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WeatherGALE
WeatherGALE, free weather software for your Windows computer!
Dear WeatherGALE Users...
A situation has been brought to my attention with WeatherGALE that saddens and frustrates me, but is currently beyond my control. WeatherGALE is free software. It's free for a number of reasons, but the two main ones are, one, because we all pay taxes, and so I feel the weather should be free, not available to me at some cost that I'm already paying, and two, because there are certain aspects of WeatherGALE I can't control.
A combination of issues has occurred, and because I really need to move WeatherGALE into the new dot net programming environment in order to best deal with these issues, I'm forced to remove the WeatherGALE download until I have time to work out all the issues a new software development environment poses. I can't apologize enough for this problem, but WeatherGALE's not my top priority. It's free software, and remember that it's free for the reasons I mentioned above. I sincerely regret having to take this action. I, myself, am without it for now until I can figure out what all the problems are, so recognize and accept that.
One problem appears to be caused by a Microsoft update, though I'm not sure if this is a regular security update, or perhaps the Internet Explorer 7 update. WeatherGALE was working fine on my systems until around the time Internet Explorer 7 was installed, and since WeatherGALE was, for simplicity, using part of Internet Explorer to gather the web data for the weather, I must assume Internet Explorer 7's at least part of the problem. Another issue is one that will always exist, because it concerns the way I must examine the weather data in order to present it without a lot of garbage from the web pages. Such examination, or parsing, can be easily "broken" through some changes to the web site where WeatherGALE retrieves the weather data, and it then takes me time to fix such problems.
I can address both of these issues, in whole or in part, but it'll take time. Microsoft hasn't done their best work on the accessibility of the new dot net programming environment. Things I've always been accustomed to doing in the older programming environment aren't accessible as they should be, and it's doubtful if Microsoft will ever address the accessibility issues. It would help if there were some way for me to directly reach someone at Microsoft who'd actually get off their butt and do something, but my only course of action seems to be putting the suggestion in a proverbial box, where it may or may not be seen to, but certainly won't be seen to in a timely manner, as it needs to be. Therefore, this accessibility problem slows my work down, forcing me to find some other way to gain a similar level of workflow I've had for years... and this just takes the time it takes. Remember, I'm without WeatherGALE during all this time too.
I hope that all WeatherGALE users will continue to check back at the web site on the status of this problem. I'll eventually find the time to address the problem and fix it, and WeatherGALE will be back up and running. In the meantime, all I can suggest is some other free weather software. WeatherGALE started out as a personal project, and I'll eventually get WeatherGALE back up and running for my own personal use. However, other users need to understand and accept the fact that I'm sharing it as free software, and certain things about it are beyond my control.
Again, I apologize for this problem, and I'll try to address it as soon as possible, but I don't expect that to be in a timely manner for most users. I do hope users will keep checking back to the web site and give WeatherGALE another go in the future.
NOTE:Features marked with a * (star) were known to be unique to WeatherGALE during initial development. However, it's always possible a beta tester violated their non-disclosure agreement with Thinkzo Systems -or- another developer shared the same insight independently and unknowingly provided a similar feature.
Easily select up to 30 locations to monitor from a global database.
* Customize the colors and data format for each location.
WeatherGALE's system tray icon will use the colors and data format, Imperial or Metric, you select for a location to display the current temperature. If you're monitoring all defined locations, Orlando, Florida could be displayed in sunny colors, such as orange text on a yellow background in Imperial format, while Anchorage, Alaska could be displayed in icy colors, such as blue text on a white background in Metric format.
* Customize various sound events for audible notification of what's going on.
WeatherGALE offers complete flexibility for customizing various sound events for audible feedback on startup, shutdown, connection errors, weather advisory alerts and much more. Default sounds are included, or you can use any standard Windows wave audio file anywhere on your computer.
* Monitor one or all defined locations.
WeatherGALE allows you to monitor your first defined location, or select a time interval and watch as WeatherGALE cycles through each defined location to keep you informed of weather all over the world.
* Customize the audible weather advisory alert notification interval.
WeatherGALE can provide audible weather advisory alert notification only when a statement has changed or for as long as a statement is posted.
* Define a system wide hotkey that instantly displays the main user interface for quick and easy management.
You're working on a document. You hear your weather advisory alert sound play or notice the visual weather advisory alert symbol in your system tray. A quick press of your chosen hotkeys and the WeatherGALE Main Window appears, ready to help you quickly get the detailed information you need.
* Define a system wide hotkey to enable and disable connectivity without having to change startup options or exit the software.
You want to play a game, watch a streaming movie or chat with a friend with full audio and video - demanding tasks that require the most bandwidth you can squeeze out of your internet connection. A quick press of your chosen hotkeys can disable WeatherGALE so it doesn't keep trying to use your internet connection. Later, another quick press of the same hotkeys and WeatherGALE immediately collects the most current data and resumes normal operation - no clumsy options to change - and
WeatherGALE even remembers the current connectivity state after you exit the software so you don't need to keep changing it on each startup.
Displays Current Conditions - temperature, humidity, pressure - and many others for all locations worldwide.
Displays extended textual forecast and textual weather advisories for locations in the United States.
* Audible and visual weather alert advisory notification.
WeatherGALE provides both audible and visual indicators for weather advisory alerts, so those with hearing impairments don't miss out on the information they need.
* Lots of options to help you customize the software to your liking.
Main Window background color, run at Windows startup, full control over Main Window Action at startup, connect delay at startup, various updating control options and lots more. The emphasis here is to offer you as much flexibility over how you want to use the software - not limit you to a select few, or no, options.
Includes a Mini-QuickStart to show you the basics and a full help guide that clearly explains all you need to know to use the software.
* One of the most accessible weather softwares ever developed - great for anyone with most any kind of disabling condition.
WeatherGALE was developed by a blind programmer, so those with some type of disability or impairment can rest assured their needs were considered, rather than be ignored by a team of sighted and able programmers who have no concept of or compassion towards disabled users.
* It's free, no ads, no spyware, no catches, no gotchas.
At Thinkzo Systems, it's felt that something called "free" should be just that. Other developers say their software is free, then include some hidden "gotcha" in order for you to gain the full benefit of the software. Other developers claim their software doesn't include any spyware or adware when in fact they do. There are no ads or spyware in WeatherGALE - there are better ways to obtain information from you other than spying on you to get it or harassing you with ads. There's also no fee for WeatherGALE - you're under no obligation to donate unless you personally feel like doing so. Click here to read Thinkzo Systems idea of what "free" is (and should be)...
* Broadband Internet Connection (Cable, DSL, etc.) that's "always on" (connection doesn't log out automatically or require user intervention to reconnect)
** Windows 95/98/ME users should have a minimum of 128 Mb of memory (RAM) for best results
** Windows 2000/XP users should have a minimum of 256 Mb of memory (RAM) for best results
* Dial-up or broadband connections that aren't "always on" or require some user intervention to log on aren't recommended for WeatherGALE because a weather software needs to be able to retrieve data on a regular basis without any user intervention in order to best do its job.
** The minimum amount of memory (RAM) recommended is based on overall system performance for the computer, and is not a reflection of the amount of memory WeatherGALE requires to run.
Copyright (c) 2002-2010, Thinkzo Systems
All rights reserved. The Thinkzo logo and text are copyrights or trademarks respectively, and may not be reproduced or used without permission.
