Flash Boom app for iPhone and iPad
Definition:
The purpose of Flash Boom is simple. It will give you an estimate of how far away lightning is. The rule of thumb says to allow about 5 seconds for each mile (3 seconds for each kilometer). In reality it is more like 4.72 seconds per mile and 2.99 seconds per kilometer. For more details, please visit http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-the-Distance-from-Lightning
Control:
Tap the FLASH button when you see the lightning. The button will change to BOOM. Tap the BOOM button when you hear the thunder. Thunder will usually not travel more than 15 miles (24 kilometers).
Note:
If you are less than 5 miles from the lightning, please take cover.
Credit:
The original Flash Boom program I knew of was writen by Kim Moelgaard for the Palm OS. I adapted the concept (without access to the code) to the iPhone.
Enjoy!
Pros and cons of Flash Boom app for iPhone and iPad
Flash Boom app good for
An exceedingly simple, specialized application, but it does exactly what it says, and with far more accuracy than the usual "one thousand, two thousand..." counting method. If youre interested in meteorology or simply bored on a dark and stormy night its worth a look.
A fun little gadget. Its also handy as a quick stopwatch. Worth every penny!!
First off the lightning facts are fun, even if no storms are nearby. The author has taken time to update the app so it isnt a one shot deal.
If all of the wiz-bang features were added that were mentioned below, the app would probably cost $1000 dollars, get real.
As for simply counting seconds, first off the help says it should be 4.77 secs per mile not 5, but whats the fun in counting yourself?
Some bad moments
Just count the seconds. Donyou really need an app to do that?
This app would be really great if it used the light sensor that controls auto backlight dimming or the camera on an iPhone to detect the lightning. As well as use the microphone to listen and detect the thunder. This would be great for setting up a lightning auto detection logging ability that would log the time, location and estimated distance. It could also pull weather data off the net to determine the local temperature to increase accuracy as well as the ability to enter temp manually. You could also use the compass of the 3gs to input the heading of where the lightning was spotted. Then you could actually plot the estimated location of the lightning on a map in the app.
