Spring Break
Website becomes weather Google
By: Dennis Mongello
Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Originally published: 4/27/07 at 3:27 AM EST
Last update: 4/27/07 at 3:27 AM EST
Originally published: 4/27/07 at 3:27 AM EST
Last update: 4/27/07 at 3:27 AM EST
With the crazy weather we've been having lately, it's tough to guess just how warm it's going to be tomorrow or even right now. The best way to be up to date with how warm to dress is to check the Internet. Weather.com is probably the most popular source for weather information on the web, but to get to the weather, you have to look through a labyrinth of ads and useless information. I don't mean the good kind of labyrinth, like the one starring David Bowie either; I'm talking about Theseus-and-the-Minotaur-type action here. Don't fret though, there is an alternative. Simpleweather.com offers the quickest, cleanest, most basic interface on the web for checking the current weather and see a five-day forecast. According to founder Vince Veneziani, "SimpleWeather is the easiest and simplest weather site available on the net. We have plans for Canadian and UK versions this summer and have loads of opt-in features in the works."
All you have to do is point your browser to www.simpleweather.com, type your zip code in the text box on the minimally styled, Google-like homepage, click on "Get Weather" and you are done. You get the weather in large, easy to read font, with a nice big icon representing the conditions outside. You get all the same information that you can get from Weather.com, but only in a much cleaner, easier to read format. You can even choose between Fahrenheit and Celsius. Aside from the high and low temperature and current conditions, you even get the humidity, dew point, visibility, barometer and wind information. This means if you are in PHEV 143 weather class, then this is your one stop shop for filling out your homework every week. Just don't tell Dr. House how easy it is.
You are probably thinking that Vista and OS X have the same functionally built right into the OS. But, realistically, Vista is horrible and you probably shouldn't be using it anyway. The OS X dashboard is a slightly more usable option, but that's only if you have access to it and like using it. SimpleWeather has the advantage that it will work on any computer, even the locked-down public computers you might have to use on campus or at work. Another choice is Weatherbug, but any self-respecting IRT employee at Korman will tell you that weather software like that are usually so full of spyware that it'll slow your machine down to a crawl. It's just easier to open a browser and go to a Web page when you want to see the weather rather than have something running in the background sucking up system resources all the time.
SimpleWeather is simply the best weather site out there. Plus, with the new features in development, what you see now is only the beginning. Switch over from a different service and you'll never look back. Try it out as your first weather service and you'll be hooked instantly. It's fast, easy, and accurate. It's also got a great interface design and great looking graphics. While the weather might be uncertain, you can always be certain that SimpleWeather is the best digital meteorologist on the Internet.
All you have to do is point your browser to www.simpleweather.com, type your zip code in the text box on the minimally styled, Google-like homepage, click on "Get Weather" and you are done. You get the weather in large, easy to read font, with a nice big icon representing the conditions outside. You get all the same information that you can get from Weather.com, but only in a much cleaner, easier to read format. You can even choose between Fahrenheit and Celsius. Aside from the high and low temperature and current conditions, you even get the humidity, dew point, visibility, barometer and wind information. This means if you are in PHEV 143 weather class, then this is your one stop shop for filling out your homework every week. Just don't tell Dr. House how easy it is.
You are probably thinking that Vista and OS X have the same functionally built right into the OS. But, realistically, Vista is horrible and you probably shouldn't be using it anyway. The OS X dashboard is a slightly more usable option, but that's only if you have access to it and like using it. SimpleWeather has the advantage that it will work on any computer, even the locked-down public computers you might have to use on campus or at work. Another choice is Weatherbug, but any self-respecting IRT employee at Korman will tell you that weather software like that are usually so full of spyware that it'll slow your machine down to a crawl. It's just easier to open a browser and go to a Web page when you want to see the weather rather than have something running in the background sucking up system resources all the time.
SimpleWeather is simply the best weather site out there. Plus, with the new features in development, what you see now is only the beginning. Switch over from a different service and you'll never look back. Try it out as your first weather service and you'll be hooked instantly. It's fast, easy, and accurate. It's also got a great interface design and great looking graphics. While the weather might be uncertain, you can always be certain that SimpleWeather is the best digital meteorologist on the Internet.
Vincent Veneziani
posted 4/27/07 @ 10:03 AM EST
Thank you so much for the piece Dennis. It was lovely. We'll be working on UK and Canadian versions soon and have lots of great features in the works. (Continued…)