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carry out surveys for the international conventions for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), Prevention of Pollution From Ships (MARPOL) and Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships (AFS), as well as International Safety Management Audits, on behalf of the U.S. fag administration. ClassNK can now issue a wider range of certifcations for U.S.-fagged vessels. It is now authorized to carry out statutory surveys on behalf of 106 fag administrations. Cobra Electronics Gets Patent to Add Cell Phone Capabilities to Marine Radios and Devices Cobra Electronics Corp. (Chicago, Illinois) was awarded in January U.S. Patent No. 8,311,546 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offce for its Bluetooth-enabled marine radio technology. The patent covers the ability to initiate and receive cell phone calls from and through purpose-built marine radios and related equipment. This could improve call quality due to reduced wind and boat noise and create a very durable cell phone, as marine communication devices are already built to withstand water, salt and prolonged sun exposure. Costa Concordia Tops 2012 Increase in Ship Losses, But Long-Term Downward Trend Continues In the 12 months after the Costa Concordia incident, 106 ships were lost worldwide, according to a report published by global insurance company Allianz (London, England) in January. This is up from 91 ships the previous year but a 27 percent decrease on the 10-year average of 146 ships per annum. Despite this downward trend, driven by technology, train- ing and regulation, and a proactive response from the shipping industry to safety improvement, human error remains the core challenge. Fatigue, economic pressures and inadequate training are causes for concern. Foundering was the most common cause of losses in the past year (49 percent) followed by wrecking or running aground (22 percent). Falmouth Updates its Bubble Gun Seismic Systems Falmouth Scientifc Inc. (Cataumet, Massachusetts) has made two enhancements to its HMS-620 Bubble Gun seismic systems, made for small-boat, shallow-water surveys. By adding a second transmit channel to the existing transceiver enclosure and synchronizing the two signal generators, Falmouth has realized signifcantly higher energy output, which results in deeper signal penetration. The two source transducers can be mounted on one tow vehicle or can be confgured as two separate single-source vehicles. All Bubble Gun systems can now be ftted with a 24-volt DC power option, allowing users to perform surveys without the need for a generator or ship���s power. SeeByte, Bluefn Robotics Collaborate On Pipeline Inspection Software for AUVs SeeByte (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Bluefn Robotics (Quincy, Massachusetts) have developed a software solutions for deepwater export pipeline inspections. The collaboration is aimed at equipping Bluefn���s 21inch AUV platforms with SeeTrack AutoTracker. This will combine Bluefn���s vehicle stability and navigation capabilities with SeeTrack AutoTracker���s ability to accurately guide the AUV at a predefned offset from the pipeline. VRS-20 Radar Level Sensor Tide Gauges a new approach to tide and water level measurement ��� Non-contact measurement of water level ��� Direct interface to TideMaster tide gauge ��� Use with own logger or PC via digital outputs ��� Direct output via GPRS to internet in our element 72 st / FEBRUARY 2013 Tel: +44 (0) 1803 869292 sales@valeport.co.uk www.valeport.co.uk www.sea-technology.com