Although I'm sure this is meant for military use, this solution from Nautronix allows you to send an SMS while underwater. Well, sort of at least....
"The mine countermeasure system will provide divers with underwater PCs that allow them to track their position using GPS or sonar technology, log the locations of objects in the water, and communicate with each other by an acoustically powered "underwater SMS" system."
Apparently Raymarine is launching a new fixed mount VHF radio and some other products. But I can't find anything about it on their website though. Or anywhere else for that matter....
"Making its show debut will be the Ray 240 E - a fixed mount radio, offering top of the range features for VHF and Digital Selective Calling, and RayTech 5 - the latest and most technically advanced version of RayTech Navigation System software that can be operated from the new fully waterproof USB navigation console keypad."
Nice article on the value of SSB radio, and why you should not be replacing SSB by satphone technology.
Although we had bought our single sideband radio primarily for safety, we've discovered that it's also our central source for communication, as well as entertainment. Now, after a lot of experience on the water, we've come to realize the value of the SSB to our cruising. The sat phone and the SSB actually serve two very different purposes. Ultimately one day, we'd like to have both aboard.
It has been a while since we last heard some news about the availability of Boeing's supposedly rule-breaking solution. Apparently they are testing it with a commercial shipping company, Teekay.
The Connexion by Boeing maritime solution - 2.5 Mbps to the vessel and 256 kbps from the vessel - is much faster than the most commonly deployed narrowband maritime communications systems available today. This capability will allow users to access the Internet and firewall-protected corporate intranets, send outgoing e-mails or open large attachments from incoming e-mails and get the news, weather or destination information.
Good eNewsletter from Ocean Navigator in which the author describes a near collision situation and how he responded to it, using both technology and common sense... He points out how one device, an active radar reflector, could have been very helpful.
"Sea-me is an active radar reflector. When struck by a radar beam, Sea-me amplifies and reflects the amplified signal back to the sending unit. The amplified signal makes the target appear much larger. The reflected signal has an average radar cross section of 34 square meters, and I know vessels using this device often appear like a ship on radar. This device also has a radar detector, which alerts you to an active radar system in the area (similar to the CARD, though CARD does have a directional display)."
New technology creates new problems. Some boaters in Canada have a problem since they can't obtain legal electronics maps for certain populair sailing areas. 
The companies involved "are currently in some intense negotiations hope an agreement will be in place soon."
"Most boaters use electronic navigation equipment from two major companies: C-Map and Navionics. In January, Ottawa warned about the illegality of electronic maps from these companies detailing Canadian waters."
A lot has been said already about the slow migration from NMEA 0183 towards NMEA 2000. And of the resulting proprietary solutions introduced by most manufacturers. Here's a short introduction to Simrad's SimNet.
The all new SIMRAD Intelligent Marine NETwork replaces NMEA 0183 as our product interconnection system and is our internal data control and sharing network. By being compatible with the NMEA 2000 interfacing standard, it opens up a new world of network options. Owners and captains will now have the utmost flexibility in choosing the very best, most suitable component for their electronics package.
I was talking about having problems with watching and securing my own boat the other day. Here's another solution for those of you with similar problems (and a GSM cellphone...).
"The Harbormaster Mark II is a new remote wireless monitoring security system that checks a vacant boat's vital systems and on-board conditions. The system uses a GSM based network to send data about the boat to a central server, enabling the boat owner to be able to check their craft at any time via the World Wide Web, mobile phone, text message, fax or email."
There are so many ways to have entertainment on board, in the cockpit, the cabins or the saloon. But most of the time sound is a 'good enough' thing. Well, some manufacturers are trying to change that.
"Poly-Planar�s new 10" MS250 subwoofer is designed to do just that, teamed up with a separate water-resistant marine audio amplifier that will crank up the required response from the lower registers."
And we have another fan of Uniden�s Mystic, a device that has been mentioned on Panbo.com before and should be a very popular GPS device looking at my website statistics... In the article a couple of other devices that help you find yourself again are reviewed, a.o. Garmin�s GPSMAP 60CS and Foretrex 101 Personal Navigator and the Suunto X9 watch.
"When boating, I usually take a GPS along but always wanted some inexpensive and integrated device that could signal for help in an emergency. Uniden�s new Mystic handheld marine radio offers terrific GPS navigation with a one-button emergency call to alert the Coast Guard to your position."
