Newer Tweaks to Newer Weather Apps

[dmoskaluk]

Needless to say, Apps I have active but not used often also get updated & improved, sometimes a lot so I share thus as it 'sort of' applies to one, and 'decidedly' to another
'Today Weather' has been my 'go to' for several months and has been polished quite a bit, not so much with new features or presentation, but with a smoother, quicker feel. All it it needs IMHO is to go from dark ( it's only appearance) to light / dark with the phone setting. Also, could someone out there who knows about 'stuff' tell me where 'Weatherbit.io' are located? They are one of the selectable sources and are generally very accurate in 'corner of the map' locations worldwide.

YR.no are my second choice for 'self briefing' and since I've had it, several uptates have tweaked the display to show most of what one wants, in a spectacular but non-tacky display. They are from Norway and are also 'totally world aware & competent'.

For weather graphics, ( many other very useful parameters can also be displayed,) the 'Windy' App can't be beat. It's intuitive and very flexible and originates in eastern Europe. ( Prague I believe.)

I have learned simply by use that maybe while not as 'glitzy or entertaining' that 'Euro based' sources have better grasp of 'off the beaten path' places away from Continental North America. I've been told that more & better funding & support is sometimes available for information garnered for the shipping industry and it has spilled over more 'offshore' than what ordinary folks ( non-commercial) have readily available in the western hemisphere- Not sure but makes sense.
So as a retired Airline pilot, I do understand some of the trials involved in accurate gathering & display of met information and find that now my sources provide more comprehensive information than I had available in the cockpit, when I worked ( until 2008)

My prime sources are NOAA/ NWS/NHC.... WINDY, Today Weather, YR.no and an assortment of radar displays,- MY RADAR being surprisingly good and also constantly being updated & tweaked.

I'm in the Outer Caribbean Windward Island of Barbados.

 

[imwjl]

Some competing apps use the same data sources. Foreca seems to be one that's good in and outside USA. Some are also influenced by crowd-sourced data more than others. I was just in Jamaica including in the mountains and non-resort towns. I got the impression crowd-sourced data was part of some forecasts but also thought cellular network was an influence.

For the Caribbean I've also thought wealth and population contribute to app and network support. Grand Cayman is tiny but a finance and wealth spot that clearly influence how well things work. Jamaica is not a wealthy place in the same way but has a sizable population and to me seems to function well compared to other islands in the bigger or general neighborhood.

One thing to know is look and see if your weather app can use your phone's hardware. I've watched how that helps accuracy for near you and short-term scenarios.

 

[dmoskaluk]

'Wealth' & the Caribbean in general is aways an interesting concept and perception is everything. The average fellow does not live in a resort and does not have access to one. Having had all my maternal next of kin from and in Barbados, and me after my retirement it became crystal clear that what is perceived as 'wealth' is very much a veneer, and its often a thin one. The real world lives under the veneer cover. Vacation & Retirement with income elsewhere, does not parallel reality for many, or most, and areas like The Cayman Islands, the Virgin Island Islands ( either US or British) floating monies essentially offshore from offshore sources and a lot of their apparent wealth is attributable to other economies. Barbados is a real mixed bag as I'm sure are Jamaica, Trinidad or Antigua but smaller places like St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines are decidedly HAVE ( a very few) or HAVE NOT ( most or the populace) when it comes to financial stability & security. I 'deal from the deck' ( even with a decent pension paid offshore) Those who 'might' obtain an  device every 3 to 4 years tops, not a new one each upgrade, and hearing of those 'big country people' wonder about 'which iPad would suit their three year old? is so far from my reality I gasp. An 'everymans car here', New, will run at least $45,000 US and one with any amenities ( our small basic SUV, no-frills Hyundai Tucson, in 2014 rang in at $115,000 B'dos ( $57,500 US) then and has gone up....Wages are generally well below what is paid in a big country for the same jobs.
But a song says 'Sunshine and sand are free' and we are very glad for the modern technologies mainly in areas of communication which is why, even if at a price, the smartphone and tablet market shines bright and things like, among many others, weather awareness are so much improved, even in the last 5-10 year span.

 

[imwjl]

'Wealth' & the Caribbean in general is aways an interesting concept and perception is everything. The average fellow does not live in a resort and does not have access to one. Having had all my maternal next of kin from and in Barbados, and me after my retirement it became crystal clear that what is perceived as 'wealth' is very much a veneer, and its often a thin one. The real world lives under the veneer cover. Vacation & Retirement with income elsewhere, does not parallel reality for many, or most, and areas like The Cayman Islands, the Virgin Island Islands ( either US or British) floating monies essentially offshore from offshore sources and a lot of their apparent wealth is attributable to other economies. Barbados is a real mixed bag as I'm sure are Jamaica, Trinidad or Antigua but smaller places like St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines are decidedly HAVE ( a very few) or HAVE NOT ( most or the populace) when it comes to financial stability & security. I 'deal from the deck' ( even with a decent pension paid offshore) Those who 'might' obtain an  device every 3 to 4 years tops, not a new one each upgrade, and hearing of those 'big country people' wonder about 'which iPad would suit their three year old? is so far from my reality I gasp. An 'everymans car here', New, will run at least $45,000 US and one with any amenities ( our small basic SUV, no-frills Hyundai Tucson, in 2014 rang in at $115,000 B'dos ( $57,500 US) then and has gone up....Wages are generally well below what is paid in a big country for the same jobs.
But a song says 'Sunshine and sand are free' and we are very glad for the modern technologies mainly in areas of communication which is why, even if at a price, the smartphone and tablet market shines bright and things like, among many others, weather awareness are so much improved, even in the last 5-10 year span.

Yes. I'm probably more aware than most tourists. We've been to different places and done more trips than I can count. We've befriended local residents and in 40+ years I've only stayed at a resort 3 times. I'm aware of other issues such as how a lot of people almost must buy cheap counterfeit items that often have poor quality. I'm in the technology part of food business so always go to grocery stores when I travel in addition to look into wages. With that, I hope tourists are generous tippers. Quite often that nice person helping you has a low wage and has to buy important items for 20% to 100% more.

You explained someone recently asking me how a Toyota RAV4 so common here and also available with right side steering wheel is a premium vehicle in the Caribbean.

 

[dmoskaluk]

A Rav4, even without any 'bells & whistles' will run at least $120-125,000 BDS now ie $60T US & up, mostly up. Tourists either are good tippers or don't tip at all and the relative incomes of said tourists is not really a factor. But - to keep the  market in mind, I just replaced my iMac for less than what it would have cost in Canada or the UK, probably about what the US price would have been. EXCEPT, no 'Apple Care' and a thin support system after purchase. Remember, import duties and taxes on many things, including vehicles are not imposed to protect any local businesses, but to protect the relative value of local currency through the Central Bank. Some technological goods get a break but but not all. Duties / Taxes on vehicles are and have been 100-150% for at least as long as I've been here, approaching 10 years. I'm probably 'about average' when I clap my hands for things like easily available battery changes for current ( 6S 7, 8) iPhone models through the  authorized reseller for about what it would cost in the US, converted to local currency. And it now can be done, with an appointment, while you wait.

 

[dmoskaluk]

I've revisited a few Weather Apps I'd 'back-burnered' the last 2 years or so and did find a significant improvement for 'WeatherMate Pro'. Of course I'll have to run it a month or so before coming to any conclusions but it can display many parameters in an intuitive way. I'm starting to prepare for 'Weather awareness' prior to Hurricane Season ( from June) and fully realize that most apps have their strengths & weaknesses so this look around may need some 'fine tuning'.

 

[dmoskaluk]

While 'tweaking & tuning' I've found that 'The Weather Channel' Alerts ( at least where I live -Caribbean) have become a lot more marginal. The 'Real Time Rain' & 'Change Ahead' were reasonably accurate, & timely - now I hardly ever get an alert, even if conditions warrant. The App will frequently display a note about 'location services' being on 'Always' in lieu of 'While using the App' - for optimized alerting. Mine have always been set to that, ie 'Always' in Settings.....

WeatherMate Pro has many customizing tweaks to its graphics and as one who really doesn't like 'pictures' which depict current weather, I found it easy to inhibit. One can select 'custom background' then tell it to use a stored picture or camera and simply close the app without taking or selecting a picture. Presto - my 'text only' preference is now 'text only' in the true sense, and the App appears to load more quickly.

 

[dmoskaluk]

More on a weather app which has been around for a while but only improved / modified recently. I tripped over it almost by accident and gave it a whirl. Impressive information, a bit tacky presentation, it's called FORECA and I believe hails from Finland. They fully approach weather as a 'world business' and ( as I've probably harped on too many times in the past ) are not country or area centric and are actually far more accurate than 'The IBM group' or Accuweather, when used here in the Caribbean. Free with ads, cheap for no-ad subscription, and as solid a 'weather guesser' as I've seen. Here in Hurricane season I'm interested in local outlooks much more that what effect the next disturbance 'could have in 8-10 days in Florida ' when the next 3-5 days much closer to the equator really are more significant to me here in Barbados.

 

[Annie_M]

More on a weather app which has been around for a while but only improved / modified recently. I tripped over it almost by accident and gave it a whirl. Impressive information, a bit tacky presentation, it's called FORECA and I believe hails from Finland. They fully approach weather as a 'world business' and ( as I've probably harped on too many times in the past ) are not country or area centric and are actually far more accurate than 'The IBM group' or Accuweather, when used here in the Caribbean. Free with ads, cheap for no-ad subscription, and as solid a 'weather guesser' as I've seen. Here in Hurricane season I'm interested in local outlooks much more that what effect the next disturbance 'could have in 8-10 days in Florida ' when the next 3-5 days much closer to the equator really are more significant to me here in Barbados.

Interesting! I will look into that one. I can't remember if I've already asked you about this, so.... have you tried this app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/my-hurricane-tracker-alerts/id1020486515

It seems like it might be a good option for you.

 

[dmoskaluk]

Yes - at your suggestion I installed My Hurricane Tracker and it's 'front page' in my 'Weather Folder' It's probably the gold standard in that type of app and is also very comprehensive with archived files on past storms - far from trivia for those (me) close by.
I've been told that a lot of the eastern & Western European society's are more driven to set up 'world conscious' information systems to meet the needs of those who depend more on global shipping than those closer to home. Can't say, but the accuracy of a few 'Euro products' I've investigated is really good ( 'YR, from Norway, and Foreca from Finland. I only base my judgements by comparing 'what's really going on' with what is / was forecast. My long term tools of choice remain Windy.com (eastern European) and the tried & true NOAA / NHC ( USA)... Ventusky is great graphically as well but if one wishes to look more than a few days ahead, it reverts to GFS only algorithms which are sadly lacking, when compared with ECMWF or ICON..

There are also several Hurricane Season dedicated websites I scan daily ie maybe more comprehensive and less 'addy' than 'Mike's Weather Page'. I use 'Tropical Tidbits', and 'Trackthetropics' for up to date and significant links & information.

 

[dmoskaluk]

A 'Real Tweak' to an excellent App now makes it much more 'World Friendly'

I refer to the revised Carrot Weather, (5) discussed in an iMore Blog post a week ago. The interface is essentially new and totally customizable. Source selection is very comprehensive on the Premium edition. -allowing a subscriber to select a source which works reliably in their country or locality. Most of the popular sources, both domestic and foreign are offered. All have pluses & minuses but probably one's locale is the biggest determining factor. My own selection may or may not work as well where you live. But in the free version. ( yep!) Foreca is the source of choice. I did a trial and have now gone for a years Premium ( but not 'Ultra) and stayed with Foreca data. I've ( having set this app up the way I personally like it,) 'cancelled in advance' any other annual paid for weather apps, only keeping my few 'life subscriptions'. The Carrot 5, App in Premium & above, also has a decently presented choice of Widgets.

 

[Spencerdl]

I have several weather apps and so does the Apple App Store...LOL. I think the most important thing is finding one that is the most accurate for 'your' area and visually appealing to the user. Over the years most if not all weather apps seem to have moved along with technology and gotten better. I usually keep three/four that I visit more frequently than others and they are not in my weather folder. BeWeather(3) formally BerryWeather is still my go to weather app after many years of using it and does everything I need it to do, it's also accurate for my area, provides many customization options and visually appealing to me.
With so many weather apps available, I just don't need a 'premium' version of each weather app. IMHO some of them are becoming 'pricey', I mean $4.99 monthly for premium (seriously)?

 

[Annie_M]

I have several weather apps and so does the Apple App Store...LOL. I think the most important thing is finding one that is the most accurate for 'your' area and visually appealing to the user. Over the years most if not all weather apps seem to have moved along with technology and gotten better. I usually keep three/four that I visit more frequently than others and they are not in my weather folder. BeWeather(3) formally BerryWeather is still my go to weather app after many years of using it and does everything I need it to do, it's also accurate for my area, provides many customization options and visually appealing to me.
With so many weather apps available, I just don't need a 'premium' version of each weather app. IMHO some of them are becoming 'pricey', I mean $4.99 monthly for premium (seriously)?

Well said!!! I keep about 8 Weather Apps on my home screen, and several more in my App Library. I have two or three that are my go to Apps. They include BeWeather 3, Forecast Bar, and WHIO Weather (my local tv station). Why keep so many? Because when we're having a weather event, I like to check several Apps. I love all types of weather, and I enjoy weather apps, clearly!

 

[dmoskaluk]

Well said!!! I keep about 8 Weather Apps on my home screen, and several more in my App Library. I have two or three that are my go to Apps. They include BeWeather 3, Forecast Bar, and WHIO Weather (my local tv station). Why keep so many? Because when we're having a weather event, I like to check several Apps. I love all types of weather, and I enjoy weather apps, clearly!

You are even more 'Weather wise' than I am. What I've found is that the scene changes and evolves quickly ie 'snooze u lose' applies in some ways to 'offshore access' to what are mainly US based Apps. A few such apps require premium of 'pay' versions to access other than their default source. And when subscribed, one must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of what's offered. I can only say that although 'presentation' is an entirely personal choice and no two people will have the same priorities with what they like. Accuracy is a bit different though and the US based apps, accessed and pertaining to offshore locations, although usually listing ones location. may have 'minor to serious' track records for simply being wrong. A few of the highly reputed top dogs for the US fall apart quickly if defaulted or chosen for an offshore location. Also many, even if 'showing' your home locale as its selection., will use 'local airport data'- and some airports may be in microclimate situations, such as our own here on Barbados. ( Where our airport is probably makes the tourist board happy) but is actually in 'The Bajan Desert' somewhat hotter and much drier than the rest of the island. The Canadian airports are often fog bound when elsewhere is clear etc. Since premium apps have relatively recently offered choices, I've personally found some UK and European sources to be accurate and update in a much more timely fashion than homegrown ones.
Adding to those conundrums is the blending and homogenization of a lot of US info under the banner 'IBM' which, among other things has made The Weather Channel and Wunderground as displays for different presentations of the same information. Once they expire, both for me will become unpaid. My lifers ie 'Today Weather' and 'Hello Weather' are 'now' multisource in Premium, as well -but most of my reasoning was to support the developers wherever they are.