The Advanced Weather Companion is a newly available GNOME Shell extension for weather tracking that has been drawing attention in the tech community. Designed to show temperature and current conditions directly in the top bar, it serves as a more streamlined alternative to existing weather add-ons.
The extension stands out in its approach; instead of opening a large block of data or redirecting to a separate application, clicking on it brings up a series of sub-menus. Users can select between options such as ‘current conditions’, ‘hourly forecast’, or a ‘daily forecast’ for a week ahead. However, this design might initially feel cumbersome due to inconsistencies in detail presentation and icon usage across the different views.
Another notable quirk is its location detection feature. While it claims to auto-detect the user’s location, it fails to indicate which location it is using, leading to potential confusion regarding weather accuracy. Users do have the option to manually input a location, but reports suggest that this feature may not function correctly, sometimes not recognizing city names or coordinates as expected.
Exploring its GitHub page raises concerns too, as it lists features like multi-location support and visualizations that are not currently available. The troubleshooting advice suggests ensuring API keys are correctly entered, yet there appears to be no option for users to input such keys.
Despite these initial drawbacks, the Advanced Weather Companion offers promise as a weather tracking tool, particularly for those who have yet to find a satisfactory alternative in GNOME Shell extensions. Future updates could potentially enhance its capabilities and address existing issues.
For those interested in trying it out, you can find the extension on GNOME Extensions: Advanced Weather Companion.