The Weather Channel Max Finally Supports iOS 4, Gains "In-Season" Content, And More
October 14, 2010
Users who've opted to utilize TWC's premium iPhone weather app, The Weather Channel Max, have finally been gifted with an update. The last update provided for the app was back in December 2009. The Weather Channel Max v2.0 finally supports iOS 4 background multitasking features, adds Facebook integration, now serves up season specific weather content, easy viewing of weather for your contacts, and some user interface changes.
I'll start by mentioning the UI changes. The current conditions section has become a bit more streamlined in look. You'll also notice a forecast for the upcoming 6-hours, plus Facebook and contact buttons. The swiping left-or-right favorites navigation for current conditions seems much slower, but you can use the favorites button in the top-right to view other saved locations. The map section now has a button to hide and show the controls, providing a full screen view with less obstructions. TWC has moved the traffic cams section and added the "In-Season" section to what's now a left-and-right scrollable navbar at the bottom.
While favorites are nice, and provide all of the weather details for a location, it's nice to just check what weather conditions family and friends are experiencing. You can do this much more easily now, and without the need to search or add a new location. In the current weather conditions section, tap on the contacts button next to the Facebook "f" icon. After giving it a moment or two to load, your list of contacts will be displayed in the same fashion as you're accustomed to, but with a temp and weather condition to the right of them. Conditions are only reported for those contacts that you have provided at least a city and state. Tap on a contact to view the detailed current weather information.
Additional features in v2.0 include International translations for Chinese, French, and Spanish, plus general maintenance improvements.
What's my biggest gripe for this update? The fact that it took so long. The Weather Channel Max for iPhone and iPod touch is the only paid app of the series. The "Max" for iPhone version does lack ads, adds TruPoint future radar prediction, national alerts, regional video forecast, and beach/tide information for coastal locations. However, the free The Weather Channel added "In-Season", Facebook integration, and contact weather viewing over a month ago. I don't regret splurging for the Max version, but it does seem a bit of a slap to the face to be the last in-line after being the only paying group of customers.
The Weather Channel Max is available in the App Store for $3.99 for iPhone and iPod touch, while The Weather Channel for iPhone and iPod touch and The Weather Channel Max for iPad are both free but ad-supported.
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I'll start by mentioning the UI changes. The current conditions section has become a bit more streamlined in look. You'll also notice a forecast for the upcoming 6-hours, plus Facebook and contact buttons. The swiping left-or-right favorites navigation for current conditions seems much slower, but you can use the favorites button in the top-right to view other saved locations. The map section now has a button to hide and show the controls, providing a full screen view with less obstructions. TWC has moved the traffic cams section and added the "In-Season" section to what's now a left-and-right scrollable navbar at the bottom.
While favorites are nice, and provide all of the weather details for a location, it's nice to just check what weather conditions family and friends are experiencing. You can do this much more easily now, and without the need to search or add a new location. In the current weather conditions section, tap on the contacts button next to the Facebook "f" icon. After giving it a moment or two to load, your list of contacts will be displayed in the same fashion as you're accustomed to, but with a temp and weather condition to the right of them. Conditions are only reported for those contacts that you have provided at least a city and state. Tap on a contact to view the detailed current weather information.
Additional features in v2.0 include International translations for Chinese, French, and Spanish, plus general maintenance improvements.
What's my biggest gripe for this update? The fact that it took so long. The Weather Channel Max for iPhone and iPod touch is the only paid app of the series. The "Max" for iPhone version does lack ads, adds TruPoint future radar prediction, national alerts, regional video forecast, and beach/tide information for coastal locations. However, the free The Weather Channel added "In-Season", Facebook integration, and contact weather viewing over a month ago. I don't regret splurging for the Max version, but it does seem a bit of a slap to the face to be the last in-line after being the only paying group of customers.
The Weather Channel Max is available in the App Store for $3.99 for iPhone and iPod touch, while The Weather Channel for iPhone and iPod touch and The Weather Channel Max for iPad are both free but ad-supported.
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