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Yahoo's Missed Opportunity with iOS 8 Weather Hints at Uncertain Future in Stocks App

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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iOS 8 will include a revamped Weather app with data provided by the Weather Channel instead of Yahoo, which previously powered Apple's weather app for years. This switchover of weather services allegedly was masterminded by former Yahoo board member and Weather Channel CEO David Kenny after he assumed his leadership role at the weather information company last year, reports Re/Code.

ios-weather-stocks.jpg
Kenny allegedly negotiated a deal with Apple that cut Yahoo out of the loop that provided weather data for iOS. In earlier iOS versions, Yahoo was the provider linked in the Weather app, but the actual meteorological data came from the Weather Channel. Kenny lured Apple away from Yahoo by offering a sweeter deal that included additional technology and more robust weather information than was made available to Yahoo. As a result, the Weather app in iOS 8 now includes a nine-day weather forecast, up from five days in iOS 7, details such as sunrise/sunset times and a new "Today" weather summary located at the bottom of the app.

Though Yahoo reportedly was in talks with Apple about featuring Yahoo services more prominently in iOS, the internet company didn't realize the Weather Channel was making a power play for iOS, and let this high-profile deal slip away.
"Yahoo had been renting ocean-front property for years and did not realize the lease was up, and the Weather Channel slipped right in and took it," said a Yahoo exec, who said the company acted too late to save the deal. "It's a high-profile loss."
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This provider change is a big blow to Yahoo, which as recently as April wanted to increase its role in iOS by making Yahoo the default search engine on iOS.

Apple's decision to drop Yahoo as it weather source also calls into question the search company's future involvement in the iOS Stocks app. Similar to earlier versions of the Weather app, the iOS Stocks app pulls its stock information from Yahoo Finance. Though not confirmed, some believe Apple could choose Bloomberg, CNBC or Reuters over Yahoo for its stock data in future versions of iOS 8.

Article Link: Yahoo's Missed Opportunity with iOS 8 Weather Hints at Uncertain Future in Stocks App
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/20/yahoo-weather-stocks/
BulletToothTony

BulletToothTony

macrumors 6502
Jan 5, 2009
402
16
as long as we get something better than "Today's high will be" I'm happy, sometimes i need to know what the temp is Right Now not 5 hours from now.

Edit* I'm talking about the iPad btw, I use an iPad Mini as a cellphone.
 
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charlituna

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
As much nicer as this info is, I still side with those that feel they should dump the built in app all together and let us download what we want to use ourselves. Especially now that apps can create their own widgets so if we want the forecast summary in our Notification Center we can add it
 
E

edk99

macrumors 6502a
May 27, 2009
859
1,409
FL
When you are the source it is pretty easy to cut out the middle man and offer a better deal. I don't think you need to be a rocket scientist to broker a deal like that.
 
A

afsnyder

macrumors 65816
Jan 7, 2014
1,270
33
nazaar said:
That stock app is just wasted space anyways.
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I use the stock app all the time... i don't own stocks but it's nice to see all the links to the articles of people viewpoints on recent announcements for companies like Apple, Google, etc.
 
D

dstankus

macrumors regular
May 19, 2010
100
20
I understand the value of being in the default app, but the Apple Weather has always been several notches behind the others like TWC app, which is the one I use.
 
L

Lazy

macrumors 6502
May 27, 2003
305
335
Silicon Valley
Sort of sad in the sense that the Weather Channel is a sorry business, as easily seen by watching their programming for a little while. Hyperbole and a bunch of non-weather garbage, along with trying to make any weather event scary so you'll feel the need to keep watching to stay safe. However ultimately it doesn't really matter who the "provider" is since everyone gets their raw data from the same weather stations.

As for this comment in the article "Apple's decision to drop Yahoo as it weather source also calls into question the search company's future involvement in the iOS Stocks app." there's no reason to think there' any linkgage between the two. I'm sure Apple will negotate for the best deal for the stocks app among everyone capable who's interested without caring what they did or didn't have for weather.
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,694
32,105
Yahoo isn't a weather company. Wasn't the data ultimately coming from the Weather Channel anyway?
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
snappyfool said:
Pretty sure sunrise and sunset times were already there.
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Yes, the sun rises and sets just the same, no matter what. This BTW is a mathematical calculation. It doesn't need to be supplied by anyone.

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Rogifan said:
Yahoo isn't a weather company. Wasn't the data ultimately coming from the Weather Channel anyway?
Click to expand...

Ultimately, it all comes from the NWS (in the U.S. anyway).
 
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
Deal with this stuff directly, you have more trouble going via an intermediary like Yahoo.

Apple's doing it right :) Bit late, but their on the ball.. Just don't fall off.
 
I

iolinux333

macrumors 68000
Feb 9, 2014
1,798
73
I still have this fantasy that someday Yahoo gets their act together and becomes a viable Google competitor. Maybe even some kind of mergered AppleMicrosoftYahoo frankenbeast would be less horrible than Google.
 
SockRolid

SockRolid

macrumors 68000
Jan 5, 2010
1,560
118
Almost Rock Solid
Maybe this is part of a long-term takeover play by Apple.

Step 1: Do deals with Yahoo! to get investors interested in Yahoo! (e.g. weather, stocks, sports and whatever.)

Step 2: Cut Yahoo! out of the picture to drop their stock valuation.

Step 3: Wait for the stock to bottom out.

Step 4: Buy just the pieces of Yahoo! that you want (search, weather, stocks, sports, and whatever.)

Kind of like what Microsoft did to Nokia, except they f-ed up Nokia even harder by installing a Microsoft guy as its CEO. Best possible way to drive its valuation down before buying the company.
 
I

iolinux333

macrumors 68000
Feb 9, 2014
1,798
73
SockRolid said:
Maybe this is part of a long-term takeover play by Apple.

Step 1: Do deals with Yahoo! to get investors interested in Yahoo! (e.g. weather, stocks, sports and whatever.)

Step 2: Cut Yahoo! out of the picture to drop their stock valuation.

Step 3: Wait for the stock to bottom out.

Step 4: Buy just the pieces of Yahoo! that you want (search, weather, stocks, sports, and whatever.)

Kind of like what Microsoft did to Nokia, except they f-ed up Nokia even harder by installing a Microsoft guy as its CEO. Best possible way to drive its valuation down before buying the company.
Click to expand...


What's Yahoo's valuation these days? Could Apple afford to buy them? I'm not saying it's a good idea, rather just playing with the idea.
 
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