AccuWeather.com and Sharp Launch Innovative, Graphical Weather Service for Handhelds
New Service for Palm OS and PocketPC Users Offers The Most Compelling Weather Information
(State College, PA, December 2, 2002) - AccuWeather.com (www.accuweather.com), Web site of the world's leading commercial weather service, in partnership with Sharp Electronics Corporation, today announced the launch of their new graphical weather service for Palm OS® and PocketPC users. Building on the success of the existing AccuWeather.com Web site and its mobile version, AccuWeather.com Mobile for PDAs, the new SharpMotionART™ service offers cutting-edge graphical weather presentation for handheld users- the most compelling weather service available on a wireless device today.
The new graphical version of the AccuWeather.com Mobile service will be available for 160 major cities in the United States and can be delivered for free to Palm OS and PocketPC/PocketPC 2000 devices by logging onto http://www.accuweather.com/sharpbin/index.asp.
In only a few minutes, consumers can register for the service, download the SharpMotionART plug-in, and then have instant access to the weather they need on their handheld. Available weather parameters include:
- Current weather conditions for a chosen city - 4-day AccuWeather forecast for a chosen city - Weather Almanac data (including historical highs, lows, sunrise and sunset) - An innovative United States travel map that shows regional weather conditions
Complete with color graphics and animated weather icons, this service is a vast improvement over those currently available for Palm OS and PocketPC users. Slow download times are no longer a problem. With the average file size of 10k, Sharp's technology ensures easy and fast access to the forecast. The service is accessible to those who 'sync' their PDA with their desktop PC. It is also ideal for travelers, because they can easily change the forecast from one city to another based on their travel schedule - all in a matter of a few seconds.
"AccuWeather recognizes the wireless market as an ideal distribution channel for our highly relevant and accurate weather data. We were impressed with Sharp's technology and feel it enables us to extend our services further into the wireless world," says Dr. Joel N. Myers, AccuWeather founder and president.
Plans are being developed to extend AccuWeather's quality weather forecasts and Sharp's mobile graphics solutions to more devices over the course of the next year. "AccuWeather currently services 16,000 media, business and government customers. The combination of their strong brand name and the suitability of their content to wireless devices made AccuWeather an ideal long-term partner for Sharp," says Bruce Goldstein, Senior Manager of the SharpMotionART business team at Sharp.
For more information about AccuWeather.com Mobile's new SharpMotionART service, please contact Dave Fogelson, Sharp Electronics Corporation. Phone: (201)529-8680 E-mail: david.fogelson@sharpusa.com.
About AccuWeather and AccuWeather.com
AccuWeather.com, The World's Weather Authority®, provides a portfolio of products and services through the airwaves, via the Internet, in print, and behind the scenes that benefit hundreds of millions of people worldwide. AccuWeather.com services more than 130,000 paying customers in media, business, government and institutions, and millions more through the website. AccuWeather.com also provides content onto more than 1200 Internet sites including CNN Interactiv, ABC's owned and operated stations, The Associated Press©, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
About Sharp Sharp Electronics Corporation (www.sharpusa.com) is the Mahwah, N.J.-based marketing and sales subsidiary of Japan's Sharp Corporation. Sharp is a worldwide developer of the core technologies that are integral to shaping the next generation of home entertainment products, appliances and networked, multi-functional office solutions and mobile communication and information tools. Leading brands include AQUOS™ Liquid Crystal Televisions, 1-Bit audio products, the SharpVision® line of projection products, Zaurus™ Personal Mobile Tool, Viewcam® camcorders, Sharp Carousel microwaves, Imager™ digital multi-functional systems and the Notevision® line of multi-media projectors. Sharp Electronics Corporation employs approximately 2,000 people throughout the U.S. supporting more than 50 product lines.
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