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November 5, 2006
OS X Atmosphere Concept
Not too long ago, 25 designers were asked to submit their dream idea for a Mac only application. It could be anything as long as the idea was sound. The final designs would be voted on by the public and now we have a winner.
The winning entry comes from Cameron Westland and his dream app is called Atmosphere. But just what is Atmosphere?
It's a screensaver desktop app that updates your desktop with current weather data. Just by looking at your wallpaper, you'll be able to tell what it's like outside. The app also has a dock which gives you a 7-day forecast. It goes a step further and lets your view weather conditions in say - your destination if you're traveling. Just picture it, you wake up and turn on your laptop. You see it's a beautiful and sunny day in Los Angeles. You hop on a plane and your background changes to dynamically show time and weather conditions. When you reach Boston, even before you get off the plane, you know it's dark, muggy and even a little wet. How f*ckin cool is that?!?!
Although just a concept, I really hope Apple takes it serious and makes it into a application. There's plenty of time to get it in before Tiger's Leopard's release.
click on the images for a larger preview
Posted by tranism at 7:56 PM | Permalink
Comments
Thank you for this interesting article. I wrote about Atmosphere too:
Atmosphere at the In-Sect
I hope you don't mind. Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Zep Hopper at November 6, 2006 12:29 AM
I think you mean "There's plenty of time to get it in before Leopard's release" ... Tiger has been out for 18 months.
However, Leopard is due out within the next few months so by this stage it is almost feature complete – it's a little naive to think that a brand new random application can easily be squeezed in at this late stage.
But anyway ...
Apple has no say in whether or not this application will make it.
It is being developed into a real application by the team put together at MyDreamApp (that was the point of the competition) and is entirely independent of Apple.
I hope you have your tongue in your cheek when you write:
"Just by looking at your wallpaper, you'll be able to tell what it's like outside"
How about looking out the window ... or even going for a walk.
Posted by: Michael Long at November 6, 2006 1:54 AM
"How about looking out the window ... or even going for a walk."
Gee, how about asking someone what time it is instead of looking at a clock? Or how about reading the newspaper instead of watching the 10 o'clock news?
Point is there are multiple ways to get things done. If he/she wants to look at a screen to get some simple info, so be it. Some people get a kick out of technology and some people rather do it the old fashioned way. Have a sense of humor and don't be such a cynic.
Posted by: Douglas at November 6, 2006 2:25 AM
I'm sorry that my final comment seemed cynical to you. I was just playing on the whole stereotype of the computer nerd who lives their life online and forgets what the real world is like.
Something I am occasionally accused of.
I didn't mean to cause offence.
Posted by: Michael Long at November 6, 2006 3:16 AM
Hello Michael!
Don't get discouraged! Your article is fine, a little sarcasm must be allowed! If Atmosphere works the way it should I will switch it to Svedish weather to persuade my wife and kids to travel there in our summer holidays. They will see that the weather in Sveden is not worse than weather is here in Bavaria!
(This is what I hope it will prove!)
Posted by: Zep Hopper at November 6, 2006 2:32 PM