As a new Samsung Blackjack II owner, WindowsMobile Cool reader and newest guest contributing editor Jamie Olmsted was looking for some weather software options that would integrate well with the Sliding Panels Today Screen that ships with Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard.
Read Jamie’s Feather Weather review after the jump and be sure to welcome Jamie and his future BlackJack II content!
Have something you’d like to see Jamie review? Please, let us know in the comments or via email: bambi@windowsmobilecool.com!
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QuickList:
System/OS/Device Requirements: Windows Mobile 6.1 (Pro and Standard versions available)
Price: Free!
Company: Showaco
Download here for the Landscape version (Scroll down to the second post for the Portrait version)
INSTALL/SETUP
Download the .cab to your Windows Mobile device, and install it as per usual. Reboot your device when the installer prompts you to.
Configuration is a bit more complicated…
1) Go to Start, and find the Feather program that the installer created.
2) You will then see this configuration screen.
Select 4) Forecast Options/Setup for the primary setup.
3) Set up the options on this screen (visiting Accuweather.com and finding your city will give you the Location Code required… it’ll be in the URL of the page.) Set the ON Hours if you want (Feather will only check for updated weather between those hours… my device only checks from 6 AM to 11 PM.) The Weather Update Interval is how often the device connects to check for updated weather, and the Forecast Update Interval defines how many Weather Updates to wait for before doing a whole Forecast update. Connect To Internet will allow Feather to create an internet connection (if your phone isn’t always on the internet.) Temperature Units is pretty straightforward, either degrees C or F. I haven’t been able to make the Radar option work, but that could be due accuweather being a US site.
4) Go back to the main configuration screen, and select 3) Display Options.
The only options I set up on this screen are options one and three.
Text Loop Setup lets you define what text to show below the general forecast on the Today screen. (sshot005.jpg) The FeatherWeather Panel Options screen lets you decide where to put the extended forecast icon. In my case, I chose “Set Feather to last page of Settings Panel”
5) Go back to the main configuration screen and select Run Full Update and exit, and you’re done!
KEY FEATURES
An easy-to view current forecast in your Time and Date panel, a mini view when another panel is selected and a full-fledged multi-day forecast with Weather Radar (if you live in the United States).
PROs/CONs
PRO: It integrates with my beloved Sliding Panel layout and it is highly configurable!
CON: The amount of configuration and hoop-jumping to get it installed may turn off new Windows Mobile Device owners. New device owners might also need to run a Security Unlocker before installing.
CONCLUSION
Based on what I set out to get, and what I ended up having with Feather Weather… I highly recommend this to anyone who likes both the Sliding Panel layout, and wants at-a-glance weather updates.
RATING (out of 5)
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