Apple's Dark Sky Weather App Gains Improved Location Search and Other New Features

[unfunfionn]

I've wanted this in Europe for years, but then again, all of the apps that use the Dark Sky API over here have abysmal accuracy, so it's probably no great loss.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Maybe someday the Weather app for phone will work on iPad. It's only been a decade.

Like the calculator app, Apple has no intention of making the weather app for iPhone. They’ve decided to leave that opportunity to independent developers. It might upset some, but I’m sure devs who make weather and calculator apps for iPad appreciate it.

Apple has the data to cherry pick all the best competitive opportunities and create their own version (like Amazon does for thousands of products—for now anyway) but I think that would be detrimental to the dev ecosystem.

 

[anthb]

Anyone else having issue with location in iOS 14? Even maps app can’t find my exact location like iOS13 could unless I go outside to get GPS. When I was using iOS13 maps (and apps) showed me sitting in my exact house on the map. Since ios14 it’s like a 5-600 meter “location”. And before you say it, I have precise location NO! That’s the first thing I witched on. It’s just not finding me like before on WiFi networks. It’s really frustrating!

Location is awful just now. Photos/Weather etc - it seems to be more "where i've been or passed" than where I am. I've taken photos in my house that are at my house and I've taken photos in my house that it thinks are at the park I walked the dog hours before. The same with Dark Sky. I can be at work and it will notify me about rain at home and vice versa. It will also tell me rain is about to start "at myhouse" then tell me rain in stopping "at a location closeish to me/within a mile or so" but not where I am considering I never left the house because of the rain!

 

[error]

Indeed, Dark Sky isn't available in most countries, like many other apple products and services.

 

[lordandrei]

Dark Sky is pretty great. Their alerts have been generally spot on for locations I've used it.

I find that, for US locations, this NOAA graphic gives me everything I want in a forecast in one glance. (This is the link to the NYC version, but you can find yours under "hourly weather forecast" when viewing the weather for your city on their site.)

Does it have an API which gives consumable data (ie JSON). I depend on Dark Sky for that.

 

[CLS9]

With all the good free weather apps, I'm not putting out $4 for an app, even from Apple, that may not be around for long, or if it is, will be included with the next upgrade for free.

 

[ignatius345]

Does it have an API which gives consumable data (ie JSON). I depend on Dark Sky for that.

I have no idea, man. I was just posting about a good place to check the weather forecast.

 

[frostiex]

I have been using DarkSky for years now, but hate that you can't get the app in Canada... Always says not available in my country, so I am forced to use the website version.

Who cares about dar sky....just use Carrot or Ventusky. those are great.

 

[srbNYC]

I'm a little put off by the Carrot humor (not offended, just looking for straightforward info without comedy when I check the forecast). Is it great accuracy- and design-wise and worth getting over my concern?

 

[JulesK]

I'm a little put off by the Carrot humor (not offended, just looking for straightforward info without comedy when I check the forecast). Is it great accuracy- and design-wise and worth getting over my concern?

You can turn off the snark in Carrot Weather. I happily pay foe the subscription. It’s a great app that is well supported. I hope it survives Apple’s effort to improve its own weather app.

 

[cerote]

I can't figure out if I should buy Dark Sky or if Apple is just going to make it free/discontinue it in favor of their own weather app, it's been weird since they bought it since it isn't clear what they want to do with it i.t

That's how I feel too. I had been thinking about buying it before they took it over. Once they took it over I am not now sure to wait or to buy still.

 

[Woochifer]

That's how I feel too. I had been thinking about buying it before they took it over. Once they took it over I am not now sure to wait or to buy still.

It's $4. About the same cost as a Starbucks drink. IMO, worth the money for a fast and lightweight app (less than 8 MB download) that doesn't bombard your screen with ads.

It's a great app, and even if Apple integrates its features into their own Weather app, I doubt that they will cut off iOS users like they did with Android users. Android users had 3 months after they pulled Dark Sky off the Google Play Store before Apple cut off data access.

The iOS version just received an update yesterday and it's still available on the app store. This is the first update since Apple acquired Dark Sky back in April, so I take that as evidence that the app won't disappear for a while. When Apple acquired other app makers like Hopstop when they were building out their Maps app, they pulled the apps from the ap store and stopped updating the apps and the underlying transit info as well. In those cases, Apple very clearly sent the message that they would assimilate the app features into Maps and orphan the standalone apps. I haven't seen any indication so far that they intend to do the same with Dark Sky users.

Even if Apple decides to orphan iOS users the same way they did with Android users, the clock hasn't started ticking yet. I would guess that if they cut off support for the app, it would follow the timetable for the Dark Sky API, which will sunset at the end of 2021.

 

[Abstract]

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) app users put your hands up!

 

[Bob Coxner]

I wish they could get the watch complication to update reliably. It will work for a while and then stop updating until you open the app on the phone. Even then it may not update. I like dark sky and I hope apple can get it integrated into their OS better.

Same problem here. I always have to tap it to get updated conditions.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Try carrot weather. It uses the dark sky API

seemingly at double the price $6.99 CAN.

I don’t even find darksky just casa reír weather.

 

[wallaby]

Already switched to Carrot for the widgets. You snooze, you lose, Apple.

 

[Deliro]

Integration takes time and we will probably see apple cherry pick features for their weather app improvement and sunset dark sky.