Poignant Projects

SeaStorm 1.3.10 on Amazon Appstore

2011-11-03T16:16:00.000-04:00

SeaStorm v1.3.10 has been pushed to the Amazon Appstore (pending approval). This version is in sync with the version on the Android Market, and should work on the Kindle Fire. (I'll be able to test for real once the device actually ships)

One difference however - the Amazon version does not support the model viewer add-on, as it requires Google Maps, and the Kindle Fire does not support it.

SeaStorm connection issues

2011-09-17T12:12:00.007-04:00

I've received a few reports of SeaStorm refusing to download some (or all) storm data, instead giving the dreaded "Unable to download" message. Last night I finally started seeing it as well.

I did some digging and there is a DNS issue afoot. There are reports of sporadic access to the NHC site based on what DNS servers people are using. At home I use Wifi on my Android devices, and when I switched my LAN's DNS resolver to openDNS (208.67.222.222) or Google DNS (8.8.8.8) instead of Comcast (75.75.75.75), the problem went away. Here are the results using nslookup:

Google DNS:

$ nslookup www.nhc.noaa.gov 8.8.8.8
Non-authoritative answer:
Server: google-public-dns-a.google.com
Address: 8.8.8.8

Name: edge-rev.lb.noaa.gov
Addresses: 140.172.17.23
129.15.96.23
140.90.33.23
140.90.200.23
Aliases: www.nhc.noaa.gov
edge-nws.woc.noaa.gov

Comcast DNS:

$ nslookup www.nhc.noaa.gov 75.75.75.75
*** cdns01.comcast.net can't find www.nhc.noaa.gov: Server failed
Server: cdns01.comcast.net
Address: 75.75.75.75

IMPORTANT: While from these results it looks like Comcast is the culprit, it could also be a configuration problem at NOAA, which would explain why some other non-Comcast DNS servers are affected as well.

In the end, all web browsers and internet-utilizing mobile apps (including SeaStorm) are at the mercy of working DNS in order to operate, so until either Comcast or NOAA fixes this problem, changing your DNS is the only workaround. (Please note that something as simple as switching from Wifi to mobile data works too, depending on your carrier's DNS. T-Mobile's DNS seems to be working fine, for example.)

UPDATE 1: The problem appears to have been fixed:

$ nslookup www.nhc.noaa.gov 75.75.75.75
Non-authoritative answer:
Server: cdns01.comcast.net
Address: 75.75.75.75

Name: edge-rev.lb.noaa.gov
Addresses: 140.90.200.23
140.172.17.23
129.15.96.23
140.90.33.23
Aliases: www.nhc.noaa.gov
edge-nws.woc.noaa.gov

UPDATE 2: Aaaaand it's back.

SeaStorm 1.3.10 released

2011-09-15T17:16:00.000-04:00

SeaStorm 1.3.10 has been pushed to market. This version adds support for custom notification sounds, an improved notification icon for Android 2.3+, and fixes notifications on Android 1.6.

It also adds a toggle for displaying forecast points in the model viewer. Un-checking the option (in Menu -> Settings on the model viewer screen) will basically give you a spaghetti-only plot. Visible or not, you can still tap forecast points for information on that point.

Enjoy!

SeaStorm 1.3.9 available

2011-09-09T09:39:00.000-04:00

SeaStorm 1.3.9 has been pushed to market. It contains numerous bugfixes and optimizations. It also adds support for showing early and late cycle models in the model viewer, making the new model view options All Models, All Early Cycle Models, All Late Cycle Models, Default, Custom, and None / Clear. (See previous blog entry for explanation of other options)

So what exactly are early and late models? As described by the NHC in Section 6 (Model error trends) of the "National Hurricane Center Forecast Verification" document:

"Guidance models are characterized as either early or late, depending on whether or not they are available to the Hurricane Specialist during the forecast cycle. For example, consider the 1200 UTC (12Z) forecast cycle, which begins with the 12Z synoptic time and ends with the release of the official forecast at 15Z. The 12Z run of the NWS/Global Forecast System (GFS) model is not complete and available to the forecaster until about 16Z, or about an hour after the forecast is released - thus the 12Z GFS would be considered a late model since it could not be used to prepare the 12Z official forecast."

The full document is at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/verification/index.shtml.

SeaStorm 1.3.7 released

2011-09-02T13:59:00.001-04:00

SeaStorm 1.3.7 has been pushed to market. This version provides some enhancements to the model viewer, namely the model selection dialog. It now presents four simple choices - Select All, Clear All, Default, and Custom. Select All and Clear All are self-explanatory. Default basically restores the initial selection presented when the model viewer was first opened, and Custom shows the original model selection dialog, which allows you to to toggle individual models. Also, you can long-press on the model selection button to jump straight to the Custom model selector.

Keep in mind that Select All can make the model viewer slow to respond on some devices, depending on how many models are available for the given Date/Time selection.

Other improvements include smarter time parsing and cache cleanup.

Enjoy!

SeaStorm 1.3.6 released

2011-08-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

SeaStorm 1.3.6 has been pushed to market. This version now supports Add-Ons on all supported versions of Android, from 1.6 onward. In-app purchasing on 1.6, 2.0, and 2.1 seems to take longer to process than it does on 2.2+, but it does seem to be working now. Let me know if it gives you any trouble.

This version also reduces the image quality for GOES images on any device with less than 24MB of heap. The GOES graphics are larger and far more detailed than the other maps, and were causing some devices to crash during loop playback. Reducing the image quality on these devices will (should) prevent that from happening.

Enjoy!

SeaStorm 1.3.5 released

2011-08-26T17:23:00.000-04:00

SeaStorm 1.3.5 has been released to market. This version limits the amount of past viewable data in the model viewer. With Hurricane Irene, the NHC is producing a *lot* of model data, which was causing the parser to move slower and slower with each update. Now, once a storm's data passes a certain limit, it starts throwing out the older data. Unfortunately this means you can't view older storm data, but it prevents the parser from getting any slower. Please contact me if this interferes with your use of the model viewer in any way.

SeaStorm 1.3.4 released

2011-08-24T22:17:00.000-04:00

SeaStorm 1.3.4 has been released to the market. This version introduces animated map loops in the full-screen viewer! When viewing a map that supports it (currently all GOES maps) you can use the "Start Loop" menu option to show the loop. You can also set a preference (again, while in full-screen view) to automatically start loops on any supported maps. Zooming and panning also works while the map is in motion.

This release also fixes some bugs with the model viewer add-on.

Enjoy!

SeaStorm 1.3.3 available

2011-08-03T17:31:00.000-04:00

SeaStorm 1.3.3 has been pushed to market, and should be available shortly. 1.3.3 is a bugfix release in the 1.3 branch, which was released on July 25, and I completely forgot to post about it (sorry) so I'll do it now. 1.3 contains the following new features:

A new summary map selection system. Simply long-press on the Atlantic or Pacific summary map and you'll be presented with a categorized dialog containing the original (and several new) mapping options. Not only is this a better way to organize the maps, but it's a much faster way to change the map type without having to edit your preferences every time.
Full-screen map view now supports pinch-to-zoom on devices running Android 2.0 and higher, and now removes the notification bar on phones for a truly full-screen experience.
Minor improvements to the outlook summary text formatting
Minor improvements to the model viewer parsing system
Lots of bugfixes since the 1.2 release

As usual, send feature requests and/or bug reports my way, and enjoy!

SeaStorm 1.2 now available

2011-07-16T15:56:00.000-04:00

After a lot of hard work I'm thrilled to announce the release of SeaStorm 1.2 in the Android Market! It was just published so it should be available shortly. This version introduces the new Add-Ons section, where major new functionality can be purchased if it interests you. The first (and currently only) new add-on is the forecast model viewer mentioned in a previous post. To celebrate the release, the model viewer can be purchased for 99 cents for a limited time!

Please note that Add-Ons are currently only available to devices running Android 2.2 and higher, due to a purchasing bug in earlier versions of Android. Once Google fixes the problem, I'll release an update that makes the feature available on all supported versions of Android (1.6+).

Also note that rendering forecast models can be CPU & memory intensive depending on the life of the storm, and the number of visible models you select. While it does run on older devices, newer devices provide a better experience.

One last thing - the version of SeaStorm on Amazon's Appstore does not yet have this functionality, and I'm not sure how to handle it due to the lack of in-app purchase support. I'll be chatting with Amazon soon about how to move forward, and I'll post again once I have an answer.

Of course if you have any issues or requests, please e-mail me! Only your input can help me make it better! (I can't read minds because nobody has released an app for that yet.)

Enjoy!

How SeaStorm notifications work

2011-06-30T12:25:00.001-04:00

Currently the SeaStorm notification system works a little differently than you might expect, so here is an explanation of how the process works internally.

When you first launch SeaStorm, it gets a list of active storms in the region(s) you have activated. After 3 hours (or whatever you have notification frequency set to) it will check the active storms again, and compare them to the last time it was checked. If a new storm has formed, or a previous storm has been upgraded in "type" only (depression -> tropical storm, or tropical storm -> hurricane) you will receive an alert. It does not issue alerts for updated advisories or hurricane categories (yet - both will be included in a future update).

Also note that each time you launch SeaStorm (or refresh SeaStorm's home screen), the list of active storms used by the notification system for comparisons is updated, and the notification countdown clock is restarted. So if you open SeaStorm and a new storm is listed, you won't receive a notification about that storm, because you already saw it. :) The countdown clock is also restarted when your device first boots up (unless you're running on the SD card, in which case it won't start until the first time you've manually launched SeaStorm after a reboot)

I hope this clears up any confusion. Feel free to e-mail me if you have further questions.

SeaStorm Feature News

2011-06-03T23:39:00.000-04:00

Normally I keep upcoming features under wraps as a matter of policy, but I want to share some exciting new features for SeaStorm I've been working on.

SeaStorm has always been about getting a snapshot of what's happening "right now" immediately on startup. You don't have to dig deep for relevant info on current conditions, and that's not going to change. However after receiving several feature requests by more advanced storm trackers, I've decided to add an "Advanced Options" section to SeaStorm. In there I'll be adding features for the advanced storm tracking nut. :)

The first new advanced feature will be a forecast model renderer. Here are some screenshots of the work in progress:

The model renderer uses raw data to create spaghetti models on your device, giving SeaStorm enormous potential and flexibility for displaying information now, and later on as the feature matures.

Once this is complete (and released) I'll begin work on the next advanced feature, a complete library of past storms. I don't have any screenshots for that yet, but I think you'll be pleased.

These new features are taking an insane amount of work, so I'm planning to release them as paid add-ons inside of SeaStorm. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to price each feature individually, or just charge once to add the entire "advanced" toolbox. There is still a lot to ponder on that front, so feel free to e-mail me if you have any thoughts.

That's it for now. Time for me to get back to work!

SeaStorm 1.1 out now!

2011-04-30T15:50:00.003-04:00

Just in time for the season to begin, a juicy new version of SeaStorm has been released to the market. The new version includes:

Background Notifications: SeaStorm can now alert you of new and/or upgraded storms at any time! (Optional sound/vibrate)
Screenshot Sharing: Now you can capture and share the current screen with any app that supports it! (Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Animation Effects: Some extra flare added to the interface! (optional)
Launcher icon now adheres to proper Android design guidelines
Other bugfixes and enhancements

* Please note that this particular update will default all settings due to the substantial changes required under the hood. This will only happen the first time you open SeaStorm.

SeaStorm 1.0.8 released

2011-02-28T18:57:00.001-05:00

SeaStorm 1.0.8 has been pushed to market, and should be available shortly. This update includes:

- Fixed display issues for Android 3.0 (Honeycomb). Please note that while SeaStorm is not yet optimized for tablet-sized screens, it still works perfectly, even with GREAT BIG MAPS. :)
- Added notification ticker as a reminder of off-season data being stale (only shows during off-season and only if no storms are present)
- Other internal optimizations

SeaStorm 1.0.7 released

2011-02-17T22:19:00.000-05:00

Seastorm 1.0.7 has been pushed to the market. It contains internal optimizations for networking and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

SeaStorm also now collects anonymous info about the device it's running on. (details in the app description or "About" dialog). You can opt out of this in Settings, but I hope you leave it enabled since the data is *very* helpful in determining the direction of the app. Thanks!

Blog Format Update

2011-02-02T21:02:00.000-05:00

Google (finally) unveiled the web-based Android Market today, so I've made some small changes to the blog. The application links (upper right) now go directly to each app's Android Market page, where you can get details and screenshots for that app. This means I'm no longer maintaining a Picasa screenshot library, as that would be redundant.

I've also returned the blog to a simpler format which loads much faster on mobile browsers.

AndRovio "Lite" now available

2010-12-19T11:31:00.002-05:00

AndRovio Lite has just been pushed to the market. It's a free, ad-based version of AndRovio, but without all the bells and whistles. This is a great way for you to try AndRovio for free, with the option to upgrade to the full version at any time. Enjoy!

AndRovio 1.2.0 released

2010-12-16T17:17:00.003-05:00

AndRovio 1.2.0 has been pushed to market. On top of being 2.3-ready, it features the following:

- New custom button graphics with proper HDPI support

- Option to keep screen on while connected (enabled by default)

- Panic button now on control pad (Set-Home is in menu)

- Proper on-screen keyboard types in settings

- Updated help text

- Internal network optimizations (hence the new "network state" permission request)

SeaStorm 1.0.5 Released

2010-11-14T01:14:00.002-05:00

SeaStorm 1.0.5 has been released. This version adds support for scrolling the full-screen (zoom) map view around with a trackball or D-pad, as well as a number of other cosmetic & internal tweaks, and some display fixes for LDPI devices. Enjoy!

AndRovio 1.1.8 Released

2010-11-13T13:29:00.003-05:00

AndRovio 1.1.8 has been pushed to market. It fixes a force-close bug when running on some 1.x devices. (My apologies for letting that one sneak through)

AndRovio 1.1.6 Released

2010-11-08T14:38:00.001-05:00

AndRovio 1.1.6 has been pushed to market. It fixes a force-close bug when pressing the Run Path button in certain situations.

AndRovio 1.1.5 Available

2010-09-30T22:59:00.005-04:00

AndRovio 1.1.5 has been released to the market. It includes internal optimizations & bugfixes, a slightly smaller filesize, and a shiny new icon! :)

SeaStorm 1.0.3 Released

2010-09-28T21:17:00.004-04:00

SeaStorm 1.0.3 is live on the market now. This version adds Public Advisory & Discussion text for each active storm (viewable on the storm's detail screen). You can also adjust what is visible on the storm detail screen (just like the summary screen) as well. Go to Menu -> Settings while on the detail screen to make changes (each screen has its own settings). There have been a number of internal optimizations as well. Please e-mail me if you have any problems!

SeaStorm 1.0.2 Available

2010-09-21T17:28:00.006-04:00

SeaStorm 1.0.2 has been pushed to the market. This release fixes a bug that caused occasional force-closing on the storm-specific map screen. Thank you to everybody who sent the automated error report - those are very helpful.

SeaStorm 1.0.1 Available

2010-09-18T19:25:00.005-04:00

SeaStorm 1.0.1 has been pushed to the market. This release adds new summary map types (Visible, Infrared, & Enhanced Infrared) as well as forecast outlook text for each region. (The forecast text is disabled by default - check Settings to enable it)