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Idea #23438: Automatically set weather applet location

Written by ahayzen the 24 Jan 10 at 16:57. Related project: Live CD installer. Status: New
Rationale
Most people don't realise that there is even a weather applet built into the clock. But if this worked out you location automatically and showed the little preview of the current weather and temperature all on its own. This would then impress the user, also it is a useful applet.
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-101
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Solution #1: Use time zone location
Written by ahayzen the 24 Jan 10 at 16:57.
Use the time zone location given in the installation process to determine the weather location.
86
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Solution #2: Use IP address lookup
Written by tntricker the 24 Jan 10 at 18:11.
Have the option to use an IP lookup service to guess the current location. Then display that locations weather data on the widget. This would only be used if there was no location set.
356
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Solution #3: Precision Hierarchy
Written by Akerbos the 25 Jan 10 at 07:22.
1. User Setting
2. IP lookup
3. Time zone
55
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Solution #4: Integration also with Network Manager
Written by spocky the 1 Feb 10 at 14:39.
When using mobile 3g to connect to internet an assistant is supporting you once you entered your location - voila
another point to be handled centrally
41
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Solution #5: As #3, but automatic
Written by euxneks the 5 Feb 10 at 03:56.
As #3, but on IP change, try to determine if the user has changed locations and popup a dialog asking if they'd like to change their location to the one guessed. This would be useful for people who are moving, or traveling constantly.
51
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Solution #6: GPS Option
Written by maxolasersquad the 11 Feb 10 at 03:10.
If the user has a GPS chip in their computer, have a radio button to auto update the lat/long based on the gps coordinates.
17
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Solution #7: Use GeoClue
Written by _nob the 17 Feb 10 at 11:49.
Which is exactly for this reason already integrated into the Desktop. See also http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/17734/

2
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Solution #8: Weather bug style app..
Written by lowlux the 15 Apr 10 at 21:05.
what about a stand alone weather bug app? that intergrets with the weather icon and GeoClue plus everything talked about in the above or comments...

Propose your solution

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Comments
ahayzen wrote on the 24 Jan 10 at 18:46
solution #2: I think would be a good fall back if there was no location set. Good thinking tntricker.

cheesehead (Brainstorm admin) wrote on the 25 Jan 10 at 04:32
Why just weather? Why not locale (paper size, currencies, time formats, etc.)? Language? Keyboard?

Darwin Survivor (Brainstorm moderator) wrote on the 25 Jan 10 at 07:11
#2 is a great idea, as long as you can still set it manually. I usually have at least 2 weather applets, one for home, one for school (I live a ways from my college) and another for any area I'm going to be camping in in the next week or so.

Akerbos wrote on the 25 Jan 10 at 07:24
Timezone will yield very bad results. Sweden, Germany and Italy have the same time zone but very different weather for most of the time. Even if you select your country's captial it is not good enough; in Germany, we have have quite a few "weather zones".

guigui14100 wrote on the 25 Jan 10 at 11:47
My IP is located near Lyon in France while I live near Caen so I think that IP isn't a solution


tntricker wrote on the 26 Jan 10 at 01:58
A Public IP address lookup is usually close enough for most people, however I know it's not perfect.

@guigui are you sure your public IP doesn't show up as being near paris or la havre? Just because your ISP's building is located on the other side of France doesn't mean it will still report there. My central ISP is 300KM from me and I still get pinpointed to my town.

try http://whatismyipaddress.com

also there are some stats posted for IP lookups
The country accuracy is estimated at about 99%. For IP addresses in the United States, it is 90% accurate on the state level, and 81% accurate within a 25 mile radius. Our world-wide users indicate 60% accurate within 25 miles.

ssam wrote on the 26 Jan 10 at 11:00
"they know where i am!"
some people would find it freaky

tntricker wrote on the 26 Jan 10 at 18:15
"some people would find it freaky"

True, some users might even throw up privacy flags if they didn't know how it worked.

Akerbos wrote on the 26 Jan 10 at 22:52
Heck, they get my town exactly o.o

ct2193 wrote on the 8 Feb 10 at 17:31
I would take an approach similar to Mac OS X network locations and combine that with the #3 Hierarchy concept under step 1 (User Settings). For people who travel between common places (college students who live on campus, but visit home, etc.) Create "locations" as an additional hierarchy option.

Edman274 wrote on the 9 Feb 10 at 02:48
No.
Ubuntu shouldn't use any personally identifiable information to get the weather without user consent. If you'll all remember, when participating in the package popularity contest, you have to explicitly opt-in. Making it so that people opt-in so that the IP can be used to set weather is pointless, because they could just as easily set the location themselves.

lowlux wrote on the 15 Apr 10 at 21:03
Has anyone looked to creating a wheater bug type app?


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