Facebook Messenger is getting a new weather bot from The Weather Channel, powered by IBM Watson. It provides daily forecasts, 5-day outlook, and an extended forecast information.
The Weather company announced in a press release that their new weather bot would be able to "learn a user's preference to deliver weather-related content specific to their individual interests." The bot can make recommendations, predictions and have a conversation to provide a more personalized experience.
The new bot, which is available in 39 languages, also features customizable notifications, severe weather alert (available to U.S., Canada, and Western Europe) and breaking weather news. According to Alexa Page rankings, Weather.com is one of the most popular websites in the U.S.
The new weather bot is a must try to be updated on the weather forecasts in your area. Aside from the weather bot, here are five other useful and must-try Facebook Messenger bots:
1. HealthTap - HealthTap is a company that started in 2010 to make healthcare more accessible with their mobile app. Now they have ventured into Facebook Messenger with the HealthTap chat bot, where users ask questions and to bot provides you with several answers. If a user is not satisfied with the answer, they can opt to have their question sent to a doctor and get a response in 24 to 48 hours.
2. Hello, Jarvis - It is a personal assistant. It can set up reminders for you, and you will receive these notifications via Facebook Messenger.
3. Spring - It is a personalized shopper assistant bot, where it helps users when they shop for items. It first asks a question as to the kind of fashion apparel is looking for, then it asks for the user's price range. Then it provides several suggested items based on the price range the user stated. Users are directed to the Spring's website to complete the purchase once they have made their choice.
4. 1-800-FLOWERS - It's a chat bot that allows users to order flowers. What makes it good is the simplicity and ease the chat bot provides the user when they want to order flowers. The bot is also good at analyzing addresses correctly.
5. Wall Street Journal - This is a bot for those actively watching the stock market. It provides not only the latest breaking news but also the most recent stock charts and market data. The bot also allows users to follow stories or companies and will provide notifications, once there is an update.
