
In the olden days, like maybe about 20 years ago, when we wanted to get to Block Island by plane or boat, we used the item above. It's a low tech thing: You depress the bar and get a broadcast from the closest NOAA weather station. You can find out how high the waves are, the winds and cloud cover—and all those other atmospheric delights that make a trip to BI so, er, iffy. These days, we access the same info on the web.
There are those, however, who insist that an even lower tech weather station is all you need: The Weather Rock. Put the rock outside, says Chris G, and if it's wet, that means it's raining. If it's white, it's snowing. If it's hot, it's—but you get the picture. Don't tell you about the waves, though.