Students' app makes it into the Apple App Store charts

A weather app developed by computing students as their final year project is available to download for iPhones.

Bring Your Umbrella aims to stop you getting wet and was developed by students Chris Wood, Krishnee Manikum, Thomas Taylor, Charlie Panayiotou and Ishan Jand, who are either studying BSc Computing or BSc Business Information Technology.

The app lets you knows when it is due to rain at your current location or on a planned trip, so that you can grab an umbrella if needed. Its features include a 5-day weather forecast for your location, a friends list so you can add a friend and notify them when it is raining in their location, and a nearest shops page so you can buy an umbrella if you are caught short.

The application process to get the app accepted by Apple was rigorous; over 40% of applications to the Apple Store are rejected. Chris said 'I had to purchase the Apple Develop Program, which allowed us to submit the app to Apple with the images, description, build code and a few other items. I also had to create a website, so that customers can contact us if they have a problem and can view the privacy policy.’

Bring Your Umbrella made it into the top 30 of Apple's Top Weather App Chart in the UK, which Chris and the team are very proud of.

The app was developed as part of the students’ final year module ‘Group Project‘. Most undergraduate students in the School of Computing take this module, working in small groups, to specify, design, implement and demonstrate  a technical artefact. The project aims to demonstrate students’ ability to synthesise information, ideas and practices to provide a quality solution and evaluate it.