apple buys dark sky
3 years ago
Published March 31, 2020 by

Apple buys Dark Sky

My favorite weather app has joined the mothership.

From "Dark Sky Has a New Home" on the company's homepage:

Today we have some important and exciting news to share: Dark Sky has joined Apple.

Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy.

There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone.

My take: Apple has good taste. I've depended for years on Dark Sky's precise, hyperlocal weather info (typical forecast: light rain starting in 2 minutes, stopping 6 minutes later"). That app goes away on July 1, 2020. Apple better not screw it up.

8 Comments

  1. Fred Stein said:
    When I heard, I bought the App. It always bugged me that Apple’s built-in free App was never reliable or accurate.

    Might we see more of this – Apple buying Apps and the talent. Would be nice.

    2
    March 31, 2020
  2. Gregg Thurman said:
    I’ve been a long time Weather Channel user. But since IBM bought it my enjoyment has gone downhill.

    I’ll have to give Dark Sky a shot.

    3
    March 31, 2020
    • Aaron Belich said:
      It’s good, but not great. Living in the PNW, in a collection of convergence zones, has proved that even the vaunted DarkSky app is often just as good as any other meteorologist.

      Bought it years ago, and in most places it’s really good. More importantly though, it’s a clean interface, with some cool stuff tucked under the hood.

      0
      March 31, 2020
    • David Emery said:
      Yeah, it’s appalling how WUnderground app has -lost information- after being bought by IBM (the display shows less categories than it used to.) Looks like “Watson” isn’t as smart as they say it is.

      0
      March 31, 2020
  3. Steven Philips said:
    @Aaron: I’m there too. I heard long ago (with no actual confirmation) that this area is the hardest place in the world to predict weather due to all the variables. I’ve never tried Dark Sky. I just figured NO weather app had a chance here.

    0
    March 31, 2020
  4. Romeo A Esparrago Jr said:
    I like WTForecast, recommended by my friend Karen. It’s useful AND hilariously rude 🙂

    0
    March 31, 2020
  5. Romeo A Esparrago Jr said:
    Speaking of buying things, just saw Good Morning, America. Looks like Al Roker got a Pro Display! Did I see that, right? Not an April Fool’sDay thing, I saw it! Got a big brand logo on front!

    Anything to help share price up, even if it’s just PR 🙂

    0
    April 1, 2020

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