Early Earthquake Warning System In iOS 5

That won't work by Anonymous Coward · 2011-08-22 00:06 · Score: 1, Funny

http://xkcd.com/723/

Re:That won't work by That+Guy+From+Mrktng · 2011-08-22 12:37 · Score: 1

A typical Windows user don't even know that they can try to fix shit themselves
A Microsoft evangelist wouldn't acknowledge that Windows needs extra help.
Everybody that uses Windows and could not care less about labels just download sysinternals and it's done with it.

Obligatory XKCD by itsdapead · 2011-08-22 00:07 · Score: 4, Insightful

I can't wait to see the reviews!

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In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.

Re:Obligatory XKCD by Blackeagle_Falcon · 2011-08-22 01:03 · Score: 2, Informative

You forgot the other obligatory XKCD reference for this topic.
Re:Obligatory XKCD by gullevek · 2011-08-22 16:04 · Score: 1

There wont be any reviews. This is a push service from the japanese government. Japanese phones have this system since a view years and if there is a major quake then an alert will be sent to your phone.
After the 3/11 quake (which was not alerted in Tokyo as the epi center was up in the north) the ringing sound was constant thing at the office.

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"Freiheit ist immer auch die Freiheit des Andersdenkenden" - Rosa Luxemburg, 1871 - 1919
Re:Obligatory XKCD by kmoser · 2011-08-22 17:25 · Score: 1

The phones need a nuclear plant meltdown alert warning system.

vibration alert? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-08-22 00:09 · Score: 1

The alert causes the phone to vibrate?

Re:vibration alert? by JustOK · 2011-08-22 00:19 · Score: 1

no, to stay still whilst all around it things are moving.

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rewriting history since 2109
Re:vibration alert? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-08-22 00:50 · Score: 1

... and then you'll be a Man, my son.
(with apologies to R. Kipling)
Re:vibration alert? by Gilmoure · 2011-08-22 03:52 · Score: 1

*golf clap*

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I drank what? -- Socrates

Apple cocksucking by bjourne · 2011-08-22 00:10 · Score: 2, Insightful

It is also believed that most phones sold in Japan have some way to warn the user of Earthquakes.

Great, so now when the stupid iphone gets the same feature other phones have had for years it is somehow news?

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Football Odds

Re:Apple cocksucking by drinkypoo · 2011-08-22 00:15 · Score: 1

Everyone remembers Chrysler as the first manufacturer with standard electronic ignition even though Fiat actually did it first. Why? Because it was fucking Fiat.

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"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:Apple cocksucking by Lennie · 2011-08-22 00:15 · Score: 1

I think if people only see news about iPhone first-smartphone-with-app-x then that is a probably not good, this news might help to balance that view a little.

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New things are always on the horizon
Re:Apple cocksucking by Sockatume · 2011-08-22 00:23 · Score: 2

Because people love copying other people's stories but can't be bothered to read them first, that's why. The originator of the story was quite clear that this was correcting a conspicuous omission rather than adding a novel function.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Re:Apple cocksucking by dzfoo · 2011-08-22 00:27 · Score: 1

Who was fucking Fiat, Chrysler? I thought nobody liked the French. Or are they Italians? Cool then.
-dZ.

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Carol vs. Ghost
...Can you save Christmas?
Re:Apple cocksucking by scorp1us · 2011-08-22 00:30 · Score: 1

From what I know, they just used a regular SMS alert. What this probably means is it bypassed the SMS, and uses the apple push notifications API.

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Re:Apple cocksucking by vlm · 2011-08-22 00:41 · Score: 1

It is also believed that most phones sold in Japan have some way to warn the user of Earthquakes.
Great, so now when the stupid iphone gets the same feature other phones have had for years it is somehow news?
The news is, the business model is to roll out AFTER the once in a lifetime disaster. I predict California residents will have to wait until a couple months after their "earthquake of the century" to get their warning system.
In a way it makes sense, if you deploy an earthquake sensor network right before the earthquake of the century, you'll only get a couple years use out of it before its destroyed in the earthquake. But if you wait, and deploy after the quake of the century, then you'll get something like a centuries use out of the monitoring system before its destroyed again. Kind of like buying car insurance after the crash, or health insurance after you're dead, sorta.

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"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Re:Apple cocksucking by Anonymous Coward · 2011-08-22 00:47 · Score: 1, Insightful

Yes, because Apple marketing are that fucking good.
From the iPhones that have survived falling from skydivers, to the guy who supposedly got a free iPad from Apple saying "Apple said yes" because he had to return it with the reason "Wife said no", all of these sorts of stories are orchestrated attempts to ensure Apple is consistently in the news.
This is why many people sincerely believe Apple has like 90% of the smartphone market, when in reality they only have about 15% - 20%. This is why we have "Well Apple just works" memes when iTunes is the worst PoS method of getting content on your phone going, and when the store leaves a lot to be desired on the iPad. This is why people harp on about Android fragmentation when it's the iPad that has a whole bunch of apps that only take up a quarter of the screen but give you some button to double size the app to manually fix that, horrendously pixelating it like a throwback to the early 90s computing.
Apple marketing are fucking genius, like the Church of Scientology, despite the blatant and obvious bollocks that emanates from them, they're still capable of roping thousands of supporters in, praying on weak minds with psychological trickery.
Re:Apple cocksucking by UnknowingFool · 2011-08-22 01:08 · Score: 1

Well the post informed that it may be part of iOS 5 and that most phones in Japan have this feature. Two things I didn't know so its news to me. Is it earth-shattering? No.

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Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Re:Apple cocksucking by drinkypoo · 2011-08-22 01:29 · Score: 1

Also, your "everyone"... Actually you just mean you, right? And perhaps a few of your peers that you vaguely talked about cars with, 10 years ago. ^^
I studied Automotive Electronics in preparation for the ASE exam which I never took, at Yuba College in Marysville, CA, under Mike Morse. I got an A.

Don't worry. That's normal. But don't call it "everyone", unless you're talking to yourself again, OK? ;)
You're only supposed to wink when you say something clever. When you say something fucking stupid, you're supposed to shut up.
Please log in so I can foe you and not see your ignorant nonsense.
P.S. Chrysler used to be known worldwide as a leader in automotive technology. Obviously, those days are long gone.

--
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:Apple cocksucking by Sockatume · 2011-08-22 01:46 · Score: 1

I'm not sure that this feature is even in the release notes of the beta, much less marketing.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Re:Apple cocksucking by S.O.B. · 2011-08-22 02:00 · Score: 1

I remember when Fiat meant Fix It Again Tony.

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Some of what I say is fact, some is conjecture, the rest I'm just blowing out my ass...you guess.
Re:Apple cocksucking by Kyusaku+Natsume · 2011-08-22 02:05 · Score: 1

The system already works in iPhones since it goes as a network SMS IIRC, but the change here I think is that it will override the silence setting that most people here in Japan will be using because the polite thing to do on board of public transportation is to put your cellphone in silent mode and turn it off when you are near the reserved seats for elderly, pregnant women and handicapped. The end result is that most people have their phones in silent mode most of the time.
Now, what I would love the networks to do is to send the damn alarm even for foreign issued phones even without a roaming plan zince it is a emergency service. My wife's iPhone received expensive useless SMS from our original operator but it don't receive calls for lack of roaming an it did't receive any warning in the two quakes that we have felt in our two weeks stay in Tokyo.

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Mexico: 100% conservative's America now!
Re:Apple cocksucking by Kyusaku+Natsume · 2011-08-22 02:12 · Score: 1

You're only supposed to wink when you say something clever. When you say something fucking stupid, you're supposed to shut up.
Very clever I would say, thanks for my new mail sig.

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Mexico: 100% conservative's America now!
Re:Apple cocksucking by Pikoro · 2011-08-22 02:46 · Score: 1

Is it earth-shattering? No.
I see what you did there...

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"Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"
Re:Apple cocksucking by bennomatic · 2011-08-22 03:17 · Score: 1

I know, right? I mean, if the primary audience of /. readers were residents of coastal Japan who were considering iPhone purchases but who wouldn't switch until this feature was available, this would be HUGE. But while it's a cool feature, its appeal is to a fairly limited demographic, and since it's not a major new innovation, it's really just a bullet point in a sales sheet as far as mobile phones in Japan go.

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The CB App. What's your 20?
Re:Apple cocksucking by UnknowingFool · 2011-08-22 06:46 · Score: 1

Try the veal, I'll be here all week.

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Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Re:Apple cocksucking by catmistake · 2011-08-22 08:31 · Score: 1

This is why many people sincerely believe Apple has like 90% of the smartphone market, when in reality they only have about 15% - 20%.
Weird... I could swear when Jobs first announced Apple would release the iPhone, he said they were only interested in capturing 1% of the market. What the Hell went wrong?

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The Admin and the Engineer
Re:Apple cocksucking by That+Guy+From+Mrktng · 2011-08-22 12:43 · Score: 1

yay! USA vs Europe car industries bitchfight it's on!
Meanwhile Asian car industry laughs all the way to the bank. Gotta love when you forget to cocktease and focus on doing your shit right.
Re:Apple cocksucking by gmhowell · 2011-08-22 14:33 · Score: 1

I remember when Fiat meant Fix It Again Tony.
Ahh, Saturday. I remember that time well.

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Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon

Feature of OS? Or just another app? by sunderland56 · 2011-08-22 00:16 · Score: 1

How is this a 'feature of the OS', and not just another bundled app?

Apple seems to call it an app if you install it after the OS, from their store; but call it a feature of the OS if it is installed at the same time. Huh?

Re:Feature of OS? Or just another app? by Sockatume · 2011-08-22 00:22 · Score: 4, Informative

They're providing support for an SMS emergency alert standard that all 3G phones in Japan are expected to have. It's built into the OS at a low level. It's not a user-facing app.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Re:Feature of OS? Or just another app? by dzfoo · 2011-08-22 00:34 · Score: 2

Notice that at no time is Apple calling it anything. In fact, Apple hasn't announced the feature at all, whether app or bundle.
-dZ.

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Carol vs. Ghost
...Can you save Christmas?
Re:Feature of OS? Or just another app? by hcs_$reboot · 2011-08-22 04:55 · Score: 1

There is already an app called yurekuru (shaking ahead).
The app utilizes the push feature in order to trigger alerts on iPhones (subscribing to the service).
Japan territory is covered with sensors that transmit the quakes information quickly to organizations (like Japan weather) and other companies who send, in turn, the alerts to iPhones and other mobile devices (there are also public and automatic announcements in the streets in Tokyo - improved since March 11).
Since the quake waves are much slower than the signal sent by the sensors, the farther the earthquake the more time you have to find a shelter.

But after March 11, the app got a tremendous success in Japan, and it seems it impacted the push service (or the company that deals with sensors signals), and alerts took more and more time to arrive... being almost useless now.

I hope the new low level iOS5 implementation will behave better.

For the record, that service was already available since a few years ago on phones like DoCoMo (iPhone is SoftBank). I was in Tokyo on March 11 with people who subscribe to that service on a DoCoMo phone: no alert was triggered.
(Maybe because the earthquake was far from Tokyo, and the software that evaluates the potential risk for the capital based on the distance+magnitude simply failed to make the right estimation).

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Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
Re:Feature of OS? Or just another app? by That+Guy+From+Mrktng · 2011-08-22 12:54 · Score: 1

yes, wake me up when some phone gets a P-Wave sensor.
Could a P-Wave sensor in a phone be actually useful since it's not attached to any structure?
Well see it soon, after Apple launches iOS 6 with the innovative iPee-Wave sensor and It's standalone adapter to bolt your phone to the wall in pentabular fashion, now theres no excuses to hold it wrong!
Re:Feature of OS? Or just another app? by AmiMoJo · 2011-08-22 23:49 · Score: 1

I have been in several earthquakes over there, including the big one in March. Immediately after it happens, sometimes while it is happening, there is a warning on all TV and radio stations, and now on phones too. The thing is that Japan is largely earthquake proof - they have magnitude 5 quakes regularly, at least several times a year. Anything that isn't build properly won't last long, and the building regs are very strict and well enforced.
When the magnitude 9 quake hit everything shook and some stuff fell off shelves and walls, but it wasn't like you see in other countries that are not prepared. Buildings didn't collapse, ceiling tiles didn't fall... To be honest it wasn't very frightening, and I say that without wanting to sound macho. I have never felt in any imminent danger during an earthquake in Japan.
The real problem is tsunamis. Within 30 seconds of the quake they announce on TV and radio if there is going to be a tsunami and how big it will be. Often it is less than 50cm and you don't need to do anything. I am somewhat surprised that more people didn't evacuate the areas that were flooded, but apparently the message just didn't get out fast enough. Most shops and restaurants will have a TV or turn on the radio after a quake, and some places have a PA system too. I suppose in those more rural areas somehow people didn't find out, or didn't realise just how devastating it would be. That is the real tragedy, there was enough time for people to get away but they didn't.

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SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC

Next up by moonbender · 2011-08-22 00:21 · Score: 2

Next up: Geiger counter.

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Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.

Re:Next up by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2011-08-22 00:51 · Score: 2

Not that you'd want to be in a situation where this is relevant; but I'd be interested to see if, by shielding the processor and a small amount of RAM in an otherwise unshielded computer device, you could use software that runs within the shielded processor and RAM and monitors the unshielded system RAM for radiation-induced bit-flipping as a crude radiation sensor...

Substantially less sensitive and accurate than a real Geiger counter; but skipping the delicate-glass-tube-and-high-voltage-drive-circuit in a high density embedded device would be nice, and it'd be a cute stunt.
Re:Next up by mad+flyer · 2011-08-22 01:08 · Score: 1

Been there, already done that:
http://www.radiation-watch.org/p/blog-page.html
No need for wanktastic radiashiun induced memory errors or other bull...
Re:Next up by zuzuzzzip · 2011-08-22 02:10 · Score: 2

Justin Bieber proximity warning app
Re:Next up by ColdWetDog · 2011-08-22 02:32 · Score: 2

Right! Good for detection radiation in the range of "OMG, your hair is falling out! or "What's that shiny glow coming from?".
Just a little late for anything useful.
And thank you, no, I'm not interested in beta testing it.

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Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Re:Next up by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2011-08-22 02:36 · Score: 2

This is one piece of software where skipping the alpha and beta testing stages is totally reasonable: Neither would make it through the chip packages.

Bring on the gamma-testers!
Re:Next up by jandrese · 2011-08-22 03:42 · Score: 1

There's something fishy about that plugin, namely that it connects via a 3.5" DIN plug that is somehow on the bottom of that iPhone.

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I read the internet for the articles.
Re:Next up by Yamioni · 2011-08-22 04:25 · Score: 1

Most men have that built in already, we call it gaydar.

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Cool post bro, highfive \o

Re:In other countries: by Midnight+Thunder · 2011-08-22 00:25 · Score: 1

Then there is also the bonus Donald trump birth certificate alert. Then again if it was Fox News doing this it would be 'breaking news alert' every 5 minutes, followed by commercials.

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Jumpstart the tartan drive.

Why report this? by QuasiRob · 2011-08-22 00:27 · Score: 1

If most phones in Japan have this feature anyway, why is this news?

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If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?

Re:Why report this? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-08-22 00:31 · Score: 3, Insightful

Because it's Apple. They pay a massive amount to the "press" to release "articles" on Apple products. Factor in the huge zealotry of this cult, and you'll see why the media perception of Apple usage is over 99% of the population.
Re:Why report this? by Kyusaku+Natsume · 2011-08-22 02:19 · Score: 1

Because you can't ride a single train with at least 2 iPhone users in the same wagon here in Tokyo. For what I have seen it is by far the most popular cellphone here.

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Mexico: 100% conservative's America now!
Re:Why report this? by That+Guy+From+Mrktng · 2011-08-22 13:04 · Score: 1

Do you think that some Apple employee actually lost it's yet to be released iPhone 4G that magically ended in a gizmodo review? And all the subsequent drama related?
"Oh I Accidentally advertised your next product, oh noes Apple is MAD, oh yeah were cool now."
Really? Do not attribute to accident whats perfectly explainable from marketing.
http://gizmodo.com/5520164/this-is-apples-next-iphone

Do not read TFA by cowboy76Spain · 2011-08-22 00:30 · Score: 1

The summary has almost more info about the system than TFA. Do not waste your time reading it; do not feed click-whores. Even the time.com article linked in the TFA only talks about earthquake detection but nothing about this iOS feature.

Now up to the question: What is the issue with the OS? Does it detect vibrations characteristic of an earthquake or it is just an app that connects to a warning center? In the later issue this is as related to iOS as, say, Notepad is related to Vista.

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Why can't /. have a rich-text editor? Editing your own HTML is so XXth century.

Re:Do not read TFA by Sockatume · 2011-08-22 00:33 · Score: 1

Everything you need to know.. It's based on SMS-CB, and is essentially a high-priority all-points SMS broadcast.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Re:Do not read TFA by cowboy76Spain · 2011-08-22 00:39 · Score: 1

So basically it is an app that will come installed by default. Another "duh" news from the /. editors.

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Why can't /. have a rich-text editor? Editing your own HTML is so XXth century.
Re:Do not read TFA by Sockatume · 2011-08-22 00:44 · Score: 1

It's not even an app, it's a notification with a toggle switch in Settings.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Re:Do not read TFA by vlm · 2011-08-22 00:49 · Score: 1

Everything you need to know.. It's based on SMS-CB, and is essentially a high-priority all-points SMS broadcast.
You mean:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_Broadcast
I think I'll wait for the 2600 article explaining how to send my own SMS-CBs. That could be big fun, I look forward to it. I know from reading mass media that SAME broadcasts have been repeatedly hacked; I've read reports of flash freeze alerts in the summer in FL, coastal flood warnings being broadcast in Montana, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_Area_Message_Encoding

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"Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
Re:Do not read TFA by Relayman · 2011-08-22 04:10 · Score: 1

If you check, you will see that this is a blog post and that the blogger submitted it to /. to get page views. Did it work? You bet!

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If I used a sig over again, would anyone notice?

Re:These systems don't work by Sockatume · 2011-08-22 00:31 · Score: 2

You're forgetting tsunami. If you detect an offshore earthquake and immediately sound the alert, people have valuable minutes to take shelter.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?

Late to the game by Bushcat · 2011-08-22 00:32 · Score: 1

Japan-manufactured phones have had to support this feature since 2007. The way each carrier supports it differs slightly. Basically, Japan's EEW/EWS triggers a broadcast cell broadcast (SMS-CB) in the affected areas. Most European carriers also support the SMS-CB feature. Consumer-grade EEW is also broadcast over the air and internet: compatible radios and TVs will retune when the alert is received, and turn on if necessary. As far as I'm aware, somewhat oddly the internet service is not free. Similar warning systems are used to cut power to shinkansen, and to trigger equipment shutdowns in various industries such as semiconductor manufacturing. Apple's late to the game here, but on the other hand Softbank only got the Android app out a month or so ago (Apple's a Softbank exclusive).

Re:Late to the game by JanneM · 2011-08-22 01:56 · Score: 1

It's worth noting that there's been a free Android app for this on the -a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=jp.twiple.android.quake&feature=search_result">market (including Softbank phones I assume) for a good long while already.
It works quite nicely; I've gotten alerts for every small quake we've had since I installed it, before they happened. You get a graphical display with the epicenter and you can set your minimum strength, distance and shindo (surface effect) to filter out uninteresting warnings. It sits and waits for push notifications and alerts you immediately when it gets a quake that exceeds your filter settings.
You don't need any low-level OS support or anything in other words. Surely there must be a similar app for iOS already?

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Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.

Re:In other countries: by rossdee · 2011-08-22 00:35 · Score: 1

Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico: Hurricane alert
Iceland: Volcano alert
North Dakota: Flood alert
California: Wildfire alert

Inertial Sensors by devnullkac · 2011-08-22 00:39 · Score: 1

Would have been sweet if they'd been able to develop an algorithm to detect an impending earthquake from the slight vibrations in the iPhone itself. Then it could work no matter where you are. Oh well.

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What do you mean they cut the power? How can they cut the power, man? They're animals!

Re:Inertial Sensors by ColdWetDog · 2011-08-22 02:42 · Score: 1

Would have been sweet if they'd been able to develop an algorithm to detect an impending earthquake from the slight vibrations in the iPhone itself. Then it could work no matter where you are. Oh well.
Not so much for the iPhone, but for a MacBook, there is something fun. Amuse your friend(s), scare your coworkers! Look like you're doing real work!
Kinda a neat, pointless application.

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Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Re:Inertial Sensors by Ksevio · 2011-08-22 03:40 · Score: 1

The earthquake warning system works because it can warn people before it gets to the point that their phone can detect it. By the time the earthquake gets to that point, there wouldn't be enough time to evacuate the building or whatever people plan to do, not to mention people riding on trains of listening to music where there could be similar vibrations.

Re:In other countries: by delinear · 2011-08-22 00:42 · Score: 1

United Kingdom: Riot alert

Wouldn't work. The aftermath of our football matches would set off too many false positives.

Re:These systems don't work by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2011-08-22 00:47 · Score: 2

I saw a couple of these 'early warning' systems in action during the Christchurch earthquakes. At best the alert came a few seconds before the quake - hardly early enough to save lives.

Their value depends pretty sharply on where you are relative to the epicenter and what the threat is.

Unfortunately, geologists are Not Ready Yet on actual earthquake prediction(they are, to be fair, pretty good at determining that a given fault is starting to look real damn unhappy; but pinning an event within a decade or a century, or even a year is pretty good on a geologic scale, not so useful for humans. So, if you happen to be standing on top of, or very near, the epicenter, sucks to be you, I hope the local building codes are good; because building buildings that don't fall over, crush their occupants, and then catch fire is pretty much all we can do about that..

If, on the other hand, the epicenter is located some distance away, you get more time to take basic measures like moving to the least collapse-prone/most likely to form a survivable pocket areas of a building(or, in lightly settled districts, running outside).

And, of course, if the epicenter is deep underwater, hundreds of miles away, you'll have fairly decent time; but you'd better start moving uphill now...

Re:These systems don't work by bakarocket · 2011-08-22 00:48 · Score: 1

The benefit of the system depends on your distance from the epicentre. I routinely get earthquake warnings up to 15 seconds before the actual shaking starts.

Though I should note that I got no warning from the March 11th quake. My phone battery was dead.

So what does this do by DrXym · 2011-08-22 00:51 · Score: 1

... that can't be achieved by writing an app? In Android (for example) an app can listen to SMS messages and do anything it likes in response, e.g. set off an audible alarm. This app could even be baked into the phone, or available from marketplace or some official site. I assume iOS can do the same right?

Re:So what does this do by Sockatume · 2011-08-22 00:59 · Score: 1

Nothing. In fact there already is an iOS app that does this. However there's an expectation that this function be integrated into the handset, and I believe it's mandatory for domestic manufacturers to include it.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Re:So what does this do by DrXym · 2011-08-22 03:09 · Score: 1

Can't iOS apps read SMS messages then? I know several apps on Android which do it (with the owners consent). e.g. the Prey Project allows you to send an SMS to a stolen phone to activate tracking.

Re:Why not text? by AlecC · 2011-08-22 00:54 · Score: 1

It is a text, just a special text which sounds a special alarm rather than the usual text arrival alarm.

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Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.

Re:Why not text? by Spiflicator · 2011-08-22 01:03 · Score: 1

I'd guess such an emergency notification would have capability to unmute your phone, etc, and give generate a uniquely distinguishable alert.

Re:In other countries: by newcastlejon · 2011-08-22 01:17 · Score: 1

Don't forget Starbug: Swirly Thing Alert!
All hands on deck, etc etc.

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If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.

Re:These systems don't work by iamhassi · 2011-08-22 01:29 · Score: 1

A few seconds warning is better than no warning at all, and if this system saves just one life than it works.

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my karma will be here long after I'm gone

How come they did not have this before !? by demiurg · 2011-08-22 01:33 · Score: 1

This is truly an illustration of a recent joke where each new iPhone feature raises the same reaction - damn, they did not have it before !?

Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) has been available for years...

So what? by Snotman · 2011-08-22 02:05 · Score: 1

I am not sure how this is news. Sure, it is fascinating that Japan has a system to alert for earthquakes through phones. But according to the article, most phones in Japan have this feature. So, how is iOS being late to the game news? And the article is very GRAND about how iOS does this for the people of Japan. Bullshit. It does it because of the feature that is supported on iOS finally.

Big whoppee! IS slashdot being used as a marketing spam engine like bitcoin to get any news out on Apple? Gimme a break!

Re:So what? by ColdWetDog · 2011-08-22 02:53 · Score: 1

Big whoppee! IS slashdot being used as a marketing spam engine like bitcoin to get any news out on Apple? Gimme a break!
All right, you want that Slashdot start covering Michelle Bachman? Sarah Palin? Ponies?
We've already run through the 'beat up Google / Microsoft / RIM and bog help us, HP" this week. What else are we supposed to do here? Besides, tangled amongst the Apple hate and the weak jokes (and I might add, several run on sentences and NO 'IN SOVIET RUSSIA' jokes) is a description of a rather cool alert system and the social reasons why it's important.
Obviously, this is of only intellectual (and I use the term loosely) value. From what I gather, the importance of the system is it forces cell phones to make an audible / tactile alert in the event of an imminent quake. Apparently many Japanese leave their phones on 'silent' so as not to be obnoxious jerks in public. This system would be of limited utility in the US since everyone's cell phone is set to wail some god awful discordant noise at volume 11 at all times.

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Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!

I hope... by FranktehReaver · 2011-08-22 02:46 · Score: 1

I hope it just vibrates in the event of a earthquake...

Re:In other countries: by jones_supa · 2011-08-22 03:27 · Score: 1

Finland: Cell phone manufacturer going down alert

Re:These systems don't work by Agripa · 2011-08-22 04:08 · Score: 1

The geometry is significant. For an early warning, the sensor has to be closer to the epicenter than you are and you have to be located some distance from the epicenter. With the southern California network more than 10 years ago, warning times were more than 10 seconds and left plenty of time for me to take action. Of course latency on that system was on the order of milliseconds.

Re:In other countries: by Yamioni · 2011-08-22 04:10 · Score: 1

Slashdot: Interesting Article Post

Unfortunately it never got out of Beta because the testers couldn't tell if it was working... 'Is this thing on?'

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Cool post bro, highfive \o

Re:Why not text? by Yamioni · 2011-08-22 04:23 · Score: 1

I for one would love to have it say: "Get to the shelter! GO! GO NOW!"

Bonus points if it's actually Arnie saying (yelling?) it.

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Cool post bro, highfive \o

Re:In other countries: by ZombieBraintrust · 2011-08-22 04:28 · Score: 1

Regional Tornado alerts would be cool in the United States. An optional integration into the Emergency Alert System would be cool. Basicaly they would just port the sytem already in use on telivision to phones. Would need to be optional. Some people wouldn't want their phone tracking their location for a goverment service.

Also in Android by vboivie · 2011-08-22 05:23 · Score: 1

They are not the only one. ETWS (Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System) was added in Android in 2.3.5 (Gingerbread)

Re:These systems don't work by DinDaddy · 2011-08-22 06:19 · Score: 1

I saw them repeatedly in Tokyo in April with all the aftershocks going on. Most of them gave enough time to have gotten out of a bldg easily in enough time to be useful. Some were as much as a minute before the quake.

Re:In other countries: by dougisfunny · 2011-08-22 07:46 · Score: 1

You could work the other way. Rather than querying the EAS with a location, it could retrieve all the EAS data for the entire country and then alert on the phone only that which applies to the location the phone is in.

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This is not the funny you're looking for.

Early warning for Earthquakes by j.boulton · 2011-08-22 09:21 · Score: 1

http://www.roam3.com/ are developing a system to give early warning of earthquakes to USAR here in Christchurch.

Re:These systems don't work by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2011-08-22 09:34 · Score: 1

I'd imagine that the Japanese sensor system has to be pretty good. With their earthquake frequency, population density, and available resources, they'd be nuts to skimp on that.

Re:In other countries: by RoFLKOPTr · 2011-08-22 16:03 · Score: 1

California: Wildfire alert

California is perhaps (I say "perhaps" only because I don't feel like googling to make damn sure I'm completely correct) the most seismically-active region in the United States. I don't understand why Apple is limiting this warning system to only their Japanese users. Hell, Apple is IN California, they should be just as concerned as anybody else. It seems like California is getting closer and closer to being one of the only seismic hotspots that hasn't seen The Big One(TM) in the last couple decades.

Re:In other countries: by node+3 · 2011-08-22 19:21 · Score: 1

I don't understand why Apple is limiting this warning system to only their Japanese users.

They aren't. This system uses Japan's earthquake warning system. If California (for example) had an analogous system, Apple could use it.

Re:In other countries: by RoFLKOPTr · 2011-08-22 23:39 · Score: 1

If California (for example) had an analogous system, Apple could use it.

We do.

Slashdot Mirror

Early Earthquake Warning System In iOS 5

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