July 6, 2005 The announcement by WeatherBug yesterday that it will offer WeatherBug Mobile for Java via wireless carrier Sprint got us thinking. The service offers streaming, neighborhood level weather with customisable reports, including current weather conditions, local radar, live camera views and forecast updates. Using a mobile phone, you can now monitor what’s going on in and immediately outside your home and the weather. Nicholas Negroponte’s forecast that people would eventually think globally and locally seems to be coming true. "A recent AP poll indicated that most Americans closely monitor weather reports but find them unreliable. People want reliable weather conditions for their specific location and want to be able to view them as they go about their day, depending on where they are," said Andy Jedynak, Sr. Vice President and General Manager, WeatherBug. "Unlike all other weather reports, which are based upon hourly data from local airports, WeatherBug offers continuously updated live weather information at your fingertips, when it matters most."
Sprint customers can personalize their weather reports by designating the specific WeatherBug Tracking Station closest to them, at any time during the day, including camera imagery from one of 1,000+ weather cameras. Another personal touch is the WeatherBug personalized photo option, which enables users to submit and view other user photos within the WeatherBug community.
WeatherBug Mobile also offers live local radar, 7-day and weekend forecasts. Current conditions feature: temperature, heat index, average wind, humidity, dew point, barometric pressure, monthly rainfall, sunrise and sunset.
"As we enter the storm and hurricane season -- frequented by power outages and forecast skepticism, Sprint customers can now rely upon their WeatherBug Mobile service for personalized, current weather conditions," said Thad Langford, Director of Business Development for Sprint Consumer Solutions.
WeatherBug Mobile for Java is available for US$2.99 per month.
Sprint PCS Vision customers can download WeatherBug Mobile directly from their phone by selecting the "Weather" category from their "Get New" applications download page.
Gizmag has previously written about WeatherBug.
