Iridium helps in Haiti

February 22, 2010 - Iridium Communications announced today that the Mexican Red Cross, the United Nations and multiple other Mexican government agencies have increased their usage of Iridium 9555 satellite phones in support of Haiti relief and recovery efforts.
These customers had the ability to make their Iridium phones and service operational within minutes of arriving in Haiti for use following the January 2010 earthquake, which made land-based and cellular communications unavailable.

"Instant communications play a vital role in our ongoing disaster relief and recovery efforts," said Isaac Oxenhaut, national disaster relief coordinator of the Mexican Red Cross. "The Mexican Red Cross is using Iridium service for reliable, real-time communications between our team in Haiti and our headquarters in Mexico."

"Iridium is a mission-critical component of relief organizations operations. Our service is the only reliable mobile option after a disaster when terrestrial infrastructure is down," said Greg Ewert, executive vice president, global distribution channels, Iridium. "Iridium handsets are simple to use and make training a straightforward process for first responders. This is valuable to relief organizations, which have a regular stream of new volunteers and expanding missions."

Source: Iridium

Power Gorilla Review

Found an interesting short burst review about the Power Gorilla backup charger, below are some snippets from Gizmodo:

"The Gadget: The Powergorilla, an 8.5 x 5 inch brick of a battery that charges laptops, phones, and many other portable devices on the go via different connectors. You can adjust voltage options between 16, 19 or 24v, and the on-board LCD screen will show you your selection and how much juice is left in the unit. The battery gives you about two to five extra hours for your laptop, and about 20 on smaller gadgets like phones.

The Verdict: It works pretty perfectly. In our tests, the Powergorilla gave our MacBook Pro an extra 2.5 hours of battery life in everyday blogging usage (Wi-Fi on, lots of app open). That's on top of whatever the internal battery already supplies. The unit doesn't come with a MagSafe adapter (needed for macbooks), because of Apple's proprietary patent, so you'll have to buy a MagSafe airline adapter and connect via that.

Charging phones is an easier premise. As long as your phone can charge from USB, you're set. If not, there are other more proprietary tips and adapters that come with the unit. We couldn't test this ourselves, but Powertraveller also claims that the Powergorilla has many safety features, including voltage limitation, short circuit/voltage/overheat protection. Those are good things to have if you're operating this on an airplane.

Do we recommend this as a gadget? Definitely. Two and a half hours of backup laptop battery is always welcome (more if your laptop draws less power than the beefy 15-inch MacBook Pro), and the ability to emergency-charge your phones, iPods and GPS devices on the go is very handy. "

Iridium 9505A Review

Found an interesting article or review about the old 9505A Iridium satellite phone. It has been replaced by the 9555 model now days but you can still find these and purchase them second hand. Article below:

"Iridium 9505A: The World’s Top Satellite Phone Model
Mobile phones can be incredibly useful but when you’re not near terrestrial mobile sites or otherwise out in the middle of nowhere, your phone isn’t going to get reception and that’s where satellite phones come into play. These phones are typically larger and more expensive than the average cell phone but they also offer some huge advantages. If you’re ever in Australia for instance, you can use a satellite phone such as the Iridium 9505A and be good to go.

All About the Iridium 9505A
Especially when you’re traveling to a place like the Great Outback, you need to make sure that you’re covered in case anything happens. There are satellite phones other than the Iridium 9505A available through Iridium and other satellite phone providers as well, but this is certainly one of the top models and for good reason. The Iridium 9505A is a rugged and reliable phone that you can take anywhere and as long as there’s a clear view of the sky you can get reception.

The Iridium 9505A provides you with up to 30 hours of standby time and 3 hours of talk time. With an illuminated holographic display and international access key sequence, it’s functional and easy to use. The volume adjustment allows you to make it quieter or louder based on your own personal preference. As well, the Iridium 9505A saves the last ten numbers dialed, features one-touch dialing and an automatic display call timer.
The Iridium 9505A is a satellite phone that really is great to have around. You can get prepaid minutes on it so there’s no need to worry about paying monthly for a plan as satellite phones are typically used much less than mobile phones. The Iridium 9505A will always offer great reception and because it’s water and dust resistant you can even taking it when you’re hiking to the top of the mountains in the Outback.

While the internal components of the Iridium 9505 recently became obsolete and are no longer supported the basic features remain the same on the new Iridium 9505A phone. The new Iridium 9505A is also compatible with more accessories which includes chargers, data kits and batteries.

It’s definitely a relief to know that you have the Iridium 9505A on hand especially when you’re visiting a new place. In a place like Australia where there is little to no reception in most locations, the Iridium 9505A can be a blessing. You can do more things and know that if there ever is an emergency you can call and get help.
There are satellite phones other than the Iridium 9505A available through Iridium and other satellite phone providers as well, but this is certainly one of the top models and for good reason. Iridium is a name that you can trust in and this is one of their best-selling models. Just make sure that you have the Iridium 9505A with you so that you’ll be safe and able to get help no matter where you are."


Source: Talkswithme

Paralysed sailor fulfils dream

British sailor Geoff Holt, set out to become the first quadriplegic to sail single-handedly across the Atlantic.

Fortunately Geoff, aged 43, had the support of Inmarsat's Thrane & Thrane Sailor FleetBroadband 500 on his 4,340km (2,700-mile) voyage from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands to Tortora in the British Virgin Islands.
And thanks to FleetBroadband, he was able to update his blog, upload videos and be interviewed by news channels - including the BBC, who sponsored his airtime.

Diving accident
Geoff completed his journey on 7 January, arriving in the very spot where a diving accident in shallow water left him paralysed from the chest down 25 years ago.
"I wanted to make landfall at Cane Garden Bay, the place where it all started, so that was very emotional," he said.
"As I sailed in there must have been over 1,000 people on the beach, all clapping and cheering and waving flags."
The videos shot by Digby were sent to Geoffs website and the BBC via FleetBroadband.

Source: Inmarsat

Charge your Laptop and other gadgets

Did you ever spend the whole night preparing for a presentation, only to find out that your laptop is running out of power during the presentation? Wouldn't it be great if you could charge your laptop with a portable battery charger in the middle of your presentation?

ROAM WILD with the ultimate portable charger...

The SatComms charger (24V) will give you an extra 2-5 hours of power, depending on your laptops specification, and over 20 hours on various other electronic devices.

Charger (24V) will work with devices up to 24volts - so from your laptop, right the way down to your mobile phone or iPod and even Iridium Satellite Phone! Just select which voltage you require; 5v, 8.4v, 9.5, 12v, 16v, 19v or 24v and the LCD screen will indicate which setting has been chosen. Then simply hook up your gadget and away you go!

One-touch button technology means the SatComms charger (24V) for laptops is easy to use and its sleek, aluminium casing with shock resistant rubber protection strips makes it totally robust.

It also has many safety features including output auto-lock, voltage limitation protection, short circuit protection, over charging protection and over heat protection.

The SatComms Charger (24V) has also been on field tests out in Afghanistan, Madagascar, Zambia, Antarctica and Norway. Being subjected to extremely hot and very cold temperatures, the SatComms Charger (V24) has successfully charged numerous laptops without fault!

Kit Includes:
- portable laptop charger
- neoprene travel case
- tip pack containing 8 male and 7 female laptop connectors
- tip pack containing connectors for most small devices
- 12v car charger socket
- universal AC laptop charger

Lightweight (631g), portable (220 x 130 x 15mm) and tough.

To use with Macbook Pro, Macbook Air and Macbook you will need an Apple MagSafe Airline Adaptor. Please note, the MagSafe cable is only suitable for Apple Macs incorporating the MagSafe style of connector. If you are unsure if your Mac uses Magsafe, please email sales@satcomms.co.za - you may require the L77D tip for the older Mac laptops (such as powerbook.). The MagSafe cable will only POWER laptops, not charge them.