WeatherBug

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WeatherBug

Screenshot of WeatherBug version 6.05
Developed by	AWS Convergence Technologies
Latest release	6.07 / 2006-08-01
OS	Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
Website	http://weather.weatherbug.com/

WeatherBug is a computer program from AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. that displays live weather data. The program is available for download from WeatherBug's website, websites of the approximately 85 TV partners, and was formerly distributed through the AOL Instant Messenger installation utility.

1 WeatherBug Network
2 Spyware concerns
3 Homeland Security cooperation
4 External links
5 Notes

[edit] WeatherBug Network

The WeatherBug Network is a series of mesonets totaling approximately 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations, located in regions across the United States. WeatherBug’s Tracking Stations generate live neighborhood level reports and capture a live view of changes in the weather as they occur.

The company partners with approximately 85 TV stations across the country, which collect data from the WeatherBug stations and present it within their forecasts in a multitude of ways. WeatherBug is compatible with both its own network of 8000 stations and the roughly 1000 National Weather Service stations.

In 2006, Weatherbug added live forecasts with former television weathercaster Rachel Peterson.

[edit] Spyware concerns

In 2005, Microsoft AntiSpyware, now known as Windows Defender, flagged WeatherBug as a spyware program, but this classification was removed.^[1] The program is adware, because it downloads and displays advertising which cannot be turned off without paying a fee to upgrade to the professional version, WeatherBug Plus, for $19.95 a year. Note the commonly accepted definition of adware (see adware) is different than the one adopted by the AWS corporation.

[edit] Homeland Security cooperation

In 2004, AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc., the National Weather Service and the Department of Homeland Security entered into a public-private agreement so that the WeatherBug stations could be used by Homeland Security to assess weather conditions in the event of a disaster. The agreement was renewed and expanded in January 2007 to allow NWS (National Weather Service) and NOAA (National Oceanic Atmospheric Association) access to the WeatherBug data.