N9Apps: Meecast (Best Weather App EVER!)
I said one a week, so am pushing this back a week. This is just awesome! I’ve used AccuWeather since I first got my N9, mainly as it integrated with the Events screen. I had tried MeeCast, and really liked the UI, but the integration with Events screen made AccuWeather the better option. For some reason today, I decided to install it again. AND I AM GLAD I DID!
MeeCast now integrates with the events view, as long as you uninstall AccuWeather. (Uninstall is done via Settings>Applications>Manage Apps>AccuWeather>Uninstall). It gives you a better looking (at least in my opinion) widget iconset. But it doesn’t stop there! This is where the app gets really cool.
You can add the same sort of icon shown in the widget on the standby screen as well. This will overwrite the Operator Logo of your device, but makes the Standby Screen more useful. After all, Marko said it’s there to give you “daily info at a glance”. (I don’t know the exact quote, but along those lines.)
The next cool thing is you can add the same icon to the lockscreen. Obviously, I don’t know if you would use both of these, but the fact that you can, is awesome. Move over Lumia and Live Tiles, the N9 has Lockscreen and Standby Screen Widgets.
Would be nice to see more apps utilising this sort of thing.
Michael
Category: Applications, MeeGo, N9Apps, Nokia
About the Author (Author Profile)
Hi! My name is Michael. Like the others, I'm also a Student, living here in Sydney. I have a real passion for the latest technology and I'm a real Nokia buff! My aim is to keep those of you, like myself, updated with the latest in what's going on in the Nokia World. Currently sporting N9 & Lumia 820, with other Nokia devices in my posession. Get in touch on Twitter via @MFaroTusino, Google Plus or even simply drop me an email at mike.mnb[at]outlook.com or tips[at]mynokiablog.comSubscribe
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Hi Michael
thanks for the insight. I’ve been using Meecast for a while, but had not noticed the new features.
Btw. you seem to have Nokia Pulse in use. Are you happy with it? I’ve installed it twice and in both occasions it has immediatelly started to drain the battery.
I had noticed my phone was dying a lot quicker than normal, and thanks to you, I think I solved my issue. Will uninstall it and see if it fixes haha. Thought it was my battery icon hack that was affecting the drain.
But the app is a nice way to stay in touch
Exactly. My wife has C7 and Id really like to use Pulse for sharing updates, pictures etc. Too bad it does not seem to be optimized at all. …and if Ive understood correctly Beta labs (ie some US unit, who is responsible for it) have stated that N9 is no longer supported.
(Nokia still seems to be messed up in terms of software dev and WP does not make it any easier to set priorities. If they did this using Qt – I dont know if they have done it -, development should be easier to Sym+Maemo. And hen they are going to have Qt in Meltemi, what is the problem?)
Interesting read here, see mostly from #43 down:
http://betalabs.nokia.com/apps/nokia-pulse/bugreport/46693/push-notification
Apparently we need to take our Qns to the dev forum to find out whether they’ll solidify the push framework.
But yes, push itself is no longer a priority on the N9
How about Nokia Pulse next? I never knew it was released haha!
anyway, any screenshot on feeds homescreen? Is it really alright to uninstall accuweather?
Just updated the post with one
it doesnt work with lpsmagic D:
That is due to LPSMagic using the operator logo on the Standby screen. You need to make a choice, or use Weather on your lock screen
Someone (Nokia, but they obviously cannot be bother) needs to make a general API for all those functions, specifically the event screen manager (for the top right part), a lock screen manager and a standby screen manager, in such a way where apps/widgets would subscribe the manager service and make itself available using standardized APIs. Then the device user would be able to chose which one(s) to use at any given time. It could be even further extended by the ability to swipe the displayed widgets in order to switch to the next one in list, thus fully engulfing the Swipe UI experience.
That way all those modifiers would peacefully coexist without the requirement of uninstall the old one to accommodate the new one, and you as a user would be able to easily switch between available ‘views’ according to your current needs. For example, when I’m in the office I couldn’t care less what the weather is like outside, but it would be great to have the upcoming event in my calendar on the standby screen – in an ideal situation I’d be able to install an app that adds the weather view on the standby screen, and another one that adds the calendar, and then easily swipe between those according to my current needs. Same goes for the lock screen and for the events view where more details can be presented.
Oh, well… If I had more time I’d actually write such a manager and offer it to the 3rd party devs as a user-friendly way to avoid all that hustle. I might do it some day, if somebody doesn’t take it on him to solve this conundrum.
You should offer it for Beta Labs? As far as I know, a lot of the stuff comes from subcontractors. If Meltemi will have compatible Swipe, it would be even more worthwhile.
Now that I look into BetaLabs ans subsequently IdeasProject, Nokia does not seem to have good channel for such development that they could later on merge into their own platform.
“We facilitate trials for applications, software, or services currently being developed by teams in Nokia or by selected 3rd party developers.”
Though they say “IdeasProject is the best place to suggest new application ideas. Nokia Beta Labs is meant for discussing products actively under development with the developers themselves.” And ideasProject is only about ideas
http://betalabs.nokia.com/about
@incognito
Some great ideas, you really should get involved in the new CDP!
60x N9′s & 40x N950′s are to be handed out, 25x in four different categories.
It has only just been announced, more is explained/discussed here:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=84322
@incognito
You see my last post?
http://mynokiablog.com/2012/05/21/n9apps-meecast-best-weather-app-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-576738
Cheers!
The N9 just looks more awesome everyday, wished they released it here in India. Ohhh well will get the N808
Meecast is a very nice way for an app to integrate into the UX. Hopefully more apps will come with the same capability.
actually looks great i wish we could have that on symbian
Damn, the N9 is getter better with age!
I STILL really want one, but holding out for the 808.
Shame they couldn’t release the 808 with Harmattan – that would be perfection…
I’m not holding for the 808 anymore; it’s going to be too much expensive at approx R$1800 to R$1900 in Brazil. I’m going straight for the N9 at R$900 and will purchase it this week (that is, as soon as I FIND it in a store :/ )
bro hurry up, i get a black one on wallmart, but its not avaliable anymore, get it on saraiva or look at buscapé ou zoom.com
R$900 no more, IF u still find one will be for 1299
good luck!
u will not regret
It’s amazing how quickly Nokia from each country are shutting-down sales of the N9 shortly after (even b4) the Lumias arrive.
It really is quite inexcusable…..
Well if the project hadn’t been killed almost entirely…
I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a 3rd maemo6x ph (& final before meego proper devices) by now with pureview lite implemented.
And it def. would’ve had far better core hw components
We know it was well advanced around the U8500 & OMAP4, the former was further along IIRC.
Yeah, “only 4 devices before 2014″
What an utter BS was used as the decisive info behind “the oh-shit moment”.
Too bad I missed the Annual General Meeting. I would have liked to ask about it.
Yeah that was torn apart by felipe contreas, one of their lead engineers.
But you rarely ever heard about that, mainstream media lapped-it-up etc.
The damage was done…..
I’d like to read more about that. Do you have a link?
happy reading
http://felipec.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/my-disagreement-with-elop-on-meego/
Thanks for the heads up Michael..
Post a link to your wallpaper pls? uber cool
Thanks, Michael.. Replaced AccuWeather with Meecast and it is brilliant. The notification on the lock & standby screen is good.
Best weather app. Great job developers.
This one had slipped my radar, thanks for the article, insallled and enjoying it already, very nice app!
Nice article Michael, been using Meecast for a few weeks since Arie from EverythingN9 recommended it and love it, I use the weather notification on my standby screen but not lock screen as I prefer my avatar as an operator logo. Also, one thing that I’d like to see implemented is for the geo location forecast(which I use)to automatically reset when I change location, it’s a bit clunky going through the settings to reset it every time you change location ? But overall a great weather app and love the choice of weather services and icon sets
yeah auto-setting weather based on location would be a killer feature!
Well, since Accuweather in the Events view is b0rked since PR1.2, it seems I will have to try MeeCast. I like having my name as the “operator logo”, however.
LOL, people are still waiting for good weather apps on meegone, face it guys, its a dead platform.
Still waiting?
This has been available for many mths, on a platform that’s 7mth+ old.
Just because you don’t have the mental capacity to appreciate that an OS can still be compelling w/o buzzwords, doesn’t make it so.
Point making fail, back under that bridge troll-boy.
Then why do you have to use an app like wazapp LOL!! why dont you get the official whatsapp like other relevant platforms.
I’ll spell it out for you because you sound like you’re pretty dumb.
If the OS in question is no longer the co’s primary platform.
Then they’re no longer going to bank-roll every single popular app are they.
Plus if there’s no more devices in the pipeline, it’s no longer going to be as compelling to develop for is it?
Having said that…..
I think N900 was pretty damn good case study as-to-why devices in their own right (esp. FOSS) can still be great, support or little support.
Substitute apps often (not always) organically appear, & are often surprisingly better than their commercial equivalent.
Sometimes the commercial entity will even allow the app/s in question hook into their API/s.
So long as they don’t have to do the work, which they won’t.
So no… it’s not always black and white….
And maemo6x is far more polished than maemo5 ever was.
In the sense that it “just works” for total n00bs.
Alas it’s more locked-down/closed & so more rigid in some ways.
But that’s changed a lot, and continues to…
Great program. Real nice for current weather and future day overviews. Actually updates on the feed perfectly.
The hour options are a little strange though. I can’t figure out what time window it chooses for me. It’s 18:00 here and clicking the clock gives the temp for 23:00 through 5:00. Why?
@atom
You’re better-off asking Qns in the meecast thread at talk.maemo.org!
They’re normally quite responsive….
Been using Meecast for months now and it’s been great…except the widget on standby screen is now stuck to just one look, the contour appearance! And it won’t change no matter what I do and this only started happening after the App update. Wonder of there’s anything to fix this?
@Ash
You would be best-off posting in the meecast thread at TMO.
Thanks James! I’ll try to look for a fix there.
No problem….
They’re usually very responsive, alas lately they’ve become quite the opposite.
I think they’ve got too much happening in their professional/personal lives.
And as this is freeware, you can’t really DEMAND their time…
But it ebbs & flows, hopefully in a few wks they’ll start to become active again.
i uninstalled accuweather with a lot of expectations from meecast baased on reviews, only to be disappointed when my place isnt listed in any of the weather source, even if i use gps to locate my place, it still list the capital of our province which is like two hours away from my place, accuweather though finds my town easily, immediately, i uninstalled meeecast and installed accuweather back, sad but i have no choice
Have you even bothered engaging with the devs in the main thread at TMO?
They’re usually very proactive/responsive, although in the last mth or so that’s dropped-off.
They’ve been quick to do simple changes to sources, and the cities/town within etc.
unfortunately, not sir, since im just a casual user who loves unique phones
im quite a geek in other subject except software, so no 
You’re mad…..
Spend 5min giving some feedback & explaining your predicament & “Yee shalt be rewarded”
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=76291&page=50
Well, it’s not a guarantee, but it’s quite likely longer-term I’d say.
You’re mad…..
Spend 5min giving some feedback & explaining your predicament & “Yee shalt be rewarded”
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=76291&page=50
Well, it’s not a guarantee, but it’s quite likely longer-term I’d say.
okay okay so let me see, if i can post there without having to register i may just type
let me check
okay thanks for the advice, i have posted my predicament to tmo already
wishing it gets addressed
No problemo….
Be persistent but not annoying, in my experience they’re usually very helpful.
But they’re doing this mostly as a community service, so don’t be too pushy.
thanks