WeatherBug
Encyclopedia
WeatherBug is a brand owned by Earth Networks, Ask.com
and IAC/InterActiveCorp
based in Germantown, Maryland
, that provides live weather data and maintains continuously monitored weather station
s throughout the United States
, mainly located at public and private schools, educational institutions such as museum
s, partner television station
s and other various venues. In addition to its weather station network, the company operates a dense lightning sensor network that uses broadband technology to continuously track total lightning in hurricanes. In January 2011, Earth Networks announced it was starting a network for measuring greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.. 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. WeatherBug is also available for download for Windows Phone 7
via the Windows Phone Marketplace
, iPhone OS
via the App Store, Symbian
via the Ovi Store, BlackBerry
phones via BlackBerry App World
, and for Android phones via Android Market
. WeatherBug Direct is a line of free applications for mobile devices, including WeatherBug Direct for BlackBerry OS
and WeatherBug Direct for Windows Mobile
. The WeatherBug desktop application is considered to be malware by some security services
, now operates under the name Earth Networks. The company was founded by Bob Marshall, the current CEO, and other partners in 1993. It started in the education market by selling weather tracking stations to public and private schools, and then using the data they contributed for profit. Later, the company began partnering with TV stations, such that broadcasters could use WeatherBug's local data in their weather reports. In 2000, the WeatherBug desktop application was launched, and later, the website.
According to an article published in The Washington Post, the company also sells weather data from its stations around the world to local emergency crews, sports leagues, utilities, farmers and the National Weather Service.
, flagged WeatherBug as a spyware
program, but this classification was removed. The program is adware
, including both banner and pop-up ads, but may be upgraded for $19.95 to WeatherBug Plus, which does not include advertising. Early versions were difficult to uninstall and warned users not to remove WeatherBug since it could "save your life". For most PC users, the easiest way to remove WeatherBug was to format the hard drive and reinstall all programs and data. Several computer security services still classify WeatherBug as malware and firewalls to block and programs to remove are kept current and available. In 2005, the editor of PC Magazine wrote an article entitled "WeatherBug is Not Spyware" and referred to it as "a handy app." Legally this was correct. It was not Spyware, but rather a form of Malware that installed apps and reconfigured the user's machine without permission.
s in each station's designated market area. Some of the stations also include outdoor webcam
s which stream images of local weather conditions every few minutes. Most WeatherBug stations are located in schools in both metropolitan and rural areas. These are the stations that the WeatherBug application uses to display local data, though the software is also compatible with the standard ASOS observations provided by the roughly 1,000 airport stations across the United States. WeatherBug also operates a network of over 1,000 weather cams and over 600 lightning detection sensors as a part of its new WeatherBug Total Lighting Network.
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. This data, through the Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System, is used to initialize mesoscale forecast models such as the Weather Research and Forecasting model.
In 2007, the company announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). This public/private partnership with NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, enabled the company to continue integration of local weather data into NWS' existing data collection resources.
In early 2011, AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (formerly Automated Weather Source
) changed its name to Earth Networks, Inc.
This rebranding was coordinated with then-AWS Convergence Technologies' entry into the field of global greenhouse gas measuring and reporting. As one of its first acts as Earth Networks, Inc., the firm collaborated with Scripps Institution of Oceanography
to launch a high-density greenhouse gas network and to establish the Earth Networks Center for Climate Research at Scripps.
On January 26, 2011, Earth Networks announced the formalization of an agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Earth System Research Laboratory (NOAA-ESRL) to provide greenhouse gas (GHG) data from the Earth Networks Global Observation Network for use in research and applications to advance climate science.
On June 1, 2011 Earth Networks announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to configure and operate prototype greenhouse gas (GHG) observation networks for measuring carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere at local scales.
In August 2011, Earth Networks entered a partnership with ICOS, the Integrated Carbon Observation System in Europe to study greenhouses gases in Europe.
Ask.com
Ask is a Q&A focused search engine founded in 1996 by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen in Berkeley, California. The original software was implemented by Gary Chevsky from his own design. Warthen, Chevsky, Justin Grant, and others built the early AskJeeves.com website around that core engine...
and IAC/InterActiveCorp
IAC/InterActiveCorp
InterActiveCorp is an American internet company with over 50 brands across 40 countries headquartered in New York City...
based in Germantown, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, that provides live weather data and maintains continuously monitored weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
s throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, mainly located at public and private schools, educational institutions such as museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, partner television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s and other various venues. In addition to its weather station network, the company operates a dense lightning sensor network that uses broadband technology to continuously track total lightning in hurricanes. In January 2011, Earth Networks announced it was starting a network for measuring greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.. 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
AOL Instant Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger is an instant messaging and presence computer program which uses the proprietary OSCAR instant messaging protocol and the TOC protocol to allow registered users to communicate in real time. It was released by AOL in May 1997...
installation utility. WeatherBug is also available for download for Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...
via the Windows Phone Marketplace
Windows Phone Marketplace
Windows Phone Marketplace is a service by Microsoft for its Windows Phone 7 platform that allows users to browse and download applications that have been developed by third-parties...
, iPhone OS
IPhone OS
iOS is Apple's mobile operating system. Originally developed for the iPhone, it has since been extended to support other Apple, Inc. devices such as the iPod Touch, iPad, and Apple TV. Apple, Inc. does not license iOS for installation on third-party hardware...
via the App Store, Symbian
Symbian
Symbian is a mobile operating system and computing platform designed for smartphones and currently maintained by Accenture. The Symbian platform is the successor to Symbian OS and Nokia Series 60; unlike Symbian OS, which needed an additional user interface system, Symbian includes a user...
via the Ovi Store, BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
phones via BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World is an application distribution service and application by Research In Motion for a majority of BlackBerry devices. The service provides BlackBerry users with an environment to browse, download, and update third-party applications. The service went live on April 1, 2009...
, and for Android phones via Android Market
Android Market
Android Market is an online software store developed by Google for Android OS devices. Its gateway is an application program called "Market", preinstalled on most Android devices, allows users to browse and download mobile apps published by third-party developers...
. WeatherBug Direct is a line of free applications for mobile devices, including WeatherBug Direct for BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry OS is a proprietary mobile operating system, developed by Research In Motion for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices...
and WeatherBug Direct for Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
. The WeatherBug desktop application is considered to be malware by some security services
History
WeatherBug, originally Automated Weather SourceAutomated Weather Source
Automated Weather Source was a partnership and later a corporation founded in 1992 by James Michael “Mike” Bailey and Charles “Topper” Shutt of Montgomery County, Maryland, whose purpose was to create a network of weather stations located at public schools and recreational facilities throughout...
, now operates under the name Earth Networks. The company was founded by Bob Marshall, the current CEO, and other partners in 1993. It started in the education market by selling weather tracking stations to public and private schools, and then using the data they contributed for profit. Later, the company began partnering with TV stations, such that broadcasters could use WeatherBug's local data in their weather reports. In 2000, the WeatherBug desktop application was launched, and later, the website.
According to an article published in The Washington Post, the company also sells weather data from its stations around the world to local emergency crews, sports leagues, utilities, farmers and the National Weather Service.
Early Spyware concerns
In 2005, Microsoft AntiSpyware, now known as Windows DefenderWindows Defender
Windows Defender, formerly known as Microsoft AntiSpyware, is a software product from Microsoft to prevent, remove, and quarantine spyware in Microsoft Windows...
, flagged WeatherBug as a spyware
Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that can be installed on computers, and which collects small pieces of information about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user's...
program, but this classification was removed. The program is adware
Adware
Adware, or advertising-supported software, is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertisements to a computer. These advertisements can be in the form of a pop-up. They may also be in the user interface of the software or on a screen presented to the user during...
, including both banner and pop-up ads, but may be upgraded for $19.95 to WeatherBug Plus, which does not include advertising. Early versions were difficult to uninstall and warned users not to remove WeatherBug since it could "save your life". For most PC users, the easiest way to remove WeatherBug was to format the hard drive and reinstall all programs and data. Several computer security services still classify WeatherBug as malware and firewalls to block and programs to remove are kept current and available. In 2005, the editor of PC Magazine wrote an article entitled "WeatherBug is Not Spyware" and referred to it as "a handy app." Legally this was correct. It was not Spyware, but rather a form of Malware that installed apps and reconfigured the user's machine without permission.
International Version
At present, the desktop application of WeatherBug is designated for U.S. ZIP codes only. For details regarding international locations, users can visit WeatherBug's website. International users can also receive RSS global weather feeds via email or through their RSS reader.Partnerships
WeatherBug operates a network of (at last count) 8,530 weather stations, as well as the 1,470 Urbanet stations, thus making WeatherBug the single-largest weather network in the country. WeatherBug contracts with television stations in most markets to maintain the weather stations, which the television channels will in turn use for forecasting; as a result, most of the WeatherBug stations are clustered in mesonetMesonet
In meteorology, a mesonet is a network of automated weather stations designed to observe mesoscale meteorological phenomena. Dry lines, squall lines, and sea breezes are examples of phenomena that can be observed by mesonets...
s in each station's designated market area. Some of the stations also include outdoor webcam
Webcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
s which stream images of local weather conditions every few minutes. Most WeatherBug stations are located in schools in both metropolitan and rural areas. These are the stations that the WeatherBug application uses to display local data, though the software is also compatible with the standard ASOS observations provided by the roughly 1,000 airport stations across the United States. WeatherBug also operates a network of over 1,000 weather cams and over 600 lightning detection sensors as a part of its new WeatherBug Total Lighting Network.
In 2004, AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc., the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
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. This data, through the Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System, is used to initialize mesoscale forecast models such as the Weather Research and Forecasting model.
In 2007, the company announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). This public/private partnership with NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, enabled the company to continue integration of local weather data into NWS' existing data collection resources.
In early 2011, AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (formerly Automated Weather Source
Automated Weather Source
Automated Weather Source was a partnership and later a corporation founded in 1992 by James Michael “Mike” Bailey and Charles “Topper” Shutt of Montgomery County, Maryland, whose purpose was to create a network of weather stations located at public schools and recreational facilities throughout...
) changed its name to Earth Networks, Inc.
This rebranding was coordinated with then-AWS Convergence Technologies' entry into the field of global greenhouse gas measuring and reporting. As one of its first acts as Earth Networks, Inc., the firm collaborated with Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world...
to launch a high-density greenhouse gas network and to establish the Earth Networks Center for Climate Research at Scripps.
On January 26, 2011, Earth Networks announced the formalization of an agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Earth System Research Laboratory (NOAA-ESRL) to provide greenhouse gas (GHG) data from the Earth Networks Global Observation Network for use in research and applications to advance climate science.
On June 1, 2011 Earth Networks announced a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to configure and operate prototype greenhouse gas (GHG) observation networks for measuring carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere at local scales.
In August 2011, Earth Networks entered a partnership with ICOS, the Integrated Carbon Observation System in Europe to study greenhouses gases in Europe.