All these files can then be written to the (network) file system of the PC, or to a remote site via FTP (the Internet File Transfer Protocol). Remote sites can optionally be reached with a dial-up networking connection. In this case, our software dials into the Internet and connects to a remote server.

The software then posts the pages, trend graphs and the image to the server and disconects again. Before all this can happen, you will have to specify some details such as file names, which dial-up acount is to be used, the server name, which userid and password to use etc. All this is described below in software, illustrated with screenshots of the various windows and dialog boxes.

Connecting devices like weatherstations that used to operate in stand-alone mode to PCs and then to the Internet is in line with the universal trend towards total connectivity everywhere, or in user terms: complete and transparent access to any information from anywhere on the globe. We at WeatherStation.Com want to become market leaders in Internet-enabling any device. Cameras and weatherstations are just a start. Watch this space!

When a number of WeatherStations are posting data to the Internet, including their geographical position in coordinates (an option in the Preferences), it is possible for us to generate maps of the area with isocharts of weather information. This is an exciting option, which will allow better predictions of e.g. storms and hurricanes. Anybody with Internet access will be able to see a depression approaching their house, land or boat, and hence be able to take precautions.

A few of the applications we dreamed up during our visionary sessions:

• Golf, sailing, windsurfing clubs whose members would like to know exactly what the weather is like before planning their day or evening, balancing their social obligations against the pleasure of their favourite sport
• People living in hurricane areas, who can now "spot" a hurricane coming by regularly monitoring their own and other Internet-connected weatherstations.
• Sailors and maritime institutions, who can develop accurate weather maps when series of boats and buoys are equipped with Internet-enabled weatherstations
• Ski resorts and tourist boards, who can provide their guests with accurate weather data of every mountain top every morning, enabling them to make better plans for the day
• Airports, who can now provide near real-time weather data to all travellers and pilots
• Oil companies, who can show real-time data of the weather of all oil rigs