Weather Wizard e-ink forecaster

Ambient Devices and E Ink have teamed up to deliver a weather forecaster, called the Weather Wizard, which displays info from Ambient's nationwide network on a low-power electronic ink display. You may remember Ambient as the company that manufactures devices like the Orb, which glow with different colors correlated to predetermined metrics (stock market, national terror level, our stress levels at CES). The Weather Wizard reportedly lasts for an impressive two years with just a pair of AAA batteries, although the E Ink display seems capable of only lackluster graphics. Still, for the five minutes a day that we're not staring at Konfabulator, this would seem like a great Popeilesque "set-it-and-forget-it" solution.

[Via MobileRead, warning: PDF link]

[Brian @ Jan 9th 2006 8:29PM]

Here's a link to the press release that isn't a PDF file:



http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/1/prweb329106.htm

[Galley @ Jan 9th 2006 8:32PM]

I was thinking the same thing the other day while I was in Best Buy. Sure these weather forecasting gadgets are cool, but you can get all of that with a nice widget, which is FREE.

[Dave @ Jan 9th 2006 8:58PM]

Umm... RadioShack has been selling this exact same device under the RadioShack brand for almost 2 years. It's discontinued now. I'm glad the manufacturer decided to "announce" it at CES.

[Han Solo @ Jan 9th 2006 9:16PM]

I got a couple of these at radio shack for $29 each and gave them as xmas gifts...they work great. I think its EACTLY the same thing just does not have buzzword approved "Eink", a plain ole fashined LCD that works fine. No subscription needed either.





http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103038&cp=&kw=weather+forecaster&parentPage=search

[Brian @ Jan 9th 2006 9:34PM]

Dave,



I believe that the Radio Shack unit doesn't have an E Ink display, but just a plain old LCD.

[daveh @ Jan 9th 2006 9:37PM]

Does the radio shack device limit you to four cities for free content (NY, LA, Chicago, Atlanta, I think) like the orb did? Cool stuff, just not even close to being worth $7 a month.

[alvin @ Jan 9th 2006 11:11PM]

it's very good ,i want to buy it ,but i don't know how much

[Scott @ Jan 10th 2006 12:17AM]

If they're gonna do daily Boston weather they'll need an icon for snow/sleet/falling-chunks-of-glacier/sunshine.

[nate @ Jan 10th 2006 12:34AM]

@ daveh



just put in a zip code, no subscriptions ever. too bad it's discontinued. you should still be able to find it at stores in your area, just call around. it's just a 5-day LCD, there's no reason for e-ink in a device like this (unless the ENTIRE unit was like a sheet of paper, unlike this stand-up display)

[austin @ Jan 10th 2006 2:40AM]

Galley, I think the point is to have something outside your monitor. On the mantel, in the kitchen, never behind your browser window.



I like this, but e-ink, schmee-ink, the dashboard is where it's at.



http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/dashboard/index.html

[Isaac @ Jan 10th 2006 6:06AM]

Isn't the background of a e-ink display should be white? as in "book white"? In this pic it looks like a regular calculator-style lcd.

[DaveH @ Jan 10th 2006 8:48AM]

Thanks Nate - - saw the $30 clearance price and almost got it. But I had dropped $150 on that orb to find a subscription was required.

[Han Solo @ Jan 10th 2006 9:58AM]

With the Radio Shack model:



- No subscription required.



- Just put batteries into it, and within 30 minutes it will pick up data for the closest 4 major cities in the area. You can subscribe if you want a different area or a custom zipcode if you want. But you will get your major metro area data just by turning it on.

[Ian @ Jan 10th 2006 5:50PM]

If this is an e-paper product, why does it still use LCD-style fonts?

I have to assume that this product is not pixellated, but simply an LCD-type electrical mat system with an e-paper layer instead of actual LCD crystals.

[Galley @ Jan 10th 2006 7:41PM]

Austin, just buy more PCs! ;-)

[Praca Oferty Pracy @ Aug 3rd 2006 9:05AM]

wow what a lovely weather wizard! i have to find sth like this