Who Needs a Weatherman? People-Powered Meteorology App Hits iPhone


The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Weddar

Quick Pitch: Weddar is a people-powered weather service.

Genius Idea: Defining the weather by how it feels.

Weather conditions are most often defined in terms of temperature, humidity and wind factor. New iPhone application Weddar [iTunes link] challenges this notion with a system that gives users the ability to submit reports based on how the weather feels.

We wanted a very simplistic approach for all people, explains co-creator Ricardo Fonseca, so that they could express their feelings about how they feel the weather.

Simplistic it is. Weddar presents the user with nine different weather report selections that take the form of color-coded clouds think Perfect, Hot, Good or Hell and four optional modifiers so users can specify whether its cloudy, rainy, windy or snowy.

Reports are added to the map according to the users location, and then visible to other app users in the map view. Thats pretty much all there is to it, though users can also request weather reports by pressing on a place on the map for a second. That action will produce a white cloud on the map and will signal other users to add their reports.

Weddars greatest quality is that its hyper-local. Because weather reports are tied to a users location, they reflect the current feel of an exact locale and offer users more data as fuzzy as it may be on the areas conditions. This means that Weddar can account for microclimates far better than the local TV weatherman.

Of course, that depends on whether anyone is actually using Weddar. The application, released Monday, is seeing some traction, according to Fonseca. He wont share specific numbers, but he does say that users in 63 different countries have submitted weather reports via Weddar. The app has reached the number two position on the Free Apps chart in Portugal, where Weddar parent-company 96HP is based.

The startup wont be putting any weathermen (or weathergirls) out of business anytime soon. Sometimes we need a real temperature reading and a bit more to g! o on tha n, say, Fresh. But the apps crowdsourced and mobile nature could give it an edge if the idea takes off with enough iPhone users.

Weddar is currently self-funded. The startup plans to introduce new features such as photo uploads in the months ahead.

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

Microsoft BizSpark

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

More About: bizspark, iphone app, spark-of-genius, startup, Weather, weather service, weddar

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