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Apple buys Dark Sky weather app and shuts down the Android version, will also end API access for other apps that use it
Dark Sky for iOS is one of the most popular weather apps available, and Apple has clearly taken notice, because now the tech giant has officially acquired the "hyperlocal" weather app.
Compared with other contenders in the same category, Dark Sky is noted for having more granular detail on the weather at a user's actual location, offering "down-to-the-minute forecasts" via a pleasing user interface.
[...] News of the acquisition was announced via a blog post from the app developers which also outlined the key changes that the purchase will bring. Most notably among them will be the discontinuation of the Android and Wear OS version of the Dark Sky apps.
"The app will no longer be available for download. Service to existing users and subscribers will continue until July 1, 2020, at which point the app will be shut down. Subscribers who are still active at that time will receive a refund."
That same July 1, 2020 cutoff applies to weather forecasts, maps and embeds from the Dark Sky website, which will be shut down on that date.
Along with the death of the Android app, Dark Sky's API (application programming interface) will no longer be available for others to use, meaning that other popular apps like Carrot Weather that rely on the API will have to find an alternative solution, although they'll be given until the end of 2021 to do so.
Also a similar article on The Verge.
(Score: 5, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday April 03 2020, @06:13AM (6 children)
My IRC bot that you occasionally see as the submitter for a story. He started out using wunderground.com's API but I had to move him to darksky last year after they got bought up. Now I have to find yet another one.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 5, Informative) by RamiK on Friday April 03 2020, @01:19PM
Open Weather's free plan covers most needs.
https://openweathermap.org/price [openweathermap.org]
https://openweathermap.org/current [openweathermap.org]
https://openweathermap.org/appid [openweathermap.org]
compiling...
(Score: 3, Informative) by zoward on Friday April 03 2020, @02:09PM (4 children)
In the U.S. at least, we have the NWS API. I don't know if it covers anything other than the U.S. though. It's unlikely to be bought out.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Friday April 03 2020, @02:33PM
Tweet to Trump that Obama started it up: the deal will be completed by end if day...
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Friday April 03 2020, @03:50PM
NWS ain't terrible but man do I ever miss KFOR's forecasts from back in OK. There's plenty to not enjoy about OK but their weather coverage and forecasting is second to none. Here in TN the fuckers would be more accurate flipping a coin than using whatever methods they currently use; just saying "it's gonna rain" would be more accurate still.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DeathMonkey on Friday April 03 2020, @04:27PM
Sold out by Trump and the Republicans, on the other hand....
The Politics Behind the Movement to Privatize the Weather [citizentruth.org]
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Saturday April 04 2020, @03:51AM
In Canada there's the Environment Canada weather service run by the government.