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I recently tried
Mobile My-Cast, a technology from personalized-weather provider Digital
Cyclone that delivers Doppler radar and up-to-date weather information
for anywhere in the United States right to your Nextel Java-enabled cellphone.
I was skeptical that the phone would actually be able to display the data
accurately and clearly, maybe because it seemed like something from a
Dick Tracy comic strip.
Upon
receiving the phone, a Motorola i185s, I skimmed the 198-page user’s
guide and broke into a cold sweat. This looked like way too much information
to absorb for operating a phone. I decided to forego reading the directions—a
bad habit of mine—and just wing it. To my surprise, I could follow
the prompts on the LCD after powering up the phone, and within a couple
of minutes I was able to access weather and radar data for Manhattan,
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Montauk Point, Long Island.
I confess
to having a slight advantage over most subscribers. The My-Cast team had
already loaded the software needed to run the info into my phone and programmed
these geographic areas in its memory. I simply turned on the phone, pressed
the Java button, and selected My-Cast on the menu. It listed the applications,
which included Weather, Radar, Alerts, and Setup & Help.
I highlighted
the program I wanted to use by pressing the phone keypad’s up and
down buttons to scroll through the functions, then simply pressed Run.
In addition to the pre-selected areas, My-Cast allowed me to check weather
conditions and radar around the country by entering the appropriate zip
code. I was impressed that when I viewed the radar display for an area
with bad weather, I could see the clouds sweeping across the LCD on my
phone. Granted, it’s not immensely detailed, but then, how detailed
can a one-inch screen be? Nonetheless, the data was informative. Moving
the keypad buttons left and right allowed me to zoom in on the radar image.
In Weather mode, I was able to scroll through the forecast by the hour
using the left and right buttons.
The
Alerts function, which I luckily didn’t need, informs you of any
problems the phone may be having with the transmission. The Setup &
Help feature allowed me to add and subtract locations for viewing.
Setting
up your phone will take a bit more work, but not much. First you must
call your Nextel provider and request the Power Apps plan. This plan’s
cost is in addition to your monthly voice plan, and the charges are based
on kilobytes, not minutes. My-Cast uses about 10 kilobytes to display
the radar and weather data, with a monthly charge of about $9.95.
To download
My-Cast onto your phone, you must scroll through the menu on your phone’s
LCD and press Java Apps. Then choose Download Apps, followed by Free Applications
and Business and Productivity. Now highlight My-Cast and press Get-It.
After you’ve downloaded My-Cast, exit the program and press Install.
This is similar to installing software on your home computer. Now you’re
ready to call My-Cast or go to its Web site and start the service. A few
minutes later you’ll know if you should leave the dock or duck into
the saloon for a day with the TV.
Digital
Cyclone Phone: (866) 6MY-CAST. Fax: (952) 974-3350. www.my-cast.com.
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