Author Topic: CWOP Weather App  (Read 5790 times)

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Offline jruys

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CWOP Weather App
« on: May 17, 2013, 03:19:56 PM »
Hi All,
   I just created a CWOP Weather App for Android if anyone is interested.  It works very similar to the map that I created on my website, but since it is on a mobile device it will get your last known location and automatically move the map there.  Also, I added functionality to convert to metric units, which is saved on the device.

Full Description: http://www.narsters.com/CWOPWeather/Default.aspx
Google Play Store Location: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.narsters.cwopweather or just search for CWOP Weather in the Google Play App

If anyone has an suggestions on any features I left out, let me know and I will see what I can do!

Offline Weather Display

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2013, 12:13:57 AM »
where is it pulling the data from?
i.e what server?
just out of interest
(because if findu.com servers, they dont tend to like data scraping off their servers)
Brian
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Offline Skywatch

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2013, 12:35:42 AM »
I'll pass. Unless the app is free I don't bother with it. Looks nice though.
I live in an apartment and for the moment am not a home weather watcher.

I am a storm chaser.

Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2013, 01:32:21 AM »
Quote
where is it pulling the data from?
i.e what server?
just out of interest
(because if findu.com servers, they don't tend to like data scraping off their servers)

findu.com provides an xml cgi that is only hit on a bubble being clicked (which findu has stated on their CGI page is ok), so it is not scrapping, just using a tool that was provided.  The station positions come from a txt file provided by APRS, which I in turn store in a database for retrieval.

I do provide a free web version on my site at http://highlandsranchweather.com/WeatherMapper/Default.aspx, but it doesn't give the ability to change unit types or auto locate your position.  The main reason I am charging $1 for it is that it is not free to put the app on Google Play, and this is the only app I have created so far.

Offline Weather Display

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2013, 01:56:48 AM »
Quote
The main reason I am charging $1 for it is that it is not free to put the app on Google Play
yes , and same for iOS apps through apple store...it costs to be a developer
people probably dont realise the costs involved
Brian
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Offline Skywatch

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2013, 02:17:53 AM »
I understand it cost money but the same reason I gave up on ITunes on my ITouch when I can get free music from the many apps out there. The free apps are like donationware.

With all the apps one can put on there phone and the data to run them cost more than the phone originally. Oh the world of smartphones.
I live in an apartment and for the moment am not a home weather watcher.

I am a storm chaser.

Offline gluepack

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2013, 02:38:45 AM »
No criticism of the app per se (I appreciate anyone spending time developing anything).

However, although I've never really studied Yahoo maps before, based on my own location (EW2048), it looks pretty unusable.

. it only shows the E70 running through the region. It doesn't show any other major roads, let alone minor ones, even when zoomed in. For example, hwy 208 is a major north-south road that runs immediately to the east of my pws location. And hwy 2, which, it is true, was supplanted by the E70 to a great extent, is still a major highway.

. it shows railway lines, that could be useful, but doesn't show stations and the spur line that appears to go towards my pws location has been extinct for at least 20 years

. not sure why the(re appears to be repetition of) place names on the hwy E70, unless they designate exits, in which case they are not really useful

. Vetrino is a small town due north of Provadia and about the same distance the other side of the hwy and yet it displays many km to the west

. Can't understand why the weird place name spellings. Provadia is a good example. Provadija is never used, Provadiya was ditched about 7-8 years ago in favor of Provadia (it's true that Google has only just updated their maps).

Perhaps it is due to financial considerations that you chose Yahoo maps and, of course, if you are only interested in it from a weather point of view, as opposed to travel, fair enough but despite the faults of Google, I would prefer to see their maps used.

Offline ocala

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2013, 07:15:45 AM »
Appreciate the effort jruys.
Is this pretty much the same as the APRS Viewer.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2013, 12:58:28 PM by ocala »

Offline gluepack

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2013, 08:42:26 AM »
Well, as many reviewers have noted, the "APRS viewer" might display a nice Google Earth map but it certainly doesn't display PWS data. Well,at least not in my neck of the woods.

p.s. oh it does show a bunch around London which might be of use, if you live there or are planning on visiting.

Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2013, 10:40:03 AM »
Well, after seeing that no one is terribly interested in paying $1 for the app (no one has installed it yet), I decided to make it free.  That way people can enjoy the work I put into it and give suggests that can help in the future.  Enjoy!  (I changed it over this morning, it may take a couple of hours to show up as free.)

Offline George Richardson

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2013, 11:42:33 AM »
"The main reason I am charging $1 for it is that it is not free to put the app on Google Play"

How much does it cost to put the app on Google Play?

George

Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2013, 11:50:15 AM »
It is $25 for Google Play.  If the app "sold" well, I was going to try my hand at creating an iOS version, but that one is $99 a year.

And it looks like Google Play finally updated to show the app is free!
« Last Edit: May 18, 2013, 12:04:00 PM by jruys »

Offline Weather Display

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2013, 03:14:41 PM »
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but that one is $99 a year (iOS)
yeah, I discovered that as I am getting set up to develop iOS apps (and later android apps) too myself
thats alot of 1$ apps to sell!
(and if you make the app free, well, you will never get that back!)
Spotty internet here at the moment, I will check out what you have done once that improves
(I was thinking of doing something similar myself (not CWOP data though))
 ;)
Brian
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http://www.weather-display.com

Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2013, 03:30:05 PM »
At least the Android Market is only a one time $25 fee, so putting free apps out there isn't as bad, Apple and Windows charge $99 a year for the privilege.  I was kind of shocked at the Windows fee since there is not nearly the market out there for Windows Apps.  I may get to iOS one day, but I need a Mac to develop on first :grin:

Offline Weather Display

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2013, 04:50:54 PM »
what development language/compiler ?
(out of interest)
Brian
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Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #15 on: May 18, 2013, 08:16:43 PM »
Quote
what development language/compiler ?
For Android development you have to use Java, which is not my favorite, but it is not bad.  I use a plug-in for Eclipse from Google that is pretty nice.

Offline Skywatch

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2013, 09:12:43 PM »
I still feel guilty about asking for a free app. After hearing that 25$ I wish I'd never brought it up. But I like it though. One suggestion would be to add solar radiation data to the little popup that has all the weather info. Other than that it looks and works fine.
I live in an apartment and for the moment am not a home weather watcher.

I am a storm chaser.

Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2013, 09:37:28 PM »
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I still feel guilty about asking for a free app
No worries, no one was downloading it for $1 anyway.  I just want people to be able to use it, and to say I finally have an app in the Play Store :grin:.  For Android, it is only a $25 one time free for as many apps as you want to put out there.  Apple on the other hand is $99 a year, so it is a little harder to stomach putting a free app out there.  That is why many the "free" apps either have ads or in app purchases.

About the solar data, I would like to add it, but right now the findu service I am calling to return the data does not include it.  I do plan on reaching out to Steve at findu in the very near future to ask if I can help further develop the xml service I am using.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2013, 09:40:48 PM by jruys »

Offline Weather Display

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2013, 11:21:22 PM »
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no one was downloading it for $1 anyway
but it had only been a day or so?

I hoping to get a iphone app out soon, and then a android app later, myself
Brian
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Offline Skywatch

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #19 on: May 18, 2013, 11:50:26 PM »
Quote
I still feel guilty about asking for a free app
No worries, no one was downloading it for $1 anyway.  I just want people to be able to use it, and to say I finally have an app in the Play Store :grin:.  For Android, it is only a $25 one time free for as many apps as you want to put out there.  Apple on the other hand is $99 a year, so it is a little harder to stomach putting a free app out there.  That is why many the "free" apps either have ads or in app purchases.

About the solar data, I would like to add it, but right now the findu service I am calling to return the data does not include it.  I do plan on reaching out to Steve at findu in the very near future to ask if I can help further develop the xml service I am using.
No worries. I still like it.
I live in an apartment and for the moment am not a home weather watcher.

I am a storm chaser.

Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #20 on: May 19, 2013, 12:05:37 AM »
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but it had only been a day or so?
That is what my wife said :grin:  If it was the Apple Store I would have left it $1, but I really want people to try it to see how they like it.  This was my first app, so it will hopefully be a learning experience and we will see where things go from there. 

If you are attempting to do both iOS and Android, and know\like JavaScript, you may want to try Titanium Studio.  If is a free IDE and allows you to compile 80%-90% of the same code for both iOS and Android.  It bloats the at least the Android app size though, but it is fast for development.  To compile for iOS you will need a Mac.

Offline Weather Display

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #21 on: May 19, 2013, 12:08:13 AM »
got my internet problem sorted
downloaded (only 2nd person to do so!)
works, shows my location on the google map correct,good job :)
taking a while to get the stations loaded (my internet is not all that fast though anyway though)
(a restart and the stations are loaded fast)
nice tool, well done :)

re compiler, I am using the same environment I use for WD, now that they have a cross compiler out (android later)
so can have lots of fancy stuff (like graphs and dials/gauges etc)
I have a mac and one of the kids have a ipod touch, I am just waiting on my apple developer cetificate after caughing up the 99$
I got a mate or might like to use your app...you should have left it at 1$..I will send you a donation via your web site..

this is the sort of app I intend to do for the iphone (i.e live mesomap)
« Last Edit: May 19, 2013, 12:16:23 AM by Weather Display »
Brian
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Offline jruys

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #22 on: May 19, 2013, 12:20:27 AM »
Cool, glad you like the app.  Sometimes the stations do load a little slower for some reason at first, but it generally goes much quicker after that. 

I wish you all the luck with your WD app!

Offline ocala

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Re: CWOP Weather App
« Reply #23 on: May 19, 2013, 07:14:42 AM »
Just DL it. So far so good but it was slow to load the stations at first but after that it was fine.
Would it be possible to show the daily rain total instead of, or in addition to the rain last hour?

 

anything