I am always trying to think of new ways to apply software to tough problems. Here are a few examples of solutions I have built recently.
I believe that effective distribution of time-sensitive information is about quickly getting knowledge to the people who need it without creating "information noise" in the process. For real-time alerts, like those published to the web by Washington State Ferries, I feel that Twitter offers a great syndication platform. Twitter distributes short, time-sensitive bulletins to a niche audience (e.g. ferry commuters) via the hardware platform of the subscriber's choice (PC, iPhone, BlackBerry, SMS, etc.). I created the @wsferries Twitter feed as a demonstration of this technique. If you live in the Puget Sound area and commute by ferry, you might find it useful.
Once I created a Twitter feed from the Washington State Ferries Alerts and Bulletins page, it wasn't too much extra work to create an RSS feed for it. I've also posted a stripped down ferry bulletins web page you can access from most newer mobile devices.
I'm working on a sophisticated mobile system that will allow ferry commuters to get real-time information about ferry vessel and loading delays. This project combines use of AIS, Google Maps, computer vision technology, and the mobile web. Please drop me an e-mail at ferries@gregoryhancock.com if you are interested in this project.
... I have developed AISMUX, a specialized piece of server software that allows you to connect any number of AIS receivers to form your own distributed AIS receiver network. Moreover, AISMUX allows you to augment the signals of your own receivers with those of other agencies or AIS network operators. You can also intelligently filter the output, making multiple feeds available, each containing signals from the receivers you choose. And AISMUX is fully compliant with NMEA standards, removing any proprietary garbage it finds in AIS receiver signals...