Smartphone anemometer

[Coast]

 

Stormy weather? Get this smartphone gadget

 

The essential smartphone device for stormy weather - a mini wind meter which allows users to measure wind speeds and then upload the results to a map

 

It's the new smartphone gadget that's essential for the stormy weather, a mini wind meter that measures the speed of air around it and then uploads the data to a map. The new gadget was unveiled at Berlin's TechCrunch event. Maria Koerner Nissen co-founder of Vaavud, the company is behind the technology, explained how the device works:

 

"[The software] shows the latest 24 hour measurements. And if you want to zoom in on one of them, simply click on it, and it zooms in and shows you exactly where that measurement is made."

The device does not actually contain any electronics, instead it works by using the built-in compass in the smartphone.

 

"It has four small magnets in the rotor and the compass on the phone enables it to read when it rotates it changes the magnetic field and the phone sensors can change that into a wind speed measurement," said Ms Nissen. Vavuud says the meter was born out of frustration with existing wind information sources, which they say give few readings. Since it was launched earlier this year, around 8000 of the wind meters have been sold.

 

Ms Nissen said they had not anticipated the number of users the device would cater for, but they have had interest from base jumpers to sailors.

 

 

Video here:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/10411881/Stormy-weather-Get-this-smartphone-gadget.html

 

€45 + postage from the manufacturer:

 

http://vaavud.com/

 

"works with all iPhones from 4 and onwards, and all iPads from 2 and onwards, running on iOS 6 or 7. With regards to Android phones we have currently confirmed it to work with Samsung Galaxy S2, S3 and S4. We are working on confirming additional models."

 

[Dorsetbred]

Pick it up for £29.99 when searchng...

[4wd]

It would be interesting to be able to get a measurement in more exposed places like the coast or over high ground, not the easiest thing to carry about unless you specifically went to measure windspeeds.