For the experimental and brave at heart, I have decided to put up alpha releases of BBWeather. This may get updated several times per day or not at all for a few weeks, months, years. It will depend on how motivated towards programming I feel and whether or not I have new features to implement or bugs to fix. At some point, when I have been running a new build for long enough without any issues, it will be put out as a regular release. These experimental releases will often have the same version number, so the only way to tell if it is newer than the build you currently have is to check the "list of changes" for a timestamp and compare that to the application description listed on your BB under Options->AdvancedOptions->Applications->BBWeather->Properties->Description.

These alpha releases are currently compiled under JDE v4.3 so they will most likely not work on any device with an OS less than 4.3 (don't even bother asking for an earlier version, I will not do it). When I put out one of these builds as official, I will then try to compile an older version that will function on v4.2 devices.

This link will always contain the latest version that I am currently testing/debugging on my own device.
http://www.tateu.net/software/bb.php?f=BBWeather_alpha

Warning: it may very well contain bugs or not even function at all.

It is also possible that the above link may be down for extended periods of time, without any warning. If I put up a version and then find a severe bug, I will immediately remove the link until I can get a new fixed version ready.

and to see a "list of changes":
http://www.tateu.net/software/BBWeather_alpha.txt

And after all the above, if there are any of you brave enough to try it...feel free to post bugs and/or suggestions/comments here. I can't promise I will pay any attention to them, but it can't hurt.

A more stable "official" release v0.83 is also available here:
http://www.blackberryforums.com/afte...ml#post1295719

Downloading now.

Wirelessly posted (Its All About the U!)

Keep us posted please.

Wirelessly posted (Its All About the U!)

Wow!!!
Homescreen icon works. Very nice. One release suggestion may be instead of an hourly forecast would be to have an update every few hrs as opposed to scrolling all the way through. Then again, I could always get the evening forecast.

Good bye Weatherbug.

Works for me! This is great!

Question... when NOT highlighted... I have the home screen icon set to show the temp...so I see a blue TV screen-ish icon with the current temp on the screen... (and the temp and text under the icon)... is the icon supposed to be a television screen? Just wondering

The new changes are FANTASTIC.

A suggestion... the margins are still much too big. ie: when you're looking at the current conditions or forecast screens we should only be able to scroll up or down (in both portrait and landscape)... however I'm able to scroll horizontally as well (always to the right), which sometimes scrolls everything right out of view. This is a bug that existed with the other BBWeather version as well. Is there any way you can edit the right side margin so that it fits the actual Storm screen?

Thanks tateu. You kick ass!

I am currently running the .81 release and love the screen icons... but I live in the Phoenix area where temps between May and October are regularly over 100 degrees. When looking at the home screen, I can't see the 3-digit temp fitting as it is currently designed. Can you address that in an upcoming version? Otherwise, it's a great application, and I appreciate your efforts in taking over the development of BBWeather.

Downloading the new alpha version now...

Wirelessly posted (Its All About the U!)

You can adjust the blue box to put conditions in.

Can you elaborate?

Wirelessly posted (Its All About the U!)

Go to options
Look for home screen
You can change to temperature, conditions or both.

Options - Homescreen Icon: Conditions

Wirelessly posted (Its All About the U!)

So it will show 00 for 100?

That sucks

Oh okay... I thought you meant we could actually change the dimensions of the tv screen icon itself to fit a 3 digit temp.

I don't know... I am still running .81 and it's not 100 degrees yet. (That comes soon enough!). But the current temps seem to fill up the blue box pretty much, and it looks like the 3 digit temp won't fit. I just wanted to mention it as a concern/possible problem.

Wirelessly posted

Hanwei,

Yes, a TV screen was the idea behind the icon. What happens if you change the font size to something smaller (in the options screen, scroll to the bottom and set it to less than -4)? Does it fit the screen any better?


fonejunkie,

The font size on the homescreen icon is self adjusting to the maximized size for each temperature and was tested with temps in the 100s last summer from Death Valley

Sweet. I knew you were on top of it!

Wow, I'm guessing you're a pessimist? Call it a hunch. ;)

Hmm, I guess you can't edit your post after too many hours have passed...I should have mentioned in the original post for this thread that an updated "official" version has also been released, v0.83. Located here:

http://www.blackberryforums.com/afte...ml#post1295719

bye bye WeatherEye!

Great update Tateu, thank you.

Ditto, great update. Thanks Much!!

Suggestion:

Add the ability to view the official NOAA text weather forecasts (cell.weather.gov). These are pretty good summaries of the weather in a little more detail than time and temperature.

Add the ability to change location by GPS -- if I travel from Connecticut to New York it would be cool if that icon also updated to my present location.

If all possible, I second this.

??? I merely pointed out what could be a flaw... and then learned that Tateu was on top of it and had already addressed it.

How does that make me a pessimist? More like thinking ahead.

I started working on this. The problem is that the weather data is downloaded based on ZipCode/LocationID. GPS/CellTower data provides latitude and longitude. I need some way to convert that into a ZipCode/LocationID. I've been looking for a free website that does it but haven't found anything. There are latitude/longitude database files available on the internet for download and one option is to setup a private website to host the database lookup table but that could be cost prohibitive for a freeware app.

I'm not sure what you're getting at regarding changing the font size. I was only curious what the home screen icon was behind the temp (tv screen). Everything else is good to go

The Current Conditions and Forecast screen margins being way too big is my only gripe. Hopefully you get to that when you have time.

I'm sure I can speak for everyone and say that we appreciate you taking on BBWeather for us.

Ok, I just downloaded a Storm simulator and see what you mean. It's been added to my todo list of things to fix.

awesome!

Wirelessly posted (Its All About the U!)

The homescreen icon updates fine but when you click on the icon, it only shows the conditions from the last time I accessed the BB Weather program which in my case was 3 hrs ago.

Correction: The forecast poll interval is at 120 min. Thats the issue. Is it possible to bring that number down?

No, it's not the forecast interval. Click on the Application button to go to the main Homescreen with all of the icons, then go back to the quick homescreen with just your favorite icons. You will see that the BBWeather description is now updated correctly. It is also always correct on the full homescreen page. I believe it's a limitation of the API that causes the problem. Or maybe there is a new API for new OS's that I need to use.

Tateu - Thanks so much for your efforts on this application! Excellent updates and your work is appreciated.

Hanwei,

New version posted to same link. I think the horizontal scroll problem for the Storm is fixed.

http://www.tateu.net/software/bb.php?f=BBWeather_alpha

Is there anyway to remove the keyboard or have an option to hide the keyboard in the storm version?

Very very nice! Is the app gentle on your battery? Thanks

In landscape view, the hourly icon & text works...but not in portrait. The forecast overrun is OK...again in landscape...not in portrait.

Hmm, I don't have an actual Storm but I have run it in the simulator and it doesn't start with the keyboard on. I have to open the menu and choose "Show Keyboard." And when the keyboard is on there is a menu item "Hide Keyboard."

Thank you! The scroll problem is gone. Love it.

That's not the problem we were discussing. If the weather info goes off your screen, you need to go into the options (down near the bottom) and set the relative font size smaller than -4.

Wish list... Storm related:

It would be nice to have a 'button' on the Current conditions window to take one directly to the Forecast and another to the Hourly window. And likewise on the Forecast window, a button back to the Current and one to the hourly, etc.

Rather than pressing Menu > Forecast, etc.

Is compatibility mode on? Try turning it off. This usually gets rid of the keyboard issue.

To do this go to Options/Advanced/Applications/highlight "BBWeather" and hit menu/disable compatibility mode.