Seeking an accessible solution for measuring indoor and outdoor temperatures
By charles, 28 November, 2015
Forum
Smart Home Tech and Gadgets
Does anyone know of an app that I can get, and the necessary hardware for it, that will give me the current indoor and outdoor temperatures. It must be Voice-over friendly. Thanks.
I got a NetAtmo weather station last Christmas, and I've been really happy with it. It measures outdoor temperature, and indoor temperature, CO2, humidity, and sound level. It can notify you when temperatures go over or under given ranges, to. There are some parts of the app that aren't accessible, but they aren't major. The main one is the map display. It can show you a map of the outdoor measurements from all weather stations near you. However, that's not accessible with voiceover. We can only read the temperatures from our own weather station. If you get them from netatmo.com, they're even on sale until Monday!
I just don't understand the ap. I listened to David Woodbridge's wonderful demonstration of the ap, and apparently mistakenly believed that the ap would give me a similar experience. The only difference in my situation is that I am using an Iphone 6S while David used an Iphone 5 for his podcast. Obviously, I wouldn't expect the same measurements, but I don't think it unreasonable that I should see all the fields he described in his podcast. I have tried contacting netatmo, but their only response was to request access to my station. I granted it in the hope that if they saw what was wrong, they would fix it remotely, but that access was granted over 12 hours ago, and nothing has changed, nor have I received any further comment from Netatmo support.
There are other solutions for telling indoor and outdoor temperatures that might be more convenient and easier than using an iPhone app.
You can purchase indoor / outdoor talking thermometers from many catalogs devoted to the visually impaired (such as Maxi Aids or Independent Living Aids), as well as places like Radio Shack. In fact I have one such device from radio Shcak.
The reason that I am looking for a thermometer for use on the iPhone is not only for home use, but for use if I am on the go. I think that it would be cool if I could see what the temperature is wherever I happen to be. The model that I had from Radio Shack had a wire that you had to stick out the window or something, and the wire broke after several years use. I have an atomic clock that has a wireless outdoor thermometer, but batteries do run down and have to be replaced, although that won't be as big of an issue now that I have rechargeable batteries in it and a good charger. But I still think that an iPhone app for the purpose would be awesome and, more importantly, portable.
The netatmo weather station is ideal if you want to monitor conditions at home while you travel. You'll hear that demonstrated in the podcast David Woodbridge did. He makes it clear that he was recording the podcast while at work that is some distance from his house, where his weather station is located.
On the other hand, if you want the information relative to where you physically are, then use that standard accessory that all the blind places handle under various names. If I can get an ap that gives me the experience David demonstrated, it would be the perfect solution. I don't mind if the map is too graphic to be accessible to VO, but I can't figure out why the barometric pressure is apparently showing on the screen, but only VO can't find it.
I got my Netatmo weather station about a week ago.
I find the pages in the app refresh on a regular basis so I miss trying to read my weather data for outdoor and indoor.
Also when you place the outdoor sensor I have mine under a recliner chair outside attached to the bottom of the chair because the sun shines on my back yard in the morning and its the only place I can put it.
I have got both the comfort and homewather apps from netatmo the comfort seems the more accessible.
Also when you place the home sensor should it be placed away from any windows I have mine sitting on top of my book case at the end of my sofa seems to be not in any direct sunlight.
I also got the rain gauge and will probably put that on the ground and see how that does.
Hi! Is anyone still using the Netatmo weatherstation and it's companion app? Can anyone comment on the current state of accessibility in the app? Is it usable?
I'm currently researching what to buy as an accessible gadget for telling indoor and outdoor temperatures since my old thermometer is, well, old, and I wont something new and better, as we all always do! ;)
But while googling this, I got braver and my ambitions grew, and I thought to my self: Why settle with a gadget that only tells temperature if I could get an accessible device that could tell me even more stuff? And that's when I read this tread about the Netatmo, that in addition to registering lots of different weather stuff, also seemingly can be accessed from my iPhone, which seems like an extra plus, instead of the oldschool blind gadgets that only speaks in a bad quality voice and looks like something my grandmother have gotten from some kind of blind wellfare foundation for the elderly! ;p
So does it still work? The app, I mean? Is there one exact model of Netatmo that is the thing, or is there several models that will work?
Kind regards from snowy and freezing North of Norway :)
Did anyone using an netatmo have ever considered that this device probably really is listening to what you're doing at home? It measures sound pressure, whoever knows where all your private moments are streamed to? That's a big reason why I wouldn't buy this. Plus as far I heard netatmo is probably an entry level product. There are more precise options out there.
If you're technically advanced or have someone who can set it up for you, here is an exciting product I discovered:
This is a mini server which you connect to wellknown wheater hardware devices like the models from Davis. I think it's good to have your own server, otherwise a developer could stopp providing an iPhone app or a external server could go down because a product doesn't sell good enough or whatever.
I didn't buy this setup yet. But here is an online demonstration what such data in realtime are looking like. Unfortunatelly this seems to be available in German only:
I talked to Peter Fischer, the boss of this company. They really did made tactile devices for blind people many years ago and still could rebuilt them. but it would cost really a lot, probably more then 1000 US dollar for just a thermometer.
Just know that this option is available as well.
What about a smart thermostat? I can't speak on others, but my nest measures indoor temperature, (at least where the thermostat is placed), and because it is a smart thermostat it also so happens to display outdoor temp too, which I think it uses when determining how to run some of its functions.
Comments
NetAtmo
I got a NetAtmo weather station last Christmas, and I've been really happy with it. It measures outdoor temperature, and indoor temperature, CO2, humidity, and sound level. It can notify you when temperatures go over or under given ranges, to. There are some parts of the app that aren't accessible, but they aren't major. The main one is the map display. It can show you a map of the outdoor measurements from all weather stations near you. However, that's not accessible with voiceover. We can only read the temperatures from our own weather station. If you get them from netatmo.com, they're even on sale until Monday!
Peculiarity with the Netatmo ap
I just don't understand the ap. I listened to David Woodbridge's wonderful demonstration of the ap, and apparently mistakenly believed that the ap would give me a similar experience. The only difference in my situation is that I am using an Iphone 6S while David used an Iphone 5 for his podcast. Obviously, I wouldn't expect the same measurements, but I don't think it unreasonable that I should see all the fields he described in his podcast. I have tried contacting netatmo, but their only response was to request access to my station. I granted it in the hope that if they saw what was wrong, they would fix it remotely, but that access was granted over 12 hours ago, and nothing has changed, nor have I received any further comment from Netatmo support.
Not an app but..
There are other solutions for telling indoor and outdoor temperatures that might be more convenient and easier than using an iPhone app.
You can purchase indoor / outdoor talking thermometers from many catalogs devoted to the visually impaired (such as Maxi Aids or Independent Living Aids), as well as places like Radio Shack. In fact I have one such device from radio Shcak.
--pete
indoor/outdoor thermometer search
The reason that I am looking for a thermometer for use on the iPhone is not only for home use, but for use if I am on the go. I think that it would be cool if I could see what the temperature is wherever I happen to be. The model that I had from Radio Shack had a wire that you had to stick out the window or something, and the wire broke after several years use. I have an atomic clock that has a wireless outdoor thermometer, but batteries do run down and have to be replaced, although that won't be as big of an issue now that I have rechargeable batteries in it and a good charger. But I still think that an iPhone app for the purpose would be awesome and, more importantly, portable.
Remotely monitoring indoor and outdoor temperatureq
The netatmo weather station is ideal if you want to monitor conditions at home while you travel. You'll hear that demonstrated in the podcast David Woodbridge did. He makes it clear that he was recording the podcast while at work that is some distance from his house, where his weather station is located.
On the other hand, if you want the information relative to where you physically are, then use that standard accessory that all the blind places handle under various names. If I can get an ap that gives me the experience David demonstrated, it would be the perfect solution. I don't mind if the map is too graphic to be accessible to VO, but I can't figure out why the barometric pressure is apparently showing on the screen, but only VO can't find it.
Tricky using the Netatmo app
Hi.
I got my Netatmo weather station about a week ago.
I find the pages in the app refresh on a regular basis so I miss trying to read my weather data for outdoor and indoor.
Also when you place the outdoor sensor I have mine under a recliner chair outside attached to the bottom of the chair because the sun shines on my back yard in the morning and its the only place I can put it.
I have got both the comfort and homewather apps from netatmo the comfort seems the more accessible.
Also when you place the home sensor should it be placed away from any windows I have mine sitting on top of my book case at the end of my sofa seems to be not in any direct sunlight.
I also got the rain gauge and will probably put that on the ground and see how that does.
Cheers.
Still accessible?
Hi! Is anyone still using the Netatmo weatherstation and it's companion app? Can anyone comment on the current state of accessibility in the app? Is it usable?
I'm currently researching what to buy as an accessible gadget for telling indoor and outdoor temperatures since my old thermometer is, well, old, and I wont something new and better, as we all always do! ;)
But while googling this, I got braver and my ambitions grew, and I thought to my self: Why settle with a gadget that only tells temperature if I could get an accessible device that could tell me even more stuff? And that's when I read this tread about the Netatmo, that in addition to registering lots of different weather stuff, also seemingly can be accessed from my iPhone, which seems like an extra plus, instead of the oldschool blind gadgets that only speaks in a bad quality voice and looks like something my grandmother have gotten from some kind of blind wellfare foundation for the elderly! ;p
So does it still work? The app, I mean? Is there one exact model of Netatmo that is the thing, or is there several models that will work?
Kind regards from snowy and freezing North of Norway :)
Another suggestion to netatmo
Did anyone using an netatmo have ever considered that this device probably really is listening to what you're doing at home? It measures sound pressure, whoever knows where all your private moments are streamed to? That's a big reason why I wouldn't buy this. Plus as far I heard netatmo is probably an entry level product. There are more precise options out there.
If you're technically advanced or have someone who can set it up for you, here is an exciting product I discovered:
http://www.eusotec.de/home_en.html
This is a mini server which you connect to wellknown wheater hardware devices like the models from Davis. I think it's good to have your own server, otherwise a developer could stopp providing an iPhone app or a external server could go down because a product doesn't sell good enough or whatever.
I didn't buy this setup yet. But here is an online demonstration what such data in realtime are looking like. Unfortunatelly this seems to be available in German only:
http://wetter-fr.dyndns.org:8087/astart.php
Of course an interested one really must ask before buying, but I'm sure that if a Davis wheater station is set to English this will change.
Well, my absolute favorite thing would be some tactile mechanical wheater instruments from Fischer Barometer:
http://fischer-barometer.de/fischer/en/index.php
I talked to Peter Fischer, the boss of this company. They really did made tactile devices for blind people many years ago and still could rebuilt them. but it would cost really a lot, probably more then 1000 US dollar for just a thermometer.
Just know that this option is available as well.
just a thought
What about a smart thermostat? I can't speak on others, but my nest measures indoor temperature, (at least where the thermostat is placed), and because it is a smart thermostat it also so happens to display outdoor temp too, which I think it uses when determining how to run some of its functions.