I thought I had seen it all but now there is a Wind Meter app for the iPhone. It works by measuring the volume of the wind on the iPhone microphone and converts it into a wind speed reading. To use, you simply point the microphone into the wind and push Get Wind, wait a few seconds and push Got Wind. The final reading is the average of the period.
Hmmm. I wonder if this is at all accurate?
And what next? An app to calculate the current at the windward mark while I am hanging out in the start area? An app to automatically generate a Rule 42 protest form against that kid and email it to the protest committee? The possibilities are endless. Watch this space.
Update: According to Panbo: The Marine Electronics Weblog it really works.
There's also a similar app called "Wind Speed" (http://www.sis.si/iphone/wind-speed) that works on the same principle. Haven't tried either yet, as I'm reluctant to take my iPhone out of its waterproof bag to expose the microphone!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a nice app, I haven't tried it yet. Unfortunitely the makers of it are scraping email addresses from every wind-sport-related website they can find. Good to get the word out, but that's not a good business practice and violates laws in several countries.
ReplyDeleteI tried Wind Sensor (http://itunes.apple.com/app/wind-sensor/id398101772), it has fine accuracy in comparison with my dedicated anemometer.
ReplyDelete