Aelios Weather app for iPad gets more features, retains beautiful look

I took a look at Aelios Weather last spring and loved the idea of a weather app that looked like a crafted physical object rather than a bunch of techno dials.

Aelios has just been updated, and it retains its unique look while adding some worthwhile features and some under the hood speed-ups. You now get a choice of weather info providers, including AccuWeather. Data sources can be switched with an onscreen swipe.

When the app opens, you're presented with an onscreen map and a large circular instrument that you drag over the map. A pointer will seek out nearby weather stations, and when activated you'll get an hourly forecast, a 7 day forecast and what's called a "next week" forecast. You also get sunrise and sunset times and an indication of the hours of daylight. By looking at the screen you'll get current and future cloud cover, temperature, and humidity. If you don't want to drag the cursor around, you can search for any city in the world. When you land on a location, you'll also get an altitude readout.

I'd like the ability to save a list of favorite locations, and the current weather conditions aren't as prominent as I'd like. Aelios is still the best looking weather app out there, and it always inspires interest and questions when it is running. The app sells for US$4.99. You can see an introductory video at the Aelios website, and I've placed some screenshots in the gallery below.