Germany
Very
good
Summary
The last of the snow has melted, temperatures are rising and the sun is shining sweetly—yes folks, spring is in the air! People are out and about, enjoying the warmer weather. That doesn’t mean that we are well rid of rain for good; March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, April is the Cruelest Month and May… well, we shall see what May has in store for us. One thing is for sure: it would be nice to know when to expect oncoming rain showers…
Rain Alarm is an app that promises to do just that: it sends you a warning every time showers are expected in your area. Find out how well it works in today’s review.
Features & Use
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The app’s function is to let you know if rain or snow are coming your way. Sounds quite basic, right? Well, the app can do a little bit more than issue a rain alarm (via vibration and LED): it also provides you with a weather chart and a widget. There are also lots of settings options such as configuring how you’d like to be notified and making changes to the app to suit your personal needs.
After starting the app you will find a map on which your current location is indicated. We recommend using GPS connection to pinpoint your exact location, but it is not obligatory to resort to GPS. After your location has been determined and the weather data has loaded, you can click on the ‘Play’ button in order to display up to 120 minutes preview of the rain clouds in your area.
The following functions can be found by hitting the menu button:
• Updates (weather updates)
• Change viewing mode (map / satellite)
• Change viewpoint (use the compass function to view different parts of the map)
• Help (very useful: lots of tips, an FAQ and a link to the developer’s website)
• Settings
The settings are rather opulent: the app can be tweaked or completely reformatted according to your own ideas and preferences. The interval at which updates with weather data are displayed can be set (in minutes) as well as the radius that should be scanned for rain clouds (in km).
Your location can be determined automatically (should you opt for this you can decide how often your location is to be updated), or manually, for which case you need to enter a location. There’s also an ‘advanced Settings’ option for the really nit-picky stuff. Here you can determine which units are to be used, how Rain Alarm is to perform for the case that you don’t have internet connection. You can also enter several locations for which precipitation warnings should be issued.
Profiles can be set up determining when alarms should go off. Decide how close or big rain clouds have to be before you receive a notification. Warnings can come in the form of a sound, LED or vibration.
The widget can also be manipulated (as well as subsequently placed in the homescreen, of course). Both the widget's functions and look can be determined. Choose between a 2x1 or 1x1 widget. There’s also a complex widget motif (which displays the size, density and distance of a oncoming clouds in three separate bars) or a simple display (an open or closed umbrella, depending on the weather) to choose from. You can also select different designs and colours for the widgets.
Bottom line:
With the sheer amount of settings options available one might think that the app can quickly become somewhat overwhelming. However, due to its logic setup and useful functions users will come to appreciate each option once they’ve gotten used to the app. I have had really positive experiences with Rain Alarm thus far and can honestly say that the app has helped me circumvent a few sticky situations. That being said, it’s impossible to make 100% accurate predictions of the weather, but at least with Rain Alarm users can select of they want to receive tons of warnings or just a few every now and then…
Screen & Controls
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The app itself – and remember that it consists of a map and a settings menu – has a basic look with its black background, but if you set things up well you won’t be needing the actual app very often as the widget and alarm function are the real stars of Rain Alarm. The designs for the widgets are very nice and well thought out.
Another positive factor is that each settings option comes with an explanation; a few sentences explaining what each function is good for. Very helpful!
Speed & Stability
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Rain Alarm didn’t crash while I was testing it, but it takes a bit for the weather map to load, especially when the connection isn’t super fast. The updates are fast, though, even when network connection has been interrupted.
Price/Performance Ratio
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There’s a free and full version of Rain Alarm. The ‘Plus Version’ costs EUR3,75. The free version has a few limitations: the search radius and search intervals can’t be adjusted, there are fewer motives for widgets and there’s an ad banner. If you feel that you need the plus version in all its glory you can rest assured that it’s worth every penny.
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Rain Alarm
This weather app and widget are able to warn you against precipitation (like rain or (...)
This weather app and widget are able to warn you against precipitation (like rain or (...)
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Market Comments
malonda82, Apr 18, 2012
Awesome app Very useful. I use it daily. Widget is confusing. No explanation. I assume the first segment is distance, center is amount and last is size of cloud???
FX, Apr 17, 2012
Great app It has come in very useful. Very clear interface. The widget needs explaining though, no idea what some of the indicators mean.
Kristin, Apr 14, 2012
Good app. I have used it on my pc for a while. Tends to false alarm frequently in St Louis area however.
Peter, Apr 10, 2012
Sound Sould have sound notifications even in the free verstion like on apples app store other then that its a great app
Gucci, Mar 30, 2012
Great app for any motorcyclist I live in PA and can only ride my motorcycle from March through October if I'm lucky. I use this app to maximize my riding days. I typically use this app in conjunction with the hourly forecast of a regular weather app. When I leave for work in the morning, I will look at the chance of rain for the day as well as the chance of rain for the hours I'll be on my bike. Then I pull up rain alarm and check what's around me as well as what's moving in and make a judgement on whether to take ride my bike or drive my car. That works great at 7am but it's a little trickier for my ride home. I'd give this app 5 stars and upgrade to the paid version if it could project future alarms. For example, say the weather is clear at 7am but there is a storm moving in. If I could see weather projections for 5pm and know if they might trigger an alarm, that would be insanely helpful.
jnagent, Mar 23, 2012
Widget is broke Radar on map works but widget is useless. Doesn't connect to server
Steve, Mar 22, 2012
Not bad at first but It was good for rain in my area...But if you are hiking thru bushland...you'd have no battery left..to be able to tell if rains coming or not...... it drains the battery badly and makes the phone very HOT to touch...uninstalled..will reinstall..once this is FIXED....this is why it doesnt get 5 stars...thank you admin
, Mar 16, 2012
Great But it doesn't work in many places. For instance, Israel. the worst its that it eats your battery. look on settings and see. it drains more than any other app you have. considering uninstalling.
david, Mar 8, 2012
Just keeps getting better Accurate, not a drain on resources and unlike a lot of apps it's a tool I use all the time. Great work by the dev
Vincent, Feb 18, 2012
Very useful Really well presented info for those who prefer to avoid rain where possible.
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