[greggray]

Originally Posted by fonejunkie

Tateu addressed this earlier in the thread... apparently there is an issue with the API, and the timestamp on the icon only gets updated when you go to the ICON screen - it is especially annoying if you are using a Zen-type of theme (bottom, original Zen or L theme) - as for the API to work correctly, you have to go to the ICON screen (the one with the screen full of icons, like the "home" screen of an ICON theme). Yeah, it's a PITA, but apparently it's a limitation of the API at this point, and Tateu was looking at a way to resolve it.

I am using a Custom Theme and my timestamp on the icon is getting updated without me having to go into the icon screen. My concern was that the weather report that comes up when I click on the icon seems to have an old timestamp.

-Greg

[CoffeeTime]

I really like the features that have been updated in BBweather. Great work! Is there any way to include the forecast for Snow or Rain in inches in either forecast or hourly view?

[wu-wei]

Holy

Freakin

Crap

Finally, a weather app that really does everything I want/need.

Outstanding work.

You just saved me a bunch of memory with all the other apps I can delete.

[morrow95]

The updates you have done to this app are AMAZING! I just removed weathereye for good from the new curve. One suggestion I have is conditions plus temp on homescreen text. What about listing all the possible combos in the option menu as checkboxes? That way each user could have what they want as it seems some want update time, high / low temp, current temp, conditions, etc. Whatever order you list in the options is the order the users checkboxed items will show...

I would love to see radar possibilities as well. How hard would it be to convert the app to zipcode rather than location id? I don't know anyone who knows the location id off hand but we all know what zip code we are in usually even when traveling...

Are severe weather alerts on the possible future features list? Ringtone profile for tornado, severe storm, stuff like that.

[morrow95]

One other thing I would like to see is maybe a single blank line inbetween the hourly and forecast so the next entries are separated visually a little better than just the white or grey background.

[fonejunkie]

Originally Posted by morrow95

The updates you have done to this app are AMAZING! I just removed weathereye for good from the new curve. One suggestion I have is conditions plus temp on homescreen text. What about listing all the possible combos in the option menu as checkboxes? That way each user could have what they want as it seems some want update time, high / low temp, current temp, conditions, etc. Whatever order you list in the options is the order the users checkboxed items will show...

I would love to see radar possibilities as well. How hard would it be to convert the app to zipcode rather than location id? I don't know anyone who knows the location id off hand but we all know what zip code we are in usually even when traveling...

Are severe weather alerts on the possible future features list? Ringtone profile for tornado, severe storm, stuff like that.

I used the zip code in both BBWeather and BBToday since I found the apps several years ago... only recently (when the option was added to do the auto-lookup) did I even consider the location ID was something different. My point: I am not sure it's an issue - as it appears to be resolving the location ID from the zip automatically.

[John Clark]

Wirelessly posted (BB 11020)

You don't need location ID or zip code. When adding a location, simply type in the city and state, hit the menu key and select "Lookup location ID". The app will look up the location ID and automatically fill everything in. Its a great app!!

[akosnitzky]

Originally Posted by greggray

I am using a Custom Theme and my timestamp on the icon is getting updated without me having to go into the icon screen. My concern was that the weather report that comes up when I click on the icon seems to have an old timestamp.

-Greg

I think its because the forecast poll only runs every 120 min

[paulmac]

Really like the application. One suggestion would be if there is a way to get Nation Weather service alerts tied in somehow. And have the home screen icon change somehow to alert you that there is an alert (does that make sense )

[tateu]

Originally Posted by John Clark

When adding a location, simply type in the city and state, hit the menu key and select "Lookup location ID". The app will look up the location ID and automatically fill everything in.

This feature was broken a few releases ago. The latest release posted a few minutes ago fixes this.

Also, I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but BBWeather has been having trouble getting the correct weather for my location (Studio City) for the last few days. When updating the current conditions it usually gets data that is current but it sometimes gets old data from the day before. This is not BBWeather's fault. It is caused by weather.com. I just tried getting the weather for Studio City through Firefox on my PC and I hit refresh several times in a row. Most times, it returned data dated "2/26/09 12:53 PM PST" (current) but a few times it returned data dated "2/25/09 9:53 PM PST" and "2/25/09 6:53 AM PST."

Originally Posted by paulmac

One suggestion would be if there is a way to get Nation Weather service alerts tied in somehow.

If they provide an XML or RSS like feed using a ZIP Code and LocationID then it should be possible. People keep requesting this but no one has gone out and found me a link to use.

[CoffeeTime]

I just installed the latest update (V0.84 Alpha 2009-02-26 13:16:22 PST). Whenever I try to choose different home screen options, I do not notice any changes. My ICON remains conditions and Text remains conditions, not matter which option I choose. I installed that version over the current version. Do I need to delete the older version to install the latest?

[tateu]

No, you do not need to uninstall old versions, I do not.

You have to save the options in order for the icon/text to change. But...and I've said this several times before (I understand that people don't read every post in a thread this long, so I don't mind repeating it)...as far as I can tell there is a bug in the RIM OS that does not update the text on the quick homescreen (the one with only 4 or 5 icons) until after you press the application button and go to the full homescreen.

But the icon always updates as long as you save the options after you change it (atleast on my Bold and the Pearl, Javelin and Storm simulators I have tried).

[SMF]

tateu,

Not sure if this link will help - it's the beta warnings feeds RSS/XML from the weather service - NOAA's National Weather Service - XML warning/watch product data feeds

Thanks again for a fabulous app.

SMF

[tateu]

Originally Posted by SMF

it's the beta warnings feeds RSS/XML from the weather service - NOAA's National Weather Service - XML warning/watch product data feeds

So how do people see this working?

One Way:
At NOAA's National Weather Service - XML warning/watch product data feeds there is a list of feeds by State. In BBWeather there could be a set of Alert Locations, the states you want alerts for. In the options screen, there is a value for "Alert Poll Interval" so every 15 minutes BBWeather would connect to the NOAA and grab the RSS feed for your active Alert Locations.

The data comes back from the NOAA with a start/end dates/times and info like the following:

Lake Wind Advisory issued February 26, 2009 at 12:13PM expiring February 26, 2009 at 6:00PM
Issued by Weather Forecast Office Birmingham National Weather Service Forecast Office - Birmingham, AL

...BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON....SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BE SUSTAINED BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MPH WITH AFEW GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH THIS AFTERNOON....LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A LAKE WINDADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON.

Let's say BBWeather 1st gets the above alert at 12:30pm. What should it do? Play a sound, pop up the message? And it gets the same warning again at 12:45pm. What does it do then? Since it's the exact same warning, does BBWeather need to keep a list of previous alerts to make sure it does not repeat them? Or should it go ahead and repeat it every 15 minutes until the alert is over?


Also, the above scenario deals with alerts by State. I would think most people want alerts that are more localized to their current location. In that case, maybe you should be able to enter Alert Locations based on the county lists like this NOAA's National Weather Service - Alabama Watch/Warnings RSS Feeds by County/Forecast Zones

Thoughts?

[CoffeeTime]

I am saving after changing the options. I just noticed that they are taking effect but it is taking quite a while for the change to take effect even on the Application screen where normally the changes occur immediately for me. It is working but for some reason slower than the previous version. Perhaps it's my device/network. I guess you'll monitor for feedback from other users to determine if there is an issue.

[tateu]

Originally Posted by CoffeeTime

I just noticed that they are taking effect but it is taking quite a while for the change to take effect even on the Application screen where normally the changes occur immediately for me.

I'll bet you have "Default Screen" set as something other than "Current Conditions." The homescreen icon is only updated by data from the "Current Conditions" screen so if you have not loaded the "Current Conditions" screen atleast once during this BBWeather session, then it will not update until the next "Current & Homescreen Poll Interval."

[fonejunkie]

With all of these updates, it would be nice to have a SAVE PROFILE and LOAD PROFILE option... it would help the lazy ones of the bunch (me) by not making us (me) enter the profile data over and over (I have 4 locations defined within the app).

EDIT: I'm not sure what you did (or how you did it), Tateu, but this last upgrade did not destroy the profile data. Man, that's service - fixing the "problem" before I could even ask for it!

[tateu]

You only lose your profiles when I make changes to the options screen. But yes, I understand. Are you suggesting an option that saves/loads to/from an external file on an SDCard or system memory? Interesting idea...I'll look into it.

[fonejunkie]

Originally Posted by tateu

You only lose your profiles when I make changes to the options screen. But yes, I understand. Are you suggesting an option that saves/loads to/from an external file on an SDCard or system memory? Interesting idea...I'll look into it.

Yes, Tateu, that was my thinking... thanks for exploring the idea.

[greggray]

Originally Posted by tateu

So how do people see this working?
Let's say BBWeather 1st gets the above alert at 12:30pm. What should it do? Play a sound, pop up the message? And it gets the same warning again at 12:45pm. What does it do then? Since it's the exact same warning, does BBWeather need to keep a list of previous alerts to make sure it does not repeat them? Or should it go ahead and repeat it every 15 minutes until the alert is over?

Don't repeat. I would keep a list of alerts that are still current (so if current date/time falls into the range of the alert then cache it). Keep a status to indicate if the Alert has been read. If the Alert has not been read then make the icon be some sort of alert indication. Also, if there are unread alerts, make the page when you open the application be the alert view.

Originally Posted by tateu

Also, the above scenario deals with alerts by State. I would think most people want alerts that are more localized to their current location. In that case, maybe you should be able to enter Alert Locations based on the county lists like (link removed) NOAA's National Weather Service - Alabama Watch/Warnings RSS Feeds by County/Forecast Zones

Thoughts?

I prefer county but state alerts are not bad - they tend to list the county anyway. Not sure if there is a service that will take a zip and return the proper state/county but if not I don't mind having to configure this as well.

Thanks for all your hard work!

-Greg