Mobile Technology

Shaka turns your iPhone into a wind-speed-measuring machine

View 3 Images
Shaka is a tiny wind meter that works with the iPhone
Shaka plugs into the iPhone's headphone jack
Shaka is a tiny wind meter that works with the iPhone
Shaka in use
View gallery - 3 images

If you’re into activities such as windsurfing, sailing or kite-flying, then you’re going to want to know where and how hard the wind is blowing. While weather reports may give average wind speeds for your city as a whole, they’re usually not very specific. That’s where Shaka comes in. It’s a tiny wind meter that works with your iPhone.

Shaka plugs into the phone’s headphone jack. Once it’s held into the wind and its blades start spinning, a paired app displays data such as wind speed, direction and temperature, in real time. That information can then be shared with your fellow windsurfers (or whatever the case may be) via a social network of your choice.

Shaka plugs into the iPhone's headphone jack

Even if you have no friends that share your wind-related pursuits, you can still check and/or contribute to wind data for your area, via a crowd-sourced wind map that is accessible through the app. You can also look back on the history of your wind readings, should you need reminding of just how windy it was that one day when the conditions were so great.

Shaka isn’t available for purchase just yet, but the company’s Raigo Raamat informs us that they’re working on getting it to market as soon as possible. The estimated retail price is US$59. Although it presently only works with iOS devices, Android and Windows Phone versions are on the way.

There is at least one alternative out there for people who want to use their iPhone to measure the wind, which is reportedly about as accurate as dedicated hand-held wind meters. It’s an app simply called Wind Meter, that measures wind speed by analyzing the volume of wind noise coming through the phone’s microphone.

Source: Shaka via Engadget

View gallery - 3 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
3 comments
schmoe90
Isn't that about the price of an anemometer?
Charles Bosse
With only a tiny mod this could be a great device for asthmatics. Automatically track your breathing capability over a month with reminders to check every morning and evening.
Steven Davis
that would be good for target shooting as well in fact probably more useful than the other applications listed due to it being a large factor in precision shooting from shot to shot.