Very PoorApp. Bombards you with commercials

Ive been using this app for several years, and have watched it developed into a reliable app, logically organized, and optimally featured app. It has been my go-to app for local weather and news casts even when I am out of the country and I want to know whats going on back home. The information flowed logically, allowed expansion to full screen and took you right to what you wanted to see.

This last version destroyed all of that. It is nearly useless. Every time you want to see anything, like forecast videos, radar, 5-day forecast, etc, you are forced to watch a 30-second, high pressure, boosted audio commercial before you can see the information you used the app for in the first place. And there is no way to skip the commercial. You MUST watch it ALL.

The main menus has likewise been poorly redesigned. You see little horizontal Windows of text or a small image, and when the user clicks on the window, and sits through the inane commercial, the information stays in the little window, showing about 3-4 sentences. The user CANNOT enlarge this window to see the entire text. This is against best practices of human factor engineering. Comprehension decreases as the amount of the text of a story is shown. If you are looking for information about an approaching tropical system, getting screamed at for 30 seconds, plus trying to read the bulletin through that narrow strip of a window is not very effective.

The IT manager who thought this format and redesign was a great idea knows nothing about apps, mobile devices or interface design at all. If WLOX designers came up with this, fire them and get someone who knows what they are doing. If, however, this is attempt to drive people back to watching their TV newscasts, its highly effective give.

Di not install this app until these problems are solved. Unless you want to be screamed at repeatedly when you just want to see if its going to rain tonight.

Astronaut-Farmer about WLOX Weather, v4.3.402