Acme Weather

Availability & Launch Scope

• Multiple commenters note the app is US/Canada‑only despite marketing screenshots showing Europe, causing confusion and frustration.
• EU users in particular criticize the common pattern of US‑only launches and say they wouldn’t ship an app that ignores most of the world.
• Others defend a staged rollout as normal for an early product and expect global expansion later; some point out it’s iOS‑only for now as well.

Subscriptions, Pricing, and App Economics

• Many express “subscription fatigue,” saying weather is “good enough” via free system apps or ad‑supported services, so $25/year feels excessive.
• Defenders argue ongoing data, infra, and maintenance costs make one‑time payments unsustainable; stock apps are cross‑subsidized by OS vendors.
• There’s disagreement over how high the real ongoing costs are: some think it’s mostly cheap API access plus light infra; others describe substantial costs if you process raw radar/model data yourself.

Is Another Weather App Valuable?

• Skeptics see weather apps as simple frontends to public APIs solving a largely solved problem, calling marketed features “solutions to nonexistent problems.”
• Others argue weather apps are very much not “solved”: current apps often misreport even current conditions, and there’s “billions in untapped opportunity” in better short‑term forecasting and communication.
• Some note serious stakes: better alerts and short‑term forecasts can help protect life and property in severe weather, though others see this rhetoric as startup overreach.

Data, Models, and Technical Depth

• Comments discuss modern AI‑based weather models from big tech and agencies, ensemble models, and limits of predictability.
• Several emphasize the long‑standing sophistication of public meteorological infrastructure and skepticism of “from scratch” private efforts; private players typically layer on niche value.
• A side debate covers using smartphone barometer data: some think phones’ indoor use makes them useless; others cite research showing they can be quality‑controlled and assimilated to improve short‑term forecasts.

Privacy and Permissions

• Some are uncomfortable granting constant location and notification permissions to a proprietary app and prefer FOSS alternatives, even if less polished.
• There’s concern about any user data collection; others argue there are legitimate uses (e.g., sensor data) but insist it should be opt‑in and locally processed where possible.

Regional Apps and Alternatives

• EU users highlight excellent national services (e.g., MeteoSwiss, DWD, Norwegian apps) often funded by taxes and offering APIs and rich features.
• Many alternatives are suggested (Windy, Yr, BreezyWeather, Zoom Earth, etc.), often with strong local accuracy and better pricing.

Dark Sky Legacy, Trust, and Talent

• A sizeable group is excited specifically because this team previously built Dark Sky; they praise its interface and accuracy and are willing to pay if this feels similar.
• Others feel burned by Dark Sky’s sale and shutdown, vowing not to pay again only to see a repeat acquisition.
• Some frame this as another example of acquired talent leaving Apple quickly; others respond that leaving with “FU money” is rational.

Desired Features and Use Cases

• People ask for: history data (for planning walks, “almanac”‑like views), snow/rain accumulation, “feels like” throughout the forecast, offline support, family sharing, widgets, web access, and API access instead of an app.
• Several note hyper‑local needs (mountain weather, muddy trails, flood risk) and wish for better modeling of uncertainty, “feels like” (including heat stress metrics), and rare events.