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!

ResourceShelf: Real Time Info Collection: Chicago-Gary-Milwaukee Area

Includes:
+ Real-time Videos and Snapshots (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin)
+ Travel Times
+ Personalization (My Maps)
+ Dynamic Message Sign Report
+ Related Links
+ What’s New

++ New: Alert Service for Illinois: IDOT Email Alert Service

This system currently includes 72 route segments and we are working diligently to add other route segments in the near future…You may use the links on this page to register for free traffic alerts…

Source: Chicago-Gary-Milwaukee Area Corridor Transportation Information

We use three services to track (near real-time) flights to and from the U.S., Canada, and in some cases in many other countries. Like all reference sources each has it’s strenghts and weaknesses so that’s why it’s useful to know what all three offer.

1) FlightAware
Ability to see all fleets in the air, sort by aircraft type, etc. Tail number tracking. 40 days worth of historic data free for registered users (registration is free).

2) FlightExplorer
Good maps including a layer for maps that shows turbulence. Ability with two clicks to track flight using SkylineGlobe’s Digital Globe in 3D.

3) FlightStats
Mobile version at http://mobile.flightstats.com/, ability to combine codeshare flights, airports delay info, etc. Very strong (and getting stronger) in non-US/Canadian coverage. Registered users (free) get extra data.

TODAY, we’ve learn that FlightStats now has a Facebook application that can be accessed at http://facebook.flightstats.com.

From the announcement:

The interactive Flight Tracker application refreshes automatically as the flight progresses showing the flight’s progress over a Google ™ map. Companion screens show weather information in both the arrival and departure cities and alert users to any airport delays that might affect the monitored flight. Flight information displayed below the map includes the on-time arrival performance rating for the monitored flight, its scheduled and actual departure time, and its estimated arrival time.

Flight Tracker for FaceBook lets a user set up any number of flight status alerts for specific flight arrivals and departures, each with its own notification options. For any given flight alert, a user can select to have messages:
- Be sent as a Facebook Notification to their own account
- Posted to their mini-feed along with a flight description for sharing with friends
- Emailed to any specified address
- Sent as a text message to a mobile device

Alert messages are sent for:
- Status confirmation up to 3 hours prior to departure
- Notification if the flight is delayed by more than 30 minutes
- Notification if the flight is canceled or diverted
- Arrival notification when the flight lands

See Also: Review the Entire ResourceShelf Real-Time Information Compilation

Land
+ Honolulu Police Department Real-Time Traffic Incident Database

+ Honolulu Real-Time Traffic Cams
Numerous Cameras Around the City
+ Kona Cam
+ Maui Webcams
+ Maui Beachcam
+ Waikiki Beach Cam (Ground Level)
+ Waikiki Beach Live Camera
+ NASA Live Webcams from Infrared Telescope Facility
+ Surfing Cams

Sea
+ Hawaiian Islands Recent Marine Data
+ Dial a Buoy (1-888-701-8992) or Buoy Info via RSS
+ Tsunami Watches and Warnings ||| The Tsunami Map Viewer

Air
+++ Honolulu International Airport Real-Time (Flights Scheduled to Arrive and Depart)
Airport Overview

++ Kona International @ Keahole ||| Airport Overview

++ Kahului Airport ||| Airport Overview

++ Hilo ||| Hilo Airport Overview

++ Lihue ||| Airport Overview

Other
+ Current Weather Conditions ||| Imagery
+ More Hyper-Local, Real-Time, Weather Stations
+ Hawaii Surfer Forecasts
+ Drive Akamai
+ Pacific Disaster Center Atlas
+ Public Transport: The Bus

Listen
+ Hawaii Public Radio
+ Live NOAA Weather Radio Stream

NY investment house, Allen & Co., has invested an undisclosed sum in mobile product search service, GPShopper.com, according to this Dow Jones story.
GPShopper is the provider of Slifter that uses GPS to find products located close to where you current or future location(s). It can also be used without the GPS component and downloadable app by entering a location (Zip Code, address, etc.).

The GPS-enabled version is currently available for certain phones on the Sprint network.

Additionally,

At the end of September, Nokia Corp. (NOK) began offering the Slifter application to users of its N95 mobile devices and other N series and E series phones, which are GPS enabled. Nokia is GPShopper’s first big handset partner. The handset maker’s devices can be used on any GSM carrier’s network, which in the U.S. is primarily AT&T Corp.

Other mobile versions (using an applet) are available for other networks and on various devices. Here’s a Flash demo.

PC/Mac, mobile, and SMS versions are available without the GPS functionality. Here’s a search using the PC version (Paint, 10036) and a search on the mobile version for iPhones 90210 after selecting the model we wanted. Some personalization is available on the mobile version (non-app) if you register your phone number and Zip Code.

The mobile app version provides provides more tools. Slifter also offers merchant, location, and product browsing.

See Also: GPShopper Partners (Nokia, Sprint, Java, and TruePosition)

See Also: Where2GetIt Out from Under the Radar (via ScreenWerk)

See Also: In this ResourceShelf Post from July, 2007 we mention Slifter as well as other GPS/Location-Based Services mobile services including:
+ loopt
+ uLocate
+ TrackEm
+ MapQuest Find Me

See Also: AtlasBook, PhotoFinder, FamilyFinder, and other services from Networks in Motion.

See Also: A Roundup of Wireless/Mobile Shopping Databases and Tools

See Also: Ask.com* offers a GPS Phone (via Sprint) that includes Evite, Driving Directions/Maps, CitySearch and other features.

See Also: Inside the Private World of Allen & Co. (via Fortune, 2004)

* Gary is Director of Online Information Resources at Ask.com

There are many databases out there that don’t provide actual audio or video content but do offer text summaries of the material. These rundowns often contain just what you need (without hearing or seeing the actual audio/video) and can also be very useful in placing events in time.

One database that we’ve yet to mention on ResourceShelf is the BBC Prorgamme Catalogue (Beta)
The Beeb calls this an “experimental” database that contains more than 900,000 entries from over 75 years of radio and tv broadcasts.
From the site:

[The database] is a sub-set of the data from the internal BBC database created and maintained by the BBC’s Information and Archives department. This public version is updated daily as new records are added and updated in the main catalogue. This figure is so high because, for example, each TV news story now has an individual entry in the catalogue. Although not strictly a API, there are enough Feeds, RDF and FOAF data to be wrapped up in a API.

Entries include:

++ Broadcast history
++ Description with Extra Detail
++ Contributors
++ Feeds (For example, RDF)
++ Subject Categories (controlled vocab)
++ Results Pages Offer a Visualization of How Often the Subject Heading Has Been Used Over Time. Here’s another example, this time a search for Elton John in the catalogue.

+++ Learn More About the Catalogue Here

OK, that’s the the BBC Catalogue but what about other sources for program rundowns and in a few cases, online video. Here are a few, just a few, more:

+ Reuters Television News Video Rundowns
These pages are constantly refreshed. In some cases with the complete text script of the story.

+ Television News Archive
All major U.S. network newscasts and more back to 1968. Lots of excellent metadata. Video can be requested for a fee from the archive. The legendary Marshall Breeding is the leader of this project.

+ Newsfilm Online
UK university project digitising ITN and Reuters content. The “samples” listed by category on the home page are accessible to all users today.

+ Getty Images Video Footage
This database includes the
+ AP Archive
+ Dick Clark Productions
+ Universal Studios
+ Warner Brothers Entertainment
+ WireImage Video

+ FOOTAGE.net
Material from CNN ImageSource, NBC News Archives, ESPN/ABC Sports, ABC News and several others.

+ C-SPAN Archives
Powerful search interface. Some content free, other content can be ordered for a fee.

+ UK: ITN News Archive

In terms of “historic” streamingvideo available online take a look at the WONDERFUL and VERY inexpensive NewsPlayer (browse by features and dates)

Also, the top-notch Digital Archive of Pathe Newsreels from the UK is also another must.

Thanks to Pete W. we decided to review and then gather all of the search bots we’ve posted about in the past that are still LIVE. Several are no more. In some cases, these bots will work with services like Meebo and Trillian but in other cases, you’ll need to use the native application. More to come.

MSN Messenger: BBCNEWSFLASH
Hourly headlines (5) from the BBC.

AIM Shopping Bot
Its been online since 2005. Add the name “ShoppingBuddy” to your AIM buddies.

AIM: AOLYellowPages
Send to AOLYELLOWPAGES; HELP for more info

Real Time Weather via WeatherBug
+ AIM (AOL Instant Messenger)
Add “weatherbugbuddy” to your buddy list. Here’s a list of what’s available. To get live conditions enter (L) and a Zip Code. For example: L 10036. For a weather forecast enter (F) and a Zip Code.
and/or
+ Windows Live Messenger
The bots name is WeatherBugBuddy@hotmail.com.
and/or
+ Skype IM
The bots name is ““weatherbug.” Add it to your contacts list.

AIM: WSJ
Search news and receive alerts and headlines. Service is free. Some content is only available to subscribers.

AIM: Hotspotbot
Local yellow pages directory and hotspot finder.
Headlines and News

AIM: Moviefone
Like the name says, showtimes. Search by stars, movie titles, and theater locations.

FeedCrier
RSS feeds delivered as IM messages as they are published. From the feed:

You can subscribe to just about any news site by saying “subscribe www.thesite.com”. If you want to get started, I can subscribe you to some popular news. Just say “news” “sports” “technology” or “business” to start.

The National Library of Medicine has just announced another method to access the WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders) database.

WISER is now supported on Windows Mobile Smartphones– Windows Mobile devices that do not have a touch screen (do not use a stylus). Windows Mobile phones with a touch screen are already supported by WISER for Pocket PC.

The new WISER for Smartphone release is functionally equivalent to the Pocket PC version of WISER, and can be downloaded from http://wiser.nlm.nih.gov.

Also, NEW is Version 3.0 for Palm devices. Register (free) for all versions on this page.

A web-based version (nothing to download) is also available. That same version has been made PDA friendly (again, nothing to download) at http://webwiser.nlm.nih.gov/pda/home.jsp?context=pda

See Also: WISER Tutorial

UPDATE 2: A Number of Health Related Resources Regarding Wildfires Available from NLM

UPDATE 1: Two Images From DigitalGlobe Using QuickBird Satellite

These are natural color, 4-meter QuickBird satellite images featuring the wildfires in Ramona and Santa Clarita, California.

Collected on October 22, 2007.
Note: Media Should Read DigitalGlobe Attribution and Publication Guidelines

+ National Interagency Fire Center

+ Resource of the Week: Learn About Wildfires

+ CAL FIRE ||| Fire Information

+ Bird’s Eye Imagery of Several Affected Southern California Areas (via MS Live)

+ San Diego County Emergency Services
++ San Diego County Emergency Services News Releases (includes maps)

+ San Diego Union-Tribune Map and Facts

+ Real-Time Access to California Highway Patrol Incident Database

+ FEMA: National Situation Update

Radio
++ KFMB-AM (Windows Media)
++ KPBS (NPR)

TV
++ KNSD (includes live video streams)
++ CBS 8

Thanks to Michael McCulley for his help with this post.

See Also: Mapping The Southern California Fires (via SEL)

See Also: NOAA Weather Radio

See Also: NASA Earth Observatory Daily Update

See Also: Operational Significant Event Imagery (NOAA, Published Daily) ||| Direct to Latest Imagery

See Also: Residential Fire Fatalities in the News (via USFA)

Last week we posted a street-level streaming webcam located at the corner of Clark and Addison, Wrigley Field, in Chicago.

This time a live stream direct from the Giant Ocean Tank at the New England Aquarium in Boston. It’s a 4-story coral reef exhibit featuring over 150 species. It’s accessible directly from the NEA (with feeding times listed) or via this Earthcam page.

See Also: Penguin Cams (above and below water) at NEA

Sources: NEA and Earthcam

Another season for the Chicago Cubs has come to an end and like Chicagoans (including Gary) have said for SO LONG, “wait ’til next year.”

In the mean time, you can look at Wrigley Field (home of the Cubs) using this LIVE street-level webcam. The camera is located near the front of the ballpark at Clark and Addison streets and offers an extremly clear view. Since it updates every few seconds, you can see traffic and people move past the camera. Those walking from left to right might be heading for the “L” train about two blocks away.

See Also: Free, Full Text: Encyclopedia of Chicago

ORNL’s SensorPedia targets national security mission
From the news release:

SensorPedia, a writeable Web site in development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, solves a huge problem by giving emergency responders and decision-makers access to data from diverse sensor networks in near real time…Rather than attempting to get everyone to adopt one standard, as its name suggests, SensorPedia adopts the underlying technology of Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia collaboratively written by readers, as a model. SensorPedia, however, is different from Wikipedia in three ways. The ORNL implementation of SensorPedia will link to near-real-time data, which will provide streaming of data; SensorPedia will support interactive “mashups” of information; and only approved personnel will be authorized to write to the SensorPedia Web site.

Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

As we continue our collection of real-time info sources, Lancaster Co. PA joins the list of police, fire, EMS that offer real-time info online.

+ Web Page
Text only version.

+ Mobile Version

+ RSS Feeds

Source: County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania

In this collection, we’ve collected several resources that offer real-time or near real-time information on the Internet.

+ Portland Area Air Traffic (Audio) ||| Portland International Airport (Near Real Time) Flight Tracking

+ Portland Police Scanner

+ TripCheck.com ||| TripCheck Mobile
Includes Real-Time Traffic Cameras ||| Portland Metro Traffic Cameras ||| Personalize Portland Traffic Cam Map

+ Real-Time Oregon State Police Road Information (Text Only)

+ TriMet Real-Time Transit Tracker
Bus, Light Rail, Streetcar

+ Several Amtrak Trains Pass Through Portland, OR. This database offers real-time tracking for Portland and other cities. The station code from Portland, OR is PDX.

See Also: Raptor GIS Search Engine ||| Portland Maps ||| CrimeMapper

As visitors from all over the world come to see the fall colors, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have taken their foliage reports high-tech, letting visitors keep track of the changing colors by mobile and e-mail alerts and computerized maps. Foliage season, which progresses north to south, started mid-September and runs into late October. The Web sites all offer foliage reports, promote fall events and suggest the best routes to travel:

* Maine’s site, www.mainefoliage.com, features a map, a live daily chat with a conservation department official, video of foliage scenes around the state, a Maine foliage hotline and foliage reports by e-mail. Forest rangers track and report the changing colors, which are updated every Wednesday through October 17.

* http://www.visitnh.gov/”>New Hampshire’s Web site encourages visitors to sign up to receive foliage reports on their cell phones and just added a new map that predicts color changes. The map is roughly based on previous years’ reports but state officials regularly check to make sure that the colors on the Web site match those in nature. Visitors can also click on specific regions to get more detailed and up-to-date reports. New Hampshire also offers alerts sent to your cell phone.

* Vermont’s site features an animated map, called the Foliage Forecaster, that estimates color changes. The map is only an approximation of typical color progression. For more accurate information, the site refers visitors to its foliage reports.

Source: Governing.com
Thanks to P.W.