Timothy Ouyang, Channel NewsAsia 23 Mar 09;
SINGAPORE: Mobile phone users will soon get real-time animated graphics of where it may be raining in Singapore.
By the middle of this year, mobile users will be able to access real-time weather information directly on their web-enabled phones and devices, including smart phones, Blackberrys, iPhones and Personal Digital Assistants.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has partnered Microsoft to launch Weather@SG - the first such service in Asia for the global software giant.
Weather@SG will combine the capabilities of NEA's real-time weather information with Microsoft's real-time map services. This will enable mobile users to access specific weather information on the go.
That includes overall weather conditions in Singapore for the next three hours, up to three days ahead.
And if you are moving around the island, Weather@SG will tell you where it is currently raining and alerts will inform you of heavy showers.
Information on temperature, wind speed and direction, as well as humidity information at various locations around the island will also be provided.
CEO of NEA, Andrew Tan, said: "Imagine if you can just go for a stroll on the weekend with your family, or you're out surfing, you can get both wind conditions as well as whether it's sunny or it's rainy. I think it's very practical information that everyone can make use of."
The service will be rolled out as a one-year pilot project free-of-charge, although standard telco data charges still apply.- CNA/yb/yt
