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Tech Junkie Review – Ambient Weather tracks the weather in your backyard

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Tracking the weather seems to be a hobby for so many of us. I don’t know why but I love knowing what the weather is at MY home. I’m a bit of a weather geek. So many of us are. If you’re a fellow weather nerd then the Ambient Weather WS-2902 Home Weather Station is designed for you! I took it for a test at home.

There are two main pieces to the home weather station, the outside weather station and the inside wireless screen that shows you the stats from the weather station. We’ll start outside. The unit itself is pretty easy to put together after pulling it out of the box. The complication will be deciding on a good spot to mount it and pulling out the drill and screws. I picked a spot on my back fence although it may eventually make its way up to my roof. The company has guidelines for best placement to get the most accurate readings. You have sensors galore in the weather station including temperature, wind speed, humidity, wind direction, rainfall, UV levels, solar radiation, barometric pressure, dew point, heat index, wind chill and others.

The unit itself is a pretty decent size but I wouldn’t say it’s huge. You might want to check with your neighbors before you mount it on a fence.

Inside your home you’ll connect the wireless screen. This communicates wirelessly with the weather station outside so you can quickly see all of the info about the weather. It’s pretty self explanatory and an easy way to check on the current conditions quickly.

The techie fun comes when you connect this screen to your WIFI network and the Ambient Weather online service. You can check out the current stats and history from your weather station in the mobile app. You can also look at other weather stations anywhere in the country on their website ambientweather.net

The app is great! It gives you a quick simple look at the current states but also lets you dive deeper into your stats if you prefer. I really like how Ambient Weather does a good job of making this approachable for those of us “non-meteorologists” but also nerdy enough for people who want more.

Overall

This is a great way for many of us weather nerds to track the weather in our own backyard. While the WIFI setup could be a little easier, setting up the weather center itself was very easy. The screen inside your home gives you a great quick glance at the conditions while the Ambient Weather app and website lets you dive deeper into your weather stats.

I’m giving the WS-2902 Home Weather Station a 4 out of 5 geek rating!

The Ambient Weather WS-2902 Home Weather station is available directly from the AmbientWeather.com site for $190.

  

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‘Beach IT’ country music festival likely coming to Virginia Beach in June

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City Council to vote on estimated $1.5M sponsorship Tuesday

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A country music-centered festival is poised once again to take over the sand at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront this summer.

Tuesday, Virginia Beach City Council is scheduled to consider approving a sponsorship agreement for a new festival dubbed “Beach IT;” a three-day, two-stage “celebration” between 1st and 8th Street beaches.

10 On Your Side has learned it is scheduled to place June 23-25 of this year. The event will be put on by Country Nation-Live Nation. They are the country music festival division of the world’s largest live entertainment company: Live Nation.

The festival will “bring together emerging artists, as well as award-winning and ‘A-List’ country music recording artists,” according to an agenda item submitted by Convention and Visitors Bureau.

While neither Country Nation-Live Nation nor the City of Virginia Beach have made a formal announcement yet, discussions have been ongoing for several months, according to a source familiar with negotiations.

The proposed sponsorship agreement calls for the city to let festival promoters keep all the admissions taxes on ticket sales. Typically, the city would keep 10% of the price you pay for a ticket.

In addition, the city won’t charge the festival for use of the beach, police, fire, public works, and parking lots.

The city believes that will equate to roughly $1.5 million.

“This country show could be one of the biggest country shows we’ve ever had,” Mayor Bobby Dyer said.

Parts of the deal are similar to the one approved for the 2023 Something in the Water festival. Sources say Live Nation approached the city about doing a new country-focused festival after the Patriotic Festival left for Norfolk in 2022. It had hosted country music artists on the beach for nearly two decades prior.

Patriotic Festival President Ira Agricola believes there is room in the region for both to succeed.

“In a region with 1.7 million people and very robust visitor attraction, the addition of a country music festival in Virginia Beach is positive for local and out of market fans,” Agricola said. “Hampton Roads is a great market for country music and the Patriotic Festival looks forward to its 19th year of success Memorial Weekend in Norfolk.”

Live Nation “delivered the biggest summer concert season in history” in 2022, according to public filings. It brought in $6.2 billion in revenue between July and September.

While it isn’t known when tickets will go on sale or who will perform, Dyer said this is proof the “beach is back.”

Earlier in June, “Jackalope”– an action sports festival — will also premier at the Oceanfront.

“We are putting together shows that will provide something for everyone,” Dyer said.

Oklahoma Country music star Reba McEntire opens “Reba’s Place” in Oklahoma

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ATOKA, Okla. (KFOR) – Just when you thought she couldn’t fit anything else on her plate, you can now add “restaurant owner” to Reba McEntire’s resume. 

“This has been a dream come true,” Reba told visitors during the restaurant’s grand opening on Thursday afternoon. “It has just turned out to be something that was way beyond my imagination.”

Shelley Johnson, an employee at Reba’s Place, said the place was buzzing with excitement on opening day.

“Everybody loves it,” Johnson said. “Everybody loves her.”

The three-story dining, bar, entertainment and retail venue is located in Atoka, about 12 miles south from Reba’s hometown of Chockie.

“I get another excuse to get to come home to our state,” said Reba. “It’s going to help our town, it’s going to help the community, it’s going to bring jobs in.” 

Reba’s Place, Photo courtesy KFOR
Reba’s Place, Photo courtesy KFOR
Reba’s Place, Photo courtesy KFOR
Reba’s Place, Photo courtesy KFOR
Reba’s Place, Photo courtesy KFOR

The restaurant’s “soft opening” was held earlier this month. So far, Reba’s Place has drawn a crowd from all over the country to eat and check out the memorabilia all throughout the building. 

“We’ve had people come from Florida, from Wyoming,” said Johnson. “I sat a couple that was here from Winsconsin the other day. It’s pretty amazing.” 

The menu is said to be inspired by the food Reba grew up with in Southeast Oklahoma, as well as choices inspired from cities and regions associated with her career, like Nashville, Tennessee. Items include “slow smoked Choctaw beef brisket,” a Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich, and a “Southern charcuterie board” featuring country ham and boiled peanut hummus, among other apps and entrees.

Fans at Thursday night’s grand opening didn’t have to turn on the radio to hear Reba’s music, as she surprised guests with a performance. 

“It’s music that helped build this place,” said Reba. 

Directly before Reba took the stage, Janie Dillard, the senior executive officer of the Choctaw Nation’s division of commerce, also made sure to give Reba plenty of credit.

“Her hands are all over this property here tonight,” Dillard told diners at Thursday’s event. “She says, ‘The team did this, the team did that.’ No, she’s a woman very involved. She’s a savvy businesswoman. She’s picked out every dish you’ve got on your table tonight. She’s picked out every color. Draperies, color schemes, color palettes. Everything. She’s been so engaged.

“She’s on every call. We don’t have a call without her being on there,” Dillard said.

Reba’s Place is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the restaurant’s website.