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WeatherBug
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>Originally owned by Automated Weather Source, the WeatherBug brand was founded by Bob Marshall and other partners in 1993. It started in the education market by selling weather tracking stations and educational software to public and private schools and then used the data from the stations on their website. Later, the company began partnering with TV stations so that broadcasters could use WeatherBug's local data and camera shots in their weather reports. </p><p>In 2000, the WeatherBug desktop application and website were launched. Later, the company launched WeatherBug and WeatherBug Elite as smartphone apps for <a href="/facts/IOS/mK5cggH5">iOS</a> and <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a>, which won an APPY app design award in 2013.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> The company also sells a lightning tracking safety system that is used by schools and parks in <a href="/facts/South_Florida/9buquI9F">southern Florida</a> and elsewhere.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p><p>The company used lightning detection sensors throughout <a href="/facts/Guinea/MaBu4ysQ">Guinea</a> in Africa to track storms as they develop and has more than 50 lightning detection sensors in <a href="/facts/Brazil/QHkG46GL">Brazil</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> Earth Networks received The Award for Outstanding Services to Meteorology by a Corporation in 2014 from the American Meteorological Society for "developing innovative lightning detection data products that improve severe-storm monitoring and warnings."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p><p>WeatherBug announced in 2004 it had been certified to display the TRUSTe privacy seal on its website.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> In 2005, <a href="/facts/Windows_Defender/H5zh4c55">Microsoft AntiSpyware</a> flagged the application as a low-risk spyware threat.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> According to the company, the desktop application is not spyware because it is incapable of tracking users' overall Web use or deciphering anything on their hard drive.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>In early 2011, AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (formerly Automated Weather Source) changed its name to Earth Networks, Inc. </p><p>In April 2013, WeatherBug was the second most popular weather information service on the Internet, behind only <a href="/facts/The_Weather_Channel/UDMp7ptY">The Weather Channel</a>'s Web site, and ahead of the sites run by <a href="/facts/Weather_Underground_(weather_service)/lWkyCgYm">Weather Underground</a> and <a href="/facts/AccuWeather/7VdQvMhD">AccuWeather</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p>In November 2016, it was announced that xAd acquired WeatherBug from Earth Networks.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>In June 2017, xAd rebranded as GroundTruth to reflect a change in company focus from advertising to media and data services. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="mobile-application">Mobile application</h2> <p>The company developed <i><a href="/facts/WeatherBug_(application)/3LpUIIVh">WeatherBug</a></i>, a <a href="/facts/Mobile_application/r7vp6meo">mobile application</a> of their service for Android, iOS and Windows Phone platforms.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> Spark is a component of the WeatherBug app that reports where the nearest lightning strike is to the user based on data from the Total Lightning Network (run by WeatherBug's former owner, Earth Networks) and your phone's GPS location.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p><p>WeatherBug is a mobile application created by WeatherBug for <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a> and <a href="/facts/IOS/mK5cggH5">iOS</a> platforms.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> An <a href="/facts/IPhone/h5WeKRl9">iPhone</a> version was available in October 2007,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> and the Android version was released in November 2008 and 2009.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>Weather portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/AccuWeather/7VdQvMhD">AccuWeather</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/MyRadar/LXRTojLF">MyRadar</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Appy Awards". mediapost.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015. <a href="http://www.mediapost.com/appyawards/winners/?event=2013" target="_blank">http://www.mediapost.com/appyawards/winners/?event=2013</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Dodging lightning". floridaweekly.com=14 March 2015. 7 September 2022. <a href="http://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/news/2013-07-17/Top_News/Dodging_lightning.html" target="_blank">http://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/news/2013-07-17/Top_News/Dodging_lightning.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Lightning Detection Network Tested-outfor Storm Tracking". Scientific American. Retrieved 8 January 2014. <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lightning-detection-network-tested-out-for-storm-tracking" target="_blank">http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lightning-detection-network-tested-out-for-storm-tracking</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"American Meteorological Society - Awards". Retrieved 10 June 2014. <a href="http://www2.ametsoc.org/awards/search_results.cfm" target="_blank">http://www2.ametsoc.org/awards/search_results.cfm</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"WeatherBug Certified Under TRUSTe Privacy Seal Program". PR Newswire. <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/weatherbugr-certified-under-truste-privacy-seal-program-74895977.html" target="_blank">http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/weatherbugr-certified-under-truste-privacy-seal-program-74895977.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"WeatherBug Miffed at Microsofts Spyware Classification". eweek.com. 7 January 2005. Retrieved 14 March 2015. <a href="http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/WeatherBug-Miffed-at-Microsofts-Spyware-Classification/" target="_blank">http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/WeatherBug-Miffed-at-Microsofts-Spyware-Classification/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"USA weather and forecast information on WeatherBug.com". weatherbug.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150126000455/http://weather.weatherbug.com/it-information.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20150126000455/http://weather.weatherbug.com/it-information.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Staci D. Kramer (2012-07-02). "Weather Channel buys Weather Underground; brand stays". paidcontent.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 14 March 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140327173711/http://paidcontent.org/2012/07/02/weather-channel-buys-weather-underground-brand-stays/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20140327173711/http://paidcontent.org/2012/07/02/weather-channel-buys-weather-underground-brand-stays/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"xAd Raises $42.5M Series E, Acquires WeatherBug; Accelerates Location Technology to Predict Where Consumers Will Go Next - xAd Website". xAd Website. 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2017-02-17. <a href="http://www.xad.com/press-releases/xad-raises-42-5m-series-e-acquires-weatherbug-accelerates-location-technology-to-predict-where-consumers-will-go-next/" target="_blank">http://www.xad.com/press-releases/xad-raises-42-5m-series-e-acquires-weatherbug-accelerates-location-technology-to-predict-where-consumers-will-go-next/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"xAd Unveils Major Rebranding Effort as GroundTruth to Expand Beyond Media - Business Wire". 2017-06-15. <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170615005550/en/xAd-Unveils-Major-Rebranding-Effort-as-GroundTruth-to-Expand-Beyond-Media" target="_blank">https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170615005550/en/xAd-Unveils-Major-Rebranding-Effort-as-GroundTruth-to-Expand-Beyond-Media</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Moren, Dan (July 17, 2008). "Review: WeatherBug for iPhone". Macworld. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013. <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/1134540/weatherbug_iphone.html" target="_blank">http://www.macworld.com/article/1134540/weatherbug_iphone.html</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"WeatherBug". Android Magazine UK (20). Imagine Publishing: 10. <a href="/wiki/Imagine_Publishing" target="_blank">/wiki/Imagine_Publishing</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"New App Tells You When Lightning Is Nearby". LiveScience.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015. <a href="http://www.livescience.com/29253-lightning-strike-app.html" target="_blank">http://www.livescience.com/29253-lightning-strike-app.html</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Moren, Dan (July 17, 2008). "Review: WeatherBug for iPhone". Macworld. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013. <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/1134540/weatherbug_iphone.html" target="_blank">http://www.macworld.com/article/1134540/weatherbug_iphone.html</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"WeatherBug". Android Magazine UK (20). Imagine Publishing: 10. <a href="/wiki/Imagine_Publishing" target="_blank">/wiki/Imagine_Publishing</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Dolcourt, Jessica (Oct 23, 2007). "WeatherBug now forecasting on iPhone". CNET. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved Jan 15, 2013. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130815054306/http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-9803069-51.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20130815054306/http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-9803069-51.html</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>"WeatherBug". Android Magazine UK (20). Imagine Publishing: 10. <a href="/wiki/Imagine_Publishing" target="_blank">/wiki/Imagine_Publishing</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>