I'm sure many of you are aware of ongoing issues we've endured in the beta program with the Google app, mainly the "At A Glance" widget. As you may recall, this "system" widget that claims a decent sized chunk of our Homescreens fell to disrepair awhile ago as it began it's descent with the deletion (or MIA, at least) of current weather, leaving many of us "AAAAA" believers with a lonely & unwanted date stamp gimmick.
Good News, at first glance it appears the "at a glance" issues have been dealt with and you'll be pleased to know your homescreens have been returned to their upright & comfortable postions! And again, we thank you for choosing XDA...enjoy the remains of your day!
P.S. You will also find some new weather widgets, under the Google tab!
P. S. S. Do you think we could solicit the Google app development team to include the locale with the current weather temps? (I already sent a request over, for what it's worth).
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Hello, I made some months ago ava for world wide the PhotoWeather app on windows phone 7.
My ideia was to make app for a quick view of the weather like if it was a widget since i am used to my android based widget home screen.
To fill the gaps of such a simple app, I decided to add some photos from panoramio related to the place.
My first problem was to find a good free service provider that could cover all world, and I must say it as hard to find and still I don't believe the actual solution is the most accurate.
It's very difficult to find a good weather provider with accurate info that supply that same for free.
My live tiles are also obtained via the service provider, they are very basic as they are the weather condition from the last retrieved location.
When microsoft start's supplying the weather info from bing api I guess I will switch to that service.
mean while, if anyone can help me with a good provider.? thanks
PS: Really I'm not advertising my app (since didn't followed the template). It is quite old now, and I guess it achieved the most of the downloads possible lol.
I have new apps coming out, and those I intend to advertise, if possible.
Thanks
So uh, I saw the google now widget and decided to give it a try. Looks like it could have some useful info whenever you need it. Thing is, the widget only shows the weather, even on max size? It doesn't show anything else, like traffic, news, stocks etc. like in the widget preview.
Anyone else have this problem?
Its shows whatever cards you have in Google now. If you only have weather, it will only show weather.
The more you use it... and allow it to see... the more useful it becomes. It's learned by my locations where work and home is and always gives a card of what traffic is like and what my ETA is. It knows the sports teams I like and pops up info about them. It grows in usefulness over time. It can take a few weeks.
Tinfoil hat-wearing paranoids need not apply. It will collect and aggregate info about you.
I'm not impressed thus far, some options aren't functional yet where I live (Europe), I guess it needs further development. I'll try it again in a few months.
I didnt have any problems
Sent from a land from far away!
fac51void said:
I'm not impressed thus far, some options aren't functional yet where I live (Europe), I guess it needs further development. I'll try it again in a few months.
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Same here in Germany, it just barely works, weather and traffic that is. Everything else is basically non-existant.
It hasn't really progressed for us europeans since it was released, so i'm not getting my hopes up for future improvements.
Europe is, as usual, neglected when it comes to things like these.
I played with it briefly on a custom 4.2.1 rom, surprised that it still functioned. For me, it's a matter of privacy and how much I WANTED to share & let "them" know as they are already using whatever data/access/bits being generated, with this AI "sniffing" my moves based on the device while it's "connected" - so that everyone from that discrete building somewhere in the Far East to our own N S A or C I A can easily monitor and track at will with minimal to no efforts at all - in the name of homeland sec*#*#* by surrendering access to this cute 7" blackbox.
Think about all the personal & sensitive info that we stored on it, and if not really - think again. That's the price for innovation & liberty, I suppose ...
Now, if it's going to alert me to the danger of Noro-virus the next time I leave a pubic restroom and forgot to do a proper handwash, and beep me about enhanced contact precaution - I would say, job well done on making lives better for us. Until then, I remain guarded on whether I wanted to breach it - so, I re-opted "maybe, later"
i am one of the people who dodnt really care if google knows where my home/work locations, etc are. So, I let google now learn everything it can about me. Some things i find cool are...
if I search in google (desktop or mobile) for say, train schedules, or railroad news, next time I am near the train station or headed to it, it will show me topic related to the railroad and/or the schedule.
It has learned where I practice archery and my friends houses too. I visit both of these places on a pretty set schedule. Whenever it thinks I am about to leave, it shows me the traffic. It's been pretty spot on lately.
If I read a news story on desktop google news, google now will show related stories.
If I search for a store or business on desktop google maps, google now will tell me the traffic from my current location and has a nice handy "navigate" button there ready for me
I am sure a bunch of you know these things already, but just wanted to say that I am actually digging google now for reasons like the ones above....
I'm the developer of atmosHere (play on words of atmosphere) Weather for Android, an Android app to make weather smarter, and simpler. The app is "Card UI" based, similar to that of Google Now, and is powered first and foremost by the hyper accurate Forecast.io. By using Google's Fused location Provider, we can get your exact location and get down to the minute weather information, all while also getting data for the upcoming week! The app prioritizes information based on the current weather conditions. So if there is a weather alert for your location, that will be the first card you will see! Similar concepts are used else where, if it's raining or snowing, you will get a card for nearby traffic accident counts. This pattern is used throughout the app. This makes it extremely simple to get glance-able information about what is going on right now, and other data that applies based on the conditions. The card ui also makes it simple to fling down a little further for the upcoming week weather, chances of rain, device sensor readings (barometric pressure, temps, etc), pollen counts, UV index, astronomy information, and many more! The app is also extremely configurable, by allowing users to toggle what information they want to see, allowing them to personalize the data they get within the app!
Just recently (last night) I added a new feature that I have yet to see from any other Forecast.io powered app. Forecast.io provides TONS of information, but for the normal person it is hard to parse through all the data given and make sense of it and what it means for the weather. So i have taken the data given, and "pre-parsed" it in a sense, and turned it into a friendly, readable, format when needed. For example, forecast.io provides a summary for a given days' forecast, "Breezy starting in the afternoon, continuing until the evening." and then this is where I come in and add additional, relevant information. So if there is a high chance of rain in the forecast, I will add precipitation information, "75% chance of rain, with light rain starting at 5pm". This gives you the chance of rain, how heavy it will be (can range from very light to very heavy), and then the forecasted time of that precipitation! I also do the same for the given temperature. So you may see "High for today of 35, with a low of 25" and if it will "feel" warmer or cooler than the given temperature, it will also let you know! This makes the forecast for every day personalized and relevant, and lets you very quickly flip to a given day's forecast and know exactly what the forecast is. No need to flip through charts of data, and stare at numbers trying to make sense of them!
The app also features data from other services to aid with contextual information, such as traffic conditions, marine and ski conditions, latest earthquake information, and even a feed of National Weather Service Audio Streams! This will be built out even further going forward, allowing users to custom tailor the weather information they are shown!
The app also features radar data of all types, from precipitation, to weather alerts, and plenty more! Your Android standards such as widgets, notifications, and even extensions for the ever popular DashClock and Muzei are included! The app has already been optimized for Android Wear once it is released to the public. Google Glass has not been forgotten either, as there is a build ready to go for when Google Opens up GDK app distribution!
I have a G+ community setup that I am posting information about updates, bugs, and asking random questions for possible future updates. I will also answer any questions or I am open to just good old conversation! I am always open to suggestions of new ideas for the app. It's been extremely enjoyable thus far getting that app to where it is, and look forward to keeping that going. I also have no problem answering any emails if you prefer taking that route. The about section of the app includes all contact information you could ever need.
Youtube Demo video
Play Store Link
G+ Community
I have been doing weekly releases, and the app has improved tremendously over the last few weeks. We are now sitting in the top 30 in free weather app!
I have also worked on a free version, as some people have seemed hesitant to purchase without being able to really try the Card UI style out first.
So atmosHere Weather Free has been published just today!
Google Play Feature!
atmosHere Weather is now being featured on Google Play!
Feel free to join the G+ Community as well to follow development, make suggestions, or report bugs! There's a current Reddit thread right now as well.
I bought this the other day for my brand new Note 4. After installing all it would do is tell me i was running an unlicensed version. Pretty odd behavior considering i bought it via the play store. Had to request a refund pretty much immediately. Shame. I liked the look of this.
Hey guys,
I'm looking at getting a G2N in the next few days (if I can find a shop that has them in stock!)
I just have a couple of questions...
1. Does it show WhatsApp messages? I tried YouTube but the ones that talk about WhatsApp is in German.
2. Does it show the weather forecast?
3. How accurate is the S Voice on it?
I'm using a Galaxy Note 2 (DN3 RC2 on 4.4.2).
Sent from my GT-N7100 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I don't use whatsapp messenger so I can't answer the first question, but I do use it to receive Facebook, espn, and other notifications. I'm site if you choose to see those it will display them. It also has a ten day forecast. And as far as s voice I think it's pretty spot on, I've been using it for a week and only once have I had to re-say what I meant. I have it paired with an s5 to for what it's worth
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
kdogguk said:
Hey guys, I'm looking at getting a G2N in the next few days (if I can find a shop that has them in stock!) //
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1. Does it show WhatsApp messages?
I don't use WhatsApp, but *all* the apps that I have used with the watch DO show notifications clearly.
(GoogleNow, Business Calendar, Feedly, a couple of others/ etc.)
2. Does it show the weather forecast?
Yes, it even has a watch face with time and a weather logo that show the temperature and a current weather
symbol (clouds, clear, rainy). If you push the logo, you get a scrolling weather forecast in more detail (for several
days). It works well -but the fastest/most current updates in settings is hourly (I'd like 15 minutes!). I also use WeatherBug
and it pushed weather to the watch --turned it off since I was getting multiple weather more or less the same times!
3. How accurate is the S Voice on it?
- S Voice does work, and I use it to respond to text messages. (So, if you get a text message on your watch -you can read the whole thing, and there is a menu to reply (settings: either 3-4 stock "canned" messages, or using a "free form" reply with S Voice. I used S Voice, but to do so you need to a) be in a reasonably quiet location (outdoors on a windy street does not work well, riding in a car with the window open and music playing does not work well...etc.).
- Secondly, I found I needed to think through the reply completely in advance and then say it slowly. Whenever I tried to create and speak and pause and continue to speak, S voice just caught a portion of the reply and offered "here is your reply shall I send it"? (no no no! delete!). However, when I knew exactly what I wanted to say, and said it slowly but clearly, S voice did well. I would NOT recommend it for LONG message replies on the watch, (Send several short replies -that works!) However, S Voice does not seem to be as good at dictation as Google's voice keyboard, or Swype/Dragon's voice type. It is pretty good at searches.
We are very close to Android Wear devices being released. Are you prepared to possibly feel remorse after dropping money on one of these and then just a few months later, new devices will be out that may eclipse them in function and app ecosystem? I bought and kept my Neo with the knowledge that its a stopgap for a few months and I'll most probably ditch it for Android Wear this summer. There's still a lot of missing functionality that the older Gears and even Pebble watches can do that need to be caught up because Samsung decided to ditch the old platform for Tizen. So it's pretty much like a gen 1 device again instead of building on the existing ecosystem from the original Gear, which means waiting on features, apps and stability/bug fixes.
Because I love the IR blaster and mic, I kept my Neo in the chance that devs can come through and fix/add the software/apps to address my problems with it. I don't know if an Android Wear device will come out that has the IR blaster, so I'm keeping the Neo for now. Even though the WatchOn app sucks right now, because it's very limited in what devices it can control.
You must be willing to gamble on whether those apps/software features will ever come around, because those of us who buy Samsung devices regularly, know that if you don't buy one of their devices that have decent developer support, you're kind of screwed due to their penchant to release so many new devices and subsequently forget about supporting their last-gen products with updates. We'll see if the decision to go Tizen will help or hurt this product. So far the app store is pretty thin and I expected there would be a bounty of awesome apps by now since one of the advantages of Tizen promoted was that it's so easy to develop on this platform compared to android. Given that, the only reason for the lack of apps I would think is lack of developer interest.
I posted recently about the weather section of GenieWidget dying. Now it looks like the whole shebang is gone
I even updated mine (which had the dedicated browser) to what appears to be the last version for Eclair (1.3.04) (which opens selected stories in your default internet browser). Still no dice. Google has left this old version on the ash heap of android history.
So...now what? I still have a working BBC News app (though the annoying ticker at the top is stuck on an ancient story...), a copy of the once-free NewsHog that still works, and the NPR app. All three of these have scrolling issues even worse than those of the old GenieWidget (which was actually almost tolerable with the OC kernal).
I've been looking around. Anyone have news apps with some breadth like the old GenieWidget that still work?
And the winner is......
Well, maybe not exactly a "winner", but it's sort of an OK substitute. After much searching and trying out, I've come up with two candidates. One is the old NewsHog (the older free version that will still run on the NST). This is the most similar in coverage and some sources to the Google GenieWidget. No weather, though. It has longer article summaries than GenieWidget did and you have the option of opening the full story in either the built-in reader or your browser. The built-in reader has scrolling issues. You need to keep your gutters really clean and develop a quick thumb flick at the bottom right corner of the screen (similar to the BBC News app)--or open stories in your browser. The issue there, of course, is the slowness of the entire process every time you want to pursue a story.
A second candidate is called News Republic. The market version will not run on the NST but I did find an older one that will. The interface is completely graphic. You choose news categories that you arrange in tiles on the app "homescreen". Each category tile takes you to pages (swipe across to move from page to page) that look like newspaper pages, with varied length columns (some with images) mushed together to make a rectangle. The columns have teasers to the stories. Selecting a column brings you to a nice reader which--TA-DA--actually scrolls beautifully (makes you wonder why these other people could not get it right.....). The downside is that it takes a long time to get it set up the way you want it (you do not need to set up an account). Also, there are a lot of fluff tabloid-like sources and categories, so you end up removing a lot in the initial set-up (the video section wants to work with its own player, but then just gives up and says the video could not be opened). And...there are not as many solid traditional news sources. No custom categories. AdAway works to block ads as I occasionally see a blank rectangle with the words "advertisement" along the bottom.
So, that's what I have found so far. I've attached both older apps in case you want to try them for yourself.
Edit: Some time in July 2016 this version of NewsHog stopped updating custom news categories so you only have the provided categories to choose from
Edit: Some time in February 2017 all versions of News Republic that will run on the NST became unable to log in. Another dead one. App removed from the attachments below