Powerboat Reports has a one-on-one review of Si-Tex's ColorMax 6 and Navman's Tracker 5600. A very superficial conlusion in the online introduction, you will have to subscribe in order to read the full text or buy this specific article.
Navman Tracker 5600 at Amazon.com
Si-Tex ColorMax 6 at Amazon.com
So you would like to have a system onboard that integrates virtually every electrical and digital element that can be found on a typical megayacht so that you will be able to control it from various touchscreens? Superyacht reviews a solution developed by Naviops and Romagna.
Boating Magazine features some new gear.
"The SkyMate 100 satellite communication system sends e-mail, fax, and voice messages, receives NOAA weather updates, and when connected to your GPS, produces transmittable position reports."
"Want your chartplotter to think it's a fishfinder? Hook up the ES502 FishFinder Module to Si-Tex's ColorMax 6, ColorMax Wide, or ColorMax 11 and view fish imaging and bottom detail in dual-frequency (50/200kHz) or single-frequency operation on a color display." (Si-tex at Amazon.com)
"The WorldNavigator CF v.3.0 comes with a WAAS-enabled 12-channel GPS receiver that attaches to your PDA and, coupled with the Marine Chart Enabler software ($69), allows you to transfer NOAA charts to and plot your position on a pocket or handheld PC."
"Lowrance's iFinder, a H2OGPS/WAAS-enabled, waterproof handheld" (Lowrance iFinder at Amazon.com)
Blue Water Sailing Magazine has some safety tips for boats that are going offshore regularly. They talk about, a.o., VHF radios and passive radar reflectors.
"A relatively easy upgrade to any boat's VHF radio involves the coaxial cable that carries the signal to the masthead. It is not uncommon to find the cable is of the smallest size that will get the signal to the masthead, as that is the least expensive. There are four sizes of cable that are of interest to us for this application, RG-58U, RG-8X, RG-8U and Belden 9913 in order of ascending efficiency in signal transmission, and the cost per foot increases by nearly a factor of three from the least to the most efficient. Interestingly, that is about the same factor of signal strength increase that the best coax cable offers."
In a review on Yachtingnet Chuck Husick discusses the Lowrance LCX-104C fishfinder and chartplotting capabilities. It's a fairly neutral review, more of an extensive product description.
Lowrance LCX-104C at Amazon.com
"Lowrance�s ASP (Advanced Signal Processing) noise rejection system automatically optimizes fishfinding performance under typical operating conditions. A small external LGC-12w GPS/WAAS receiver provides the navigational data. The LCX-104C runs Navionics digital cartography in conjunction with Lowrance�s MapCreate custom mapping software. Two MultiMedia Card (MMC) cartridge slots facilitate simultaneous use of a Navionics cartridge and a blank data-storage cartridge or one custom loaded with MapCreate cartography. The system�s NMEA 0183 output lets it interface with other display devices, as well as the boat�s autopilot."Ben Ellison has a very interesting column on the real-time weather services of XM WX (WxWorx) Satellite Weather and The Weather Channel Marine (TWCM). Besides his remark that these, and other similar, services are still very much under development, but aleady impressive, 
he also points at the fact that hardware manufacturers are more and more integrating these services into their products.
"As noted last month, Garmin is featuring XM WX (XM audio, too) as the lead option in its new line of networked multifunction displays. Maptech�s new high-end i3 system, twin to the Sea Ray Navigator, offers integration with the PC version of TWCM. WSI has announced a partnership with Raymarine, which sounds as if it will bear fruit in more than one upcoming Raymarine product line. Both WxWorx and WSI tell me that other partnership deals are close to completion."
Sometimes you only realize how valuable something is unless it is no more... An electric anchor windlass can be such a thing. An introduction...
"Typical working current loadings are in the range of 55 amps at no load, 110 amps at half load, and 180 amps full rated load. Many windlasses have converted DC starter motors, and some use permanent magnet motors, typically in the range 600-1000 watts which simplifies construction and reduces weight and size. I am frequently asked about the practice of installing a separate battery forward adjacent to the windlass, and I do not recommend it. While this is one more battery to maintain and also weight forward where you don�t want it, it also still requires charging."
Nice article on Original Design Manufacturers (different from OEMs) in the consumer electronics industry. 
How long before we will see major effects on marine electronics industry? I think most GPS devices are already being made in Taiwan, but further standardization of formats, protocols, etc. would certainly help to extend this developments to other product segments. In the end it could mean lower prices and more focused innovation, always nice benefits...
"ODM stands for Original Design Manufacturer, and I can guarantee you'll be hearing these initials a lot more in the coming months and years. ODMs are companies in Asia, almost all of them in Taiwan, capable of creating sophisticated electronics -- MP3 players, notebook computers, DVD players, personal digital assistants, LCD TVs and more -- for the big companies whose brand names are familiar to U.S. consumers. The big-name companies get products at very low prices with little upfront investment."
Of course, there are still lots of people relying solely on paper charts alone. Nothing wrong with that, but eventually they might run into a situation which clearly demonstrates the power of electronic charts. And after that, they are a believer...
"But earlier this summer, during a run north from Florida to Virginia, I gained a whole new appreciation for electronic charts. I was aboard Motor Boating�s project boat�a Rinker Fiesta Vee 342 equipped with Raymarine�s SL70RCR radar/chartplotter/GPS. On the seven-day, 835-mile trip, I ran inside and outside the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), sometimes cruising as many as 20 miles offshore. I had an opportunity to use and evaluate the unit, along with C-Map�s NT Plus vector cartography with the new marina layout details."
Talking about believers...
"To get the commercial-free ear candy, you need a Sirius receiver and antenna. I opted for the Clarion DSH920S Tuner ($160) and the 1 1/3"-by-3 1/2" Shakespeare Galaxy SRA-30 antenna ($140). The final piece of the Clarion/Sirius system was a pair of 6.5" Clarion CM1622 marine coaxial speakers ($160/each). Then there's a $13-per-month subscription fee � a promotional $500 lifetime fee ends August 31�and a one-time activation fee of $15 ($5 online). Is it worth the price? Silly question. While testing the watertight, sealed-circuit XMD3 with an LCD display, I discovered the Sirius programming to be so diverse and comprehensive that for the first month I didn�t touch the CD player or AM/FM radio. (Sirius at Amazon.com)
