Updating The Weather Map
from the joining-this-millennium dept
Don't think the quality of computer graphics technology just matters to the video game industry. The folks providing weather maps are watching the technology as well. In fact, over at the BBC, they're updating their 6 year-old weather map technology with much more modern computer graphics technology, that they say matches the latest 3D graphics found in high level video games. Either way, it clearly beats the ancient magnet based system some people may remember. Still, at some point, you have to wonder how much marginal benefit there is from more realistic looking rain on the TV weather map.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Ah, this is a good step!
Hmmm, get the data updated frequent enough and you could have a 3D model of a storm plowing through your area. Won't happen anytime soon, but it'd be kinda cool.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Just look out the window!!
You want a real-time 3D view of a storm going through your area? LOOK OUT THE WINDOW!!
Now if you want to see a model of a storm that is a week away, that would be cool.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Waste of money
Rather than waste so much money on all sorts of gee-gaws gadgets for showing the weather which already happened (i.e., the 12 hour loops) and predicting 'micro climate temperatures around the city' or showing wind patterns, it would be a heck of a lot more useful to Americans for the weathermen to start putting Imperial and METRIC values for the high and low temperatures.
It would benefit the great number of immigrants who've moved here from metric-based countries, and it would benefit the metric-ignorant Americans.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Just look out the window!!
Please. By the time you look out the window, that tornado could be right on your doorstep. Weather forecasting isn't just about whether or not it will rain today. It's also about warning people when something truly threatening is approaching.
The death toll from the 1900 Storm in Galveston, Texas was more than 6,000. Only 25 people died as a result of Hurricane Charley a couple of weeks ago. See the difference? Advances in this technology benefit everyone.
And no, I'm not a weatherman. I just recognize a good value when I see it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Just look out the window!!
It's a waste of money to keep making the face prettier, while still only showing the weather that has already happened. Local weather is a dog and pony show, but at least it could be an educational dog and pony show.
[ link to this | view in thread ]