Review: Fizz Weather v2.31 for Smartphone

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=938' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketnow.com/index.php?a=portal_detail&t=reviews&id=938</a><br /><br /></div><i>"I spend all day indoors behind a computer...therefore, whenever I get the chance, I love to get outside: walking the dog, riding my bike, rollerblading, you name it. Unfortunately, thanks to the weather, the experience is not always pleasant. Being a Type Zero civilization, humankind has yet to learn how to control the weather...well if you can't control it, you need to know what Mother Nature is up to. Enter Fizz Weather."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Raia-040907-Fizz.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />This has always been a great application. If you haven't tried Fizz Weather here is a nice little review. Give it a read and if you like give it a try. I have used Fizz Traveler (more features) for years and have appreciated what it can do.

[Pete Paxton]

Does this program give current conditions as well as forecasts?

[mbranscum]

I simply hate Fizz Weather's menu system. Am I the only one that thinks i is very confusing??? I'm surprised thre's not more weather choices out there for the Smartphone as opposed to the PPC and Palm devices.

[SPPassion]

Does this program give current conditions as well as forecasts?

Yes, it does. You have the option set up updates every "x" minutes or only when phone is hooked up thru Active Sync. I personally like Fizz Traveler as it has weather, currency, and much more features for almost the same price. I have been using Fizz Traveler for a long time and really like it esp. the plug in functionality.

[Kris Kumar]

I simply hate Fizz Weather's menu system.

I also am not a big fan of the usability of the app. It takes a bit getting used to. Are you talking about the View menu? Have you tried View->Options->Selector. Change Selector to Icons instead of default. You get a nice iPhone like icon view. I think Apple copied the Fizz menu. ;-)

Talking about crazy menus, how can I find out which version of Fizz Weather I am running? :?

[scottb]

Does this program give current conditions as well as forecasts?
Yes, it does.

[scottb]

I simply hate Fizz Weather's menu system. Am I the only one that thinks i is very confusing??? I'm surprised thre's not more weather choices out there for the Smartphone as opposed to the PPC and Palm devices.
I agree on both items. I, too, find the menu system to be confusing. I think there will be more choices, especially since the latest generation of Smartphones have made a breakthrough of sorts.

[mbranscum]

Have you tried View->Options->Selector. Change Selector to Icons instead of default. You get a nice iPhone like icon view. I think Apple copied the Fizz menu. ;-)

Yeah, I've tried both. It just doesn't seem like anyone thought out the order of things. It took me days just to figure out how to add a new city. :(

[Kris Kumar]

I wanted to add that Fizz Weather has the kind of UI that would work well on a touch screen device.

[SPPassion]

I simply hate Fizz Weather's menu system.

Talking about crazy menus, how can I find out which version of Fizz Weather I am running? :?

Try View>options>Register
and you should see the version number.. :wink:

[mbranscum]

BTW...I'm not trying to bash the software. I am a register user of Fizz Weather and Traveler for the Smartphone. Once I learned the system, I got through them ok. I have also contacted the author who was very responsive to my inquiries. Just griping mainly. :)

[Kris Kumar]

It took me days just to figure out how to add a new city. :(

:lol: I remember that one. Took me long while. And once I had added another city. I didn't know that I could switch the cities on the home screen by using the joystick (left, right movement to select a different city). I think they should a small arrow in the corner to indicate more cities. Or something.

[Kris Kumar]

BTW...I'm not trying to bash the software. I am a register user of Fizz Weather and Traveler for the Smartphone. Once I learned the system, I got through them ok. ... Just griping mainly. :)

Same here.

[scottb]

I find it a little odd this review just happened. This release came out eight months ago.

[Kris Kumar]

Try View>options>Register
and you should see the version number.. :wink:

Thanks...

[micaels]

Can't figure out how to add a city in fizz. Anyone can help me?

[jhalsey205]

Count me in the camp that loathes the menu navigation of Fizz Weather. I miss Pocket Weather (which I ran on my old i730).

As for adding a city... go into one of the day views>Menu>City List>Menu> New City

John

[shk718]

in the article he says he's using new weather icons from Juni's site - i went there and didn't see them - anyone know what he's talking about. i like the product - but hate the icons on the today screen.

[rkdiddy]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one.

It is one of my favorite programs from a usefull standpoint, but it is about as user friendly as 1985 Tandy 8 mhz (with 16 mhz "Turbo" botton) computer running DOS. :roll:

With all that said I wouldn't be without the software.

[dckiwi]

Hello everyone,

I'm the author of the review.

I find it a little odd this review just happened. This release came out eight months ago.

Yeah - It was a pretty slow week last week. I think Fizz may be planning an update soon though.


in the article he says he's using new weather icons from Juni's site - i went there and didn't see them

Hi there. If you download OrganizerBlue for Smartphone from his site, it's bundled (default32.jpg). Or you can get them here:

http://www.clubcoder.com/misc/default32.jpg

Thanks to Juni (http://www.juniskins.com) for his awesome work.

Cheers,

Robbie.

[shk718]

cool thanks for the info. i hope he makes some really cool weather icons.

[dckiwi]

cool thanks for the info. i hope he makes some really cool weather icons.

dude sure knows how to skin a phone.

[juni]

I just wish they wouldn't use such a strange icon system. But there might be a change to that :)

[kiwi]

I simply hate Fizz Weather's menu system. Am I the only one that thinks i is very confusing??? I'm surprised thre's not more weather choices out there for the Smartphone as opposed to the PPC and Palm devices.
I agree on both items. I, too, find the menu system to be confusing. I think there will be more choices, especially since the latest generation of Smartphones have made a breakthrough of sorts.

Interesting, I thought we had 101 weather apps released.. like the 101 alarm clock applications. Maybe I am thinking PPC only? Well, maybe this could be the basis of a smartphone application I was thinking about. I was thinking the other day what program I should write for my HTC S620 (T-Dash)

[dckiwi]

I just wish they wouldn't use such a strange icon system.

Interesting... I figured there must be something different about this app, otherwise there would be icons everywhere. I've been over to the fizz boards a few times, alas, nothing new. Thanks for everything you've done so far though.

My all-time fav weather app is WeatherPanel (http://www.marsware.net/WeatherPanel/main.htm) (marsware). The developer is MIA, but his work lives on, thanks in part to Juni's cool themes for it. I wish something similar (line graph) could be done on the Smartphone, like what JGui (http://www.jgui.net/black/vistaspinterface/) has done but more stable, and as a plugin.

Cheers,

Robbie.

[bshpmark]

I finally gave up on using Fizz Weather with my Dash. I got tired of having my Dash freeze when booting up by saying that it could not run the Fizz Weather scheduler program. I would turn the Dash on, and then wonder why I was not getting email notifications only to find out that it never made it past boot up because of that problem. I tried all sorts of things to fix it and must have reinstalled the software 20 times to the device or to the storage card and nothing would ever fix the problem.

[Jerry Raia]

I finally gave up on using Fizz Weather with my Dash. I got tired of having my Dash freeze when booting up by saying that it could not run the Fizz Weather scheduler program. I would turn the Dash on, and then wonder why I was not getting email notifications only to find out that it never made it past boot up because of that problem. I tried all sorts of things to fix it and must have reinstalled the software 20 times to the device or to the storage card and nothing would ever fix the problem.

I have had similar problems with Fizz Traveler from time to time on various devices.

[scottb]

...I wish something similar (line graph) could be done on the Smartphone, like what JGui (http://www.jgui.net/black/vistaspinterface/) has done but more stable, and as a plugin.

Cheers,

Robbie.
I think Handyweather has some graphs in it, but I don't know if they appear on the home screen.
http://smartphone-software.penreader.com/Handy_Weather.html

[onlydarksets]

...I wish something similar (line graph) could be done on the Smartphone, like what JGui (http://www.jgui.net/black/vistaspinterface/) has done but more stable, and as a plugin.

Cheers,

Robbie.
I think Handyweather has some graphs in it, but I don't know if they appear on the home screen.
http://smartphone-software.penreader.com/Handy_Weather.html

Has anyone compared the two (Fizz and Handy)? I was planning on buying Fizz soon (for the homescreen plugin), but perhaps Handy Weather is a bit more user friendly? Thanks!

[Kris Kumar]

I have a question too: When the smart phone reboots, does the Fizz Weather start itself up for auto weather updates. For me it seems like everytime my Dash is rebooted (which is once in a blue moon), Fizz Weather doesnt update the home screen weather or the app till I go into the Options->Download Options. :-( Anyone else having this problem?

[juni]

My all-time fav weather app is WeatherPanel (marsware). The developer is MIA, but his work lives on, thanks in part to Juni's cool themes for it

I won't recommend WeatherPanel or make anything more for it. The developer has been gone for a very long time - so if someone buys it there won't be any support or anything. :(

I did the original graphics for HandyWeather, but the actual weather icons can't be changed - they are what they are. :)

[scottb]

I have a question too: When the smart phone reboots, does the Fizz Weather start itself up for auto weather updates. For me it seems like everytime my Dash is rebooted (which is once in a blue moon), Fizz Weather doesnt update the home screen weather or the app till I go into the Options->Download Options. :-( Anyone else having this problem?
I haven't had this problem. Fizz always updates on my Q regardless of whether I have it on the home screen or not.

[Kris Kumar]

Fizz Weather has been updated to 2.4.
http://www.fizzsoftware.com/products/press/atrc_009.html

The top two fixes are what I have been waiting for:
- Fixes lost scheduled updates
- Fixes stuck "updating..." or flashing updating weather icon on the home-screen.