Latest news with #AppleWeather
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Cuts at NOAA lead to new weather balloon technology at NOAA
A Silicon Valley weather startup will soon begin replacing National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather balloons with AI-powered alternatives, a cost-cutting measure brought on by severe budget cuts carried out by the Trump administration. WindBorne, founded in 2019 by a team of Stanford graduates, can provide valuable weather balloon data for a fraction of the cost by keeping the balloons in the sky for weeks using a combination of off-the-shelf computer parts and novel software. Traditional weather balloons operated by NOAA are only used for a single day before they pop and return to Earth. The move comes after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency pushed for a roughly 25% reduction in the agency's budget, forcing staff cuts and a shutdown of programs. The agency is the primary source of weather forecasting for everything from emergency services to the Apple Weather app. Weather balloons play a crucial role in forecasting, collecting data for prediction models that can't be gathered from the ground or space. Since March, NOAA has been slashing the number of daily weather balloon flights that go up daily from multiple locations, leading to reductions in forecasting capabilities. WindBorne, which says it operates the largest fleet of deployed weather balloons in the world, was already providing data to NOAA. But John Dean, co-founder and CEO of WindBorne, told Semafor the agency had been hesitant under previous administration to expand its partnership, despite the possibility of cutting costs. WindBorne's balloons have a higher initial cost than NOAA's, but because they stay up in the air much longer, they can gather data at a lower overall cost. The balloons are equipped with satellite connectivity. Tiny motors control the contents of a small bag of sand used for ballast on the balloon. Once up in the air, the balloon can release sand to control its elevation and enter different wind currents. Artificial intelligence figures out how to use elevation to steer over specific locations where data is needed. The result is an AI-powered weather prediction model that is currently among the best in the world. The company plans to ultimately have 10,000 balloons in the air at any given time, allowing it to cover the entire planet. Currently, the data gathered by its 50 to 60 balloons in the air is bought by traders sweeping up data that might affect the prices of energy and other commodities. In this case, Musk's DOGE may be delivering on its stated promise, as the budget cuts at NOAA may end up improving the agency's ability to predict the weather. Dean told me that NOAA went from a hands-off approach to the private sector under the Biden administration to one that is eager for partnerships. While he called some of the DOGE cuts 'reckless,' he said the end result in this case may actually be a positive. 'It's created chaos that, long term, will probably get us more data,' he said. In everything from the military to NOAA, the government's contracting with the private sector is broken, captive to the small set of contractors who have turned winning and keeping government contracts into its own sector of the economy. The WindBorne deal puts NOAA into more direct contact with Silicon Valley's innovative startups. The media, meanwhile, has found immediate harm done by some of Trump's dramatic cuts, particularly cuts to aid programs unpopular with the MAGA base. But we should keep an eye out for places where Musk's thesis — that things can be done far better and more cheaply with technology — is justified. Experts told PBS News that the NOAA cuts could be disastrous for public safety: One area where NOAA has aggressively cut is climate research, a move that seems to have been driven by politics more than government efficiency, Bloomberg reports.
Chicago Tribune
24-04-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
It's ok, Chicago, your air was actually fine on Wednesday
Readings from several popular weather apps had people across Chicago spending much of Wednesday wondering whether their air was safe to breathe — until the dangerously unhealthy levels were revealed to be a glitch. Early in the morning, Google's air quality map showed that Chicago had the worst air in the country. Apple's weather app, too, showed that the Air Quality Index had climbed into the 400s, a reading so hazardous that people are encouraged to stay indoors. (The Air Quality Index, which ranges from 0 to 500, is a measure of the density of five pollutants in the air: ground-level ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.) To put that in perspective, that's as high as the levels reached in 2023 when smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed much of the East Coast and turned the sky in New York City orange. At those levels, people are advised to stay indoors, and Madeline Blair, 24, did just that. She checked her Apple weather app when she woke up and, seeing unhealthy air quality levels, skipped her morning walk. Blair instead headed down into her basement to retrieve her air filter. 'I live on the northwest side, and my area on the map was dark purple on the Apple radar, so I'm like, No thanks, I'm just staying inside,' Blair said. (That color would indicate the air quality is at hazardous levels.) Savannah Bhojwani, 26, who lives in Old Town, was also alarmed by the air quality readings. She saw them in the 200s at 10 a.m. on her Apple Weather app before watching them climb into the 400s later on. She said she had thought the readings might be inaccurate, but cloudy, gray weather in the morning made it difficult to tell whether the air was polluted. She closed her windows and texted screen shots of the dangerous air quality readings to her friends. One blamed a garage fire, and another thought there might be a gas leak. Nothing pointed to the type of air quality levels that were being reported, and they couldn't find any information on the local news or from public health officials. Similar conversations unfolded across social media, where people spent much of the day speculating about potential causes. An explosion in Indiana, as one person on Reddit suggested? Really — really — bad pollen? The readings arrived just as the American Lung Association issued its annual State of the Air report, which suggests that even days with good air quality in Chicago may be hard on the lungs. It ranked the Chicago area 15th worst in the nation for ozone pollution, with Los Angeles at No. 1. Not everyone was reporting the dangerous air quality levels, though. The Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow is a go-to source for air quality data and uses high-quality sensors that are closely monitored. On Wednesday, it showed good air quality in Chicago. PurpleAir is also widely popular. Its sensors are less precise — but there are many more of them. Its map often shows air quality levels that are poorer than those on AirNow, but on Wednesday it, too, mostly reported good levels. The Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed that the air quality index in Chicago was at safe levels Wednesday, though it declined to speculate on what might have caused the glitch in some apps. A spokesperson said that when the air quality in the city reaches unhealthy levels, the city works to assist residents and particularly vulnerable populations. Both Apple and Google use the same source for their data: BreezoMeter, a startup acquired by Google in 2022. The company says it uses many of the same sensors as AirNow and PurpleAir but also incorporates additional data sources in determining the Air Quality Index. Late Wednesday, Abigail Jaffe, a spokesperson for Google, said the mistakenly high readings were the fault of 'a third-party monitoring station inaccurately reporting high measurements.' By around 5 p.m. local time, both Google's and Apple's maps finally showed good air quality in Chicago. Until then, with the Apple weather app was still showing unhealthy air but the sun finally coming out, Bhojwani decided it had all been a fluke. She has previously lived in Los Angeles — where, she said, she learned a dusty color around the sun was an indication that the air was polluted. She didn't see that in Chicago. 'This is clearly inaccurate, I thought,' she said. Blair came to the same conclusion. 'Now it's beautiful outside — I'm about to go get coffee with a friend before going to a poetry reading,' she said just before 4 p.m. local time. 'So I guess you could say I'm resuming normal activities.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Hindustan Times
24-04-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Chicago: Popular weather apps spark panic by reporting dangerously hazardous AQI. Here's what really happened
Various popular weather apps across Chicago sparked panic among residents by showing that the air was unsafe to breathe early Wednesday morning, April 23. Google's air quality map showed that Chicago had the worst air in the country. According to Apple's weather app, too, the Air Quality Index had climbed into the 400s. The reading was so hazardous that people felt the need to stay indoors. All of this happened only for it to later be revealed that the reading was actually a glitch. Madeline Blair, 24, woke up to find her Apple weather app showing such unhealthy air quality levels, and decided to skip her morning walk. Instead, she went down into her basement to retrieve her air filter. 'I live on the northwest side, and my area on the map was dark purple on the Apple radar, so I'm like, No thanks, I'm just staying inside,' Blair said, according to The New York Times. Shocked at the air quality readings, Savannah Bhojwani, 26, who lives in Old Town, went on to text screenshots of the readings to her friends. She saw the readings in the 200s at 10 am on her Apple Weather app, and eventually watched them rise into the 400s. She initially thought the readings may be wrong, but cloudy, gray weather made it difficult for her to be certain. When she texted the screenshots to her friends, one of them said it may be a garage fire, while another suspected a gas leak. However, none of them could find any information on the local news or from public health officials. On social media, netizens engaged in similar conversations. Many began speculating potential causes of the hazardous air quality. The reading came shortly after the American Lung Association issued its annual State of the Air report, ranking the Chicago area 15th worst in the nation for ozone pollution. Los Angeles was at the No. 1 spot. However, not everyone reported the dangerous air quality levels Wednesday. The Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow, as well as PurpleAir, both popular sources for such information, showed good air quality in Chicago. The Chicago Department of Public Health later confirmed that the air quality index in Chicago was actually at safe levels. However, it did not speculate on what may have caused the glitch. Apple and Google use the same source for their data – BreezoMeter. The company, acquired by Google in 2022, says it uses the same sensors that AirNow and PurpleAir use. However, it also does incorporate additional data sources in determining the Air Quality Index. When the sun had come out but the Apple weather app still showed unhealthy air, Bhojwani decided it must be a glitch. 'This is clearly inaccurate, I thought,' she said. Blair, too, thought the same. Now it's beautiful outside — I'm about to go get coffee with a friend before going to a poetry reading,' she said just before 4 pm local time. 'So I guess you could say I'm resuming normal activities.' Abigail Jaffe, a spokeswoman for Google, said late Wednesday that the mistakenly high readings were the fault of 'a third-party monitoring station inaccurately reporting high measurements.' Both Google and Apple's maps finally showed good air quality in Chicago by 5 pm.
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
It's OK, Chicago, Your Air Was Actually Fine on Wednesday
Readings from several popular weather apps had people across Chicago spending much of Wednesday wondering whether their air was safe to breathe — until the dangerously unhealthy levels were revealed to be a glitch. Early in the morning, Google's air quality map showed that Chicago had the worst air in the country. Apple's weather app, too, showed that the Air Quality Index had climbed into the 400s, a reading so hazardous that people are encouraged to stay indoors. (The Air Quality Index, which ranges from 0 to 500, is a measure of the density of five pollutants in the air: ground-level ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.) To put that in perspective, that's as high as the levels reached in 2023 when smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed much of the East Coast and turned the sky in New York City orange. At those levels, people are advised to stay indoors, and Madeline Blair, 24, did just that. She checked her Apple weather app when she woke up and, seeing unhealthy air quality levels, skipped her morning walk. Ms. Blair instead headed down into her basement to retrieve her air filter. 'I live on the northwest side, and my area on the map was dark purple on the Apple radar, so I'm like, No thanks, I'm just staying inside,' Ms. Blair said. (That color would indicate the air quality is at hazardous levels.) Savannah Bhojwani, 26, who lives in Old Town, was also alarmed by the air quality readings. She saw them in the 200s at 10 a.m. on her Apple Weather app before watching them climb into the 400s later on. She said she had thought the readings might be inaccurate, but cloudy, gray weather in the morning made it difficult to tell whether the air was polluted. She closed her windows and texted screen shots of the dangerous air quality readings to her friends. One blamed a garage fire, and another thought there might be a gas leak. Nothing pointed to the type of air quality levels that were being reported, and they couldn't find any information on the local news or from public health officials. Similar conversations unfolded across social media, where people spent much of the day speculating about potential causes. An explosion in Indiana, as one person on Reddit suggested? Really — really — bad pollen? The readings arrived just as the American Lung Association issued its annual State of the Air report, which suggests that even days with good air quality in Chicago may be hard on the lungs. It ranked the Chicago area 15th worst in the nation for ozone pollution, with Los Angeles at No. 1. Not everyone was reporting the dangerous air quality levels, though. The Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow is a go-to source for air quality data and uses high-quality sensors that are closely monitored. On Wednesday, it showed good air quality in Chicago. PurpleAir is also widely popular. Its sensors are less precise — but there are many more of them. Its map often shows air quality levels that are poorer than those on AirNow, but on Wednesday it, too, mostly reported good levels. The Chicago Department of Public Health confirmed that the air quality index in Chicago was at safe levels Wednesday, though it declined to speculate on what might have caused the glitch in some apps. A spokesperson said that when the air quality in the city reaches unhealthy levels, the city works to assist residents and particularly vulnerable populations. Both Apple and Google use the same source for their data: BreezoMeter, a startup acquired by Google in 2022. The company says it uses many of the same sensors as AirNow and PurpleAir but also incorporates additional data sources in determining the Air Quality Index. Late Wednesday, Abigail Jaffe, a spokeswoman for Google, said the mistakenly high readings were the fault of 'a third-party monitoring station inaccurately reporting high measurements.' By around 5 p.m. local time, both Google's and Apple's maps finally showed good air quality in Chicago. Until then, with the Apple weather app was still showing unhealthy air but the sun finally coming out, Ms. Bhojwani decided it had all been a fluke. She has previously lived in Los Angeles — where, she said, she learned a dusty color around the sun was an indication that the air was polluted. She didn't see that in Chicago. 'This is clearly inaccurate, I thought,' she said. Ms. Blair came to the same conclusion. 'Now it's beautiful outside — I'm about to go get coffee with a friend before going to a poetry reading,' she said just before 4 p.m. local time. 'So I guess you could say I'm resuming normal activities.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
What is Apple Invites and how to use it
Apple on Tuesday announced Apple Invites, a new mobile app designed to let iPhone users create and share customized event invitations, RSVP to events, and collaborate on shared albums and playlists. The app, which is free to download from the Apple App Store, is available to all users, though only those with an iCloud+ subscription can create and send invitations. Subscription plans start at 99 cents per month. Non-subscribers can receive invitations and RSVP but cannot create their own. Users can personalize invites with photos from their library, select from a gallery of event-themed backgrounds, or use AI-generated images through Apple's Image Playground. The app also connects with Apple Maps and Apple Weather, allowing guests to check an event's location and forecast details. Beyond event planning, Apple Invites enables hosts and guests to contribute to a Shared Album, where attendees can upload photos and videos from the event, and to a shared Apple Music playlist for collaborative soundtracks. Once an invite is created, the host can send it to both Apple and non-Apple users, making the app accessible beyond the iOS ecosystem. The service is also available online at This article originally appeared on Apple Invites: How to use it, what it costs and more info
