Weather, US Radar, Alerts, Quakes. A Comprehensive Weather Application (eWeather HD, Radar HD, Quakes)
by Paul Wilks
Oct 4, 2011 8:48 AM –
Install
(eWeather HD, Radar HD, Quakes) Weather, US Radar, Alerts, Quakes is a comprehensive and detailed weather and alerts application that is easy to use and comes with more widgets than you could wiggle a stick at. The depth this app has in comparison to other weather applications is quite staggering. While it’s not as gloriously pretty as BeWeather or GOWeather, the range of statistics and forecasts it’s capable of is very impressive indeed. Recently an Amazon free App of the Day, if you need the kind of detail a deep-sea fisherman might want- this is just for you!
Price: $2.99
Tested on: HTC Desire HD
Content Rating: Everyone
Pros & Cons:
Pros
- 17 different widgets to choose from.
- Choice of forecaster: Intellicast or Foreca.
- Forecasts up to 10 days ahead.
- Status bar indicators.
- World clock.
- Earthquake alerts.
- Doppler Radar (only available in the US).
Cons
- Compared to other weather apps, the graphics are inferior.
Features:
Everyone likes a good weather app don’t they? We like to know if the weather is changing or how hot it might be. Especially popular on Android Market are functional weather applications and Weather, US radar, Alerts, Quakes is a fantastically detailed addition.
There really is a lot of data available in this thorough and complex application. From a weather function which forecasts up to 10 days in advance, to presenting a live list of earthquake activity- this would be the weather-presenter’s weather app of choice.
You like widgets? Well, Weather, US Radar, Alerts, Quakes has a storming 17 of them. From 1×1 precipitation and weather icon widgets to 4×4 clocks and forecasts. Check out the pictures below for a few visuals. If you’re not a big fan of big widgets the app can also do something very cool with your status bar. Select the option and a small indicator can reside in your notification bar which regularly updates and provides you with an assortment of information, including temperature, current weather, moon phase, etc. This actually looks both discreet and stylish and saves space if you don’t want a big widget.
You can however, go the full distance and install a hefty and informative clock widget to your homescreen. These look pretty good, but don’t expect the kind of rich UI and glossy graphics you get with apps like BeWeather or GOWeather. The graphics are relatively simplistic, but they do offer far, far more information.
If you live in the U.S. you can take advantage of the Doppler Radar feature which lets you view, live images of clouds and precipitation, etc. over your area via Google Maps. Pretty cool if you ask me.
There is a whole bunch of features here which might be a bit of an overkill for the typical user. You can get sunrise and sunset times, moon phases, UV index, barometer and even a headache indicator. While you might not use many of the features regularly, it’s great if you are concerned about Earthquakes or changeable weather conditions. Again, if you live in the U.S. you can get up-to-date weather alerts straight from the app.
With all these features, the app can becomes a vital lifestyle instrument; it can give you an indication as to whether you should wrap up warm or if serious weather could be on the way. With the 10 day forecast feature, it far outperforms other weather applications in the Market for data and features. It certainly isn’t the best looking application- but it’s definitely function-rich and packed with useful weather data.
Watch on Mobile
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – App screens (1)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – App screens (2)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – App screens (3)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – App screens (4)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – App screens (5)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – App screens (6)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Widgets (1)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Widgets (2)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Widgets (3)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Widgets (4)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Widgets (5)
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Widget settings
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Select location
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Find location
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – US Radar view
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Earthquakes
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Recent earthquake alerts
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Main page menu
-
-
Weather,US Radar,Alerts,Quakes – Options
Usefulness:
There are few applications that have so many different features and I cannot fathom what else you could possibly require from a weather application. From moon phases to earthquake activity, the app is dripping in functionality. With added widgets and notification bar icons, this app is the weather king in terms of usefulness.
Ease of Use:
To be honest, initially there is a lot of possible data to take in and, to the average user, this might be a little too much. But if you are into details and intricate weather forecasts this might be familiar territory. With a little time, the 6 main screens are easy to flick between and understand- although some info is probably ideal for budding (and possibly professional) meteorologists.
Frequently Used:
Often probably. With the homescreen widgets you’ll be using this a few times a day at least. The app can update the data often so you can always get an accurate and timely forecast. Depending on the weather where you live, this could be a vital tool in seasons where weather is volatile, in which case very frequent usage at those times.
Interface:
The interface in-app is essentially a grid of scrollable (side to side or up and down). These screens show most of the information- from two different forecasting providers, although a lot of data can be found via the menus. The interface is very smooth, mostly dark and cool colors. As Android users we are blessed with some superb weather apps with stunning effects and graphics. ‘Weather, US Radar, Alerts, Quakes’ is perhaps not one of these as the graphics seem to place function over beauty. If you are interested in the app for its functions however, this really shouldn’t put you off. The app looks really good, but just not quite as rich as some other weather apps in the Market. It has to be stressed again however, that these apps have nowhere near the amount of data available, even if they look great.