Sure, you could just download a weather app to see what conditions are like outside your front door, but where's the fun in that? Ken Kawamoto's Tempescope actually creates rain, clouds, and simulated lightning right inside your house. It's the ultimate push notification.
Basically, it's just an acrylic box with a water pump, mist diffuser, and LEDs inside, plus an Arduino microcomputer to control the whole thing. The Arduino can wirelessly sync up with a computer or even a smartphone app to download hourly forecasts from the internet. That means it's simple enough that you can build your very own — particularly because Kawamoto provides all the instructions and diagrams right here.
While you're at it, check out Kawamoto's awesome augmented reality Mario Kart game!
Not in the mood to roll your own Tempescope? Kawamoto also plans to crowdfund the idea next year. For now, it might be the next best thing to actually controlling the weather. [Tempescope via Product Hunt]