Unfortunately for meteorologists, their mistakes outweigh their successes. Even more unfortunate for them is a new weather app, Sunshine. Katerina Stroponiati, co-founder and CEO of Sunshine, agrees that most people do not trust typical weather reports. Even if the weather reports turn out to be accurate, they are not specific enough for the average person deciding whether or not they should bring their coat for a walk or their umbrella to work. Now comes Sunshine, free for iOS devices, the app that allows anyone to report the weather—anytime and anywhere.
The uniqueness of this handy app lies in its dependence on users for their around-the-clock reporting of the weather. Users give reports from specific locations and provide handy tips, such as whether to wear rain boots or sunglasses. These tips are called “Nowcasts,” and are the biggest part of the data collection within the app. The developers of Sunshine have taken an atypically social media approach to weather.
Within the app, users have the ability to upvote other users’ forecasts and weather updates. This results in users building a reputation for accurate reports, and causes their reports to have more weight. In order to consumerize this behavior, the app gamifies user behavior and creates a competitive environment. There are local leaderboards and milestones that users can use to determine who to follow for their local weather forecasts. There are also titles such as “Newbie” and “Student,” which indicates how often a person uses Sunshine.
Sunshine uses the user’s location to connect them to other users. Once Sunshine is opened, they can choose from six options that resemble quick weather reports, such as “partly cloudy” and “foggy.” Every time a user taps one of these options, three points are added to their account, which determines the user’s level.
Over time, Sunshine will become more accurate because the users and reports will grow in size, and its predictions will have more previous data to refer to. This app is revolutionary for everyone—not only for those who want a quick wardrobe tip, but also for those with weather allergies who want a heads-up on the local pollen count in a specific area.
Currently, Sunshine is available on iOS only. Stroponiati assures that Sunshine will always remain community focused and well maintained.
Sunshine is very easy to use and extremely handy for everyone, particularly commuters. Commuters can see what other users that took the same path to work or school have to say about that particular path in terms of weather, and even updates on roadwork or delays. Unfortunately for those that want extended forecasts, this may not be the app for you. The app excels at being a day-by-day weather forecaster rather than a week-by-week one.
The app is appealing in every sense. Sunshine brings to the table something that typical weather services such as weather.com cannot bring: the experiences of actual people, which it displays for all who are interested to see the instant a user experiences the weather, if they should post it of course. Sunshine takes away the guessing part of getting ready every morning, which is really appealing to me as I enjoy being absolutely prepared for the elements when going to class. Overall, Sunshine shows a lot of potential in being a mainstream application that cannot be substituted by any basic weather forecaster. I am eager to see what it becomes in the near future.
