How to get started building a ship tracking app.

gistfile1.txt

- Find an API that supplies the data. 
  - I found the one that MarineTraffic.com uses (http://www.marinetraffic.com)
  - Open your computer's terminal, and paste this:
    curl 'http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/getjson.aspx?sw_x=0&sw_y=70&ne_x=30&ne_y=80&zoom=6&fleet=&station=0&id=null' -H 'Referer: http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/'
  - This shows you all the data. You will now need to automate calling this API

- Get the data from the API using something like jQuery:
  - Documentation: http://api.jquery.com/jQuery.getJSON/
  - Tutorial :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hN4PrJ7R6A


- Learn how to interact with Google Maps API:
  - Basic tutorial (http://enriquemorenotent.com/basic-google-maps-api-v3-tutorial/)
  - Example of adding markers(https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/examples/marker-simple)


The flow of the app will be something like this:
  - display a map
  - call the API to get boat positions
  - For each boat position, add a marker to the map.
  - Rinse & Repeat

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/getjson.aspx?sw_x=0&sw_y=70&ne_x=30&ne_y=80&zoom=6&fleet=&station=0&id=null is now 404 "nothing to sea here" :-)