that may delay their trip across Port Authority bridges. When you register, you will:

* Receive free alerts directly to your cellular phone, PDA, pager, or e-mail account
* Be able to select the facilities as well as the time ranges you wish to monitor

See Also: Many More Real or Near Real-Time Tools

Source: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

From FlightStats.com:

The delay index gives travelers a clear indication of the likelihood of disruptions in their travel plans at a glance. The system monitors delays and cancellations at airports worldwide and assigns a “delay index” ranging from 0 (little or no disruption) to 5 (severe disruptions) for each major airport. Users can then easily click through for details on specific flight status and create email and text message alerts to stay informed.

An airport’s flight delay index reflects its current on-time departure performance adjusted for delay severity and cancellations. Delay index scores appear as an overlay on country, regional, continental and global maps so travelers can see current conditions anywhere they expect to travel. Pop up windows appear when specific airports are selected that provide detailed scoring, an indication of the index trend (better or worse), and links to get current status information on individual flight arrivals and departures.

See Also: Our Most Recent Update of Places to Track Aircraft in Near Real-Time

We’ve talked about many tools to track airplanes (and other forms of transportation) in near real-time on ResourceShelf. In the past few years tools like SkylineGlobe and Google Earth allow users to track flights in near real-time and in 3D.

This post has a list of most of them.

Each service has its strengths and weaknesses.

That’s why knowing about and using more than one is a good idea. Like we have said on other issues, libraries often have more than one or two reference books and databases covering the same topic.

Now it’s time to add another source to that list via the Virtual Earth Blog.

Say hello to iFLy.com which uses MSFT Virtual Earth imagery and 3D technology (which, of course, you’ll need to have installed on your system). 2D views and stats are also available.

Unlike other services, FOUR different views/maps/images are available. 2 require VE 3D technology:
+ Planned Route
+ Cockpit View (cool!)
+ Center-on-Plane
+ WingMan

Safe and Easy Flying, Great Flight, Good Night!