Voice Interface in updated SailTimer Wind Gauge™ app
The Android apps for the wireless, solar-powered SailTimer Wind Instrument™ have had an uppgrade. First, the SailTimer Wind Gauge™ app is shown above. Version 2 of this free app includes a traditional wind angle display (true and apparent). Also wind direction on a compass, with both Magnetic-North and True-North reference.
Audio interfaces are becoming more accessible in cars and at home such as Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, Cortana, and Bixby. Skipping the screen is also useful in sailing where your hands are busy and you may be watching the sails and the action up ahead. So a Voice Interface has been added to the SailTimer Wind Gauge™ app. Now you don’t have to squint to try to see your screen out in the bright sun; the app can just tell you the wind conditions.
Faster Bluetooth connections with API update on Android
The SailTimer API™ is a free toolkit that receives Bluetooth transmissions from the Wind
Instrument, and hands off the data to a navigation, wind gauge or performance app for viewing. One of the advantages of the wireless Wind Instrument is that there are a range of features and apps that can be used, depending on your preferences (see list of apps here for both iOS and Android). Version 2.0 of the SailTimer API™ is in the Google Play store now. The new version adds new Bluetooth technology for fast, reliable connections to the Wind Instrument across most Android devices.
Many controls have been automated in version 2, so the API uses a simple interface with most information on one panel. There is also a new advanced menu item for compass fine-tuning. The new version continues to transmit even if the screen is turned off to preserve battery power. If you lose the signal, the API will reconnect automatically if it is open. It also remembers your Wind Instrument and auto-connects when you come back to your boat.