Weather apps you should know
We're highlighting weather apps. Get to know Big Weather, Windomter, Morpho Converter and Paku.
This month, we highlight weather apps. Meet the four fabulous developers that provide great tools. You can read the details about our Member Shoutout (and the upcoming topics) here.
Weather apps are an incredibly interesting showcase because Apple's new WeatherKit API allows developers to quickly access weather and other relevant data at the user's location without depending on third parties. This has made obsolete a whole slew of bad actors who would innocently ask the user for location permission, only to then sell detailed location data to third party data brokers for a lot of money.
In acquiring Dark Sky, including it as WeatherKit, and clamping down on data gathering, Apple has made a huge step towards user privacy. Our shout-out apps this month prove that you can provide fantastic and helpful data without compromising user privacy, something that is a core value of ours as well!
Show the weather in your Mac menu bar with Big Weather
Big Weather
Weather app for your Mac menubar.
Big Weather is a simple weather app for your Mac menu bar. It offers a generous free tier that includes the most relevant weather information for your location or another location worldwide, and a premium tier for even more coverage.
Tommi: This side project got started from a personal need when I was a European living in the US and I couldn't get a grasp on Fahrenheit. So I built an app that would let me see the temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit in the menubar, something that I believe did not exist at the time. Since then, it's become must more comprehensive based on user requests and whatever has been interesting and possible to build.
During the lifetime of the app it's supported three different Weather APIs: Dark Sky, weatherapi.com and Apple Weather.
The tricky thing with weather apps is that you rely on these APIs that have costs for using them, and at the same time end users would prefer not to pay for a subscription.
It's a bit of a dance to work with that.
Integrating TelemetryDeck was really simple for a Swift/SwiftUI Mac app. I've only used it for really basic metrics so far, and I'm always careful in not collecting too much information and not being able to connect any piece of information to an individual, keeping privacy at the forefront. I do feel like TelemetryDeck should be simple to expand for more analytics, and I'll consider doing that in the future, either for this app or next ones.
Stay in the loop with wind direction and speed with Windowmeter
Windowmeter
Wind direction and speed
Windometer, your go-to premium wind app, serves up wind direction and speed in the most convenient, no-fuss way. Using real-time data, our handy wind compass keeps you in the loop about average wind speeds and gust peaks. Plus, it offers detailed hourly and daily forecasts right where you stand.
Ryan: Utilizing Apple's WeatherKit API, Windometer delivers real-time wind data with unrivaled precision. This instantaneous information is critical to our app's efficacy, enabling users to make informed decisions instantly. Coupled with WeatherKit's detailed hourly and daily forecasts, Windometer provides reliable wind predictions for any location in the world. Our commitment to accurate, timely wind data, made possible by WeatherKit, positions Windometer as an essential tool for all wind-related needs.
End the confusion about Celsius and Farenheit with Morpho Converter
Morpho Converter
Travel-focused converter
Morpho is a speedy, travel-focused converter. Instead of doing one conversion at a time, Morpho shows you all of your favorite conversions instantly. Integration with Apple Weather allows you to see today’s forecast and current temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius at the same time.
Jeremy: Most likely, I would not have added this feature if Apple hadn’t released their Weather API. Their implementation is so straightforward and easy to implement, it made this a breeze to add.
Check air quality with Paku
Paku for PurpleAir
Air quality
Paku is an app that uses PurpleAir data to show air quality, temperature, and humidity. It’s got great Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, and besides its main use for checking the AQI, it’s pretty unique because you can get hyperlocal temperature if you live somewhere with a high density of purple air sensors.
Kyle: I use the widget on my Lock Screen for temperature instead of Weather, since it’s more accurate.
Psssst: The next member shoutout is about SwiftUI. Stay tuned to read more in our newsletter or visit our member shoutout page.