If you're not satisfied with the driving directions you get on Google Maps, a few smart guys at MIT have created an elaborate new toy called CarTel just for you. They've equipped a fleet of Boston-area cars with computers that automatically connect to any 802.11 access points detected in transit, then send home data recorded by their on board diagnostic systems, all in just a few hundred milliseconds. The result: a website that gives you directions based on information gathered in real-time so you can avoid high-traffic areas or say, if it's raining, roads which have historically been congested in adverse weather conditions -- no GPS required. The project also keeps a record of all access points detected, so think of it as wardriving for the good of humanity -- and you (probably) wouldn't even get arrested for participating!

[Via PhysOrg]

The recent tornado tragedy in Iowa underscores the necessity to replace our aging NEXRAD detection system, and thankfully, a team of scientists from various universities are already working to find a suitable replacement. The Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) satellite network would theoretically be installed on existing infrastructure, and it would purportedly scan areas more quickly and target the bottom of storms -- something the current system falters at. The so-called "gap filling radars" could be used to scrutinize the regions where NEXRAD radars can't see, and better still, it will likely be able to more accurately predict the storm path in order to more effectively alert those who may be in harm's way. On the downside, said network isn't expected to be implemented and ready for use until 2013, so we wouldn't go converting that basement into a home theater just yet.

[Thanks, Matt]

Just in case you've no real need for a seven-day forecast integrated into your timepiece, Oregon Scientific is hoping to lure you in with its proximity-sensing Weather In Motion clock. This stylish device sports a sexy black frame and an infrared motion sensor that changes the display based on how close / far away you are. When you're at a distance, expect to see the "current time, day and weather forecast displayed in large digits and icons," while walking up on it persuades it to show the "indoor and outdoor temperature readings, while the time and weather forecast icons automatically reduce in size." Furthermore, you can enable an automatic scroll mode that will "smoothly shift the information every five seconds." No word on when shipments will arrive, but it'll cost you $64.99 when it becomes available.

[Via Technabob]

While we'd surely balk if Ambient Devices simply added two measly (albeit potentially important) days to its forecaster, the outfit made sure to update the overall look / feel of its weather display for good measure. The revamped devices will reportedly "receive updates from weather sources throughout the day via the Ambient Infocast Network," which currently reaches about 90-percent of US households. The 5-Day Forecaster will sport a four- by four-inch display while the 7-Day Forecaster boasts a six- by six-inch screen, and both units will show "current conditions and an extended multi-day forecast for 150 locations in the United States." Notably, the units will even feature "a color-changing backlight to indicate the current temperature at a glance (i.e. blue for cold, red for warm)," and those springing for the week-long version will be blessed with information about the UV Index, wind speed and direction, pollen alerts and air quality alerts. Look for the new Forecasters to land this winter for $149.99 and $199.99, respectively.

[Via SlashGear]

Oregon Scientific has been busting out some pretty slick gear lately, and its new BA900 Crystal Weather Station is no exception. The acrylic block features three laser-engraved 3-D icons that light up in color to represent sunshine, precipitation, or cloudy skies, while the radio-controlled atomic clock in the base switches to a temperature readout with just a wave of your hand. We're hearing this thing will ship in December for about $60 -- just in time for that rain icon to be rendered totally inaccurate.

[Via Red Ferret]

Although we've already been up close and personal with a number of Ambient's unique devices, a recent conference at the Ambient Information Systems Workshop brought a bevy of new (and old) conceptual devices back to the limelight. Aside from the Google Clock and Ambient Orb, David Rose spoke about the opportunity to present a multitude of interfaces with varying resolutions in a number of environments so that individuals could get updates on what's important to them with "just a glance." Among the ideas was a Weather Watcher display that could be tailored for sailors by divulging forecasts and current wind information, a Sailing Zone display that could easily pinpoint the "ideal situation for boating," and a thin wallet-infused display that could crank out pertinent information to the owner. Additionally, a energy tracking Home Joule is currently being trailed in New York that uses color to quickly convey data about how much juice is being consumed in a home. So if you're intrigued in the slightest, and can't wait to see how ubiquitous displays and the human race will inevitably work and play together in perfect harmony, be sure to hit the read link and cringe as you read over things you thought of years ago but kept to yourself.

We know, it's rather disappointing to check the local forecast on your Melitta MS1MSB or Wii weather channel, only to find the conditions completely not as you expected once you stroll outside, but those guesstimates could be getting a bit of help from weather tracking airplanes. Boeing has filed a patent application that would "using airborne radars to measure wind vectors," essentially strapping weather-sensing nodes onto an airplane so that it collects real-time data whilst passing across remote regions of the planet that typically get ignored. Better yet, the data could even be cross-referenced with nearby planes in order to estimate the best actual forecast for a given region based on numerous information sources, potentially yielding a more accurate look at forthcoming weather. Of course, all logic here would point to humanoid meteorologists being established to interpret and disseminate the information, but until all this gets real, we'll be playin' it safe with the weather forecasting umbrella.

[Via NewScientistTech]

Although XM's supererogatory features that compliment the actual music transmissions have been available for awhile, the company is apparently going all out to demonstrate its latest inclusions at CES. Dubbed the "infotainment" concept vehicle, this mysterious whip will reportedly feature the "first personal weather tracking system for GPS navigation," which is intended to compliment XM's real-time traffic service (NavTraffic). The system is designed to focus on weather patterns for your specific route, and also provides short-term forecasts to help you decide whether the scenic route would suit you better. Partnering with Baron Services, XM plans to bring the WxWorx technology already used in "airplanes, boats, and emergency responders" to the comforts of your ride. Additionally, the company is set to showcase "in-car video systems" co-developed by On2 Technologies that can not only receive audio, but even video (sound familiar?) from the same satellites and ground repeaters that XM already delivers tunes by. Of course, we can expect to see a fleshed-out demonstration of the parking locator technology (dubbed ParkingLink) that has been in the works, and XM even plans to demonstrate a voice-recognition control scheme developed by VoiceBox Technologies. Notably, XM suggested that its weather-tracking system should be officially available "this summer," while the other introductions might just hold off until this whole "sorta maybe merger" thing gets ironed out.

So you're a tech-minded Honda driver that enjoys tooling around the mean streets of Japan? Surely what you've been pining after for years is a way to know the barometric pressure at your exact location as you drive. Ok, Japanese meteorology enthusiast road warriors, welcome to the future: the InterNavi Premium Club will not only gather precise weather conditions outside your car and help route around road closures (say, due to snow), but also functions with an added "social networking service" so that you can leave a virtual comment about a particular GPS location. So while others are busying themselves waiting in traffic you've successfully routed around, you'll know how likely it is for the sky to close up and pour down rain as you jump out and grab a bowl at that awesome ramen joint geotagged by other salarymen InerNavi users.

There are often days when we get up in the morning, stare down our coffee machine and think: "You know what would work really well on this thing? A weather display." Thank goodness, because Melitta has just announced its ME1MSB Smart Brew Coffeemaker with MSN Direct. The $250 MSRP coffeemaker (Amazon's got a pre-order for $200, ships on November 15), as you can imagine, brews a mean cup o' joe (perhaps not as strong as this espresso maker), but also displays up-to-the-minute weather information via MSN's FM sub-carrier broadcast network without requiring a subscription -- just plug it in wherever you can get a radio signal (most of the continental US is covered), and off you go to caffeinated meteorological heaven. We think that the ME1MSB will be a fine addition to our kitchen, because it would finally fulfill our dream of adding another way to getting the weather without peeking outside, bellying up to our computers, or reading that archaic RSS reader known among certain scholars as a "newspaper."