Browser To Facilitate Text Browsing In Emergencies

Rambo Tribble (1273454) writes "Programmers at Fast Company are developing the Cosmos browser to allow text browsing from Android phones when networks are buckling under the load of local disasters. A common phenomenon when disaster strikes is the overloading of cell and data networks by massively increased traffic. The Cosmos browser is intended to facilitate using SMS text messages, which often still get through in such circumstances. To quote one developer, "We want this to be a way for people to get information when they're in dire need of it." Sort of a Lynx comes to Android affair. The Smithsonian contemplates the possibilities, here."

Comments

What's old is new again

[damn_registrars]

We saw a project like this (at least) a couple years ago. Someone did something like this previously, when data plans were generally expensive but unlimited SMS was easily available.

They want to ensure the SMS network is overloaded?

[hawguy]

So in a disaster, when SMS i the only communication left, they want to encourage people to send even *more* SMS messages to ensure that SMS's fail too?

It's not likely to work very well, in the one disaster I was in where I could use SMS but nothing else (even my landline had no dialtone), SMS between customers of the same carrier worked well. SMS messages destined for other carriers took hours to arrive, sometimes longer, some didn't make it through at all. SMS's coming through an SMS to Email gateway stopped coming through at all, until after the disaster when they all came through at once.

Re:lynx!

[AC-x]

Why do you miss it? It's not gone anywhere -> sudo apt-get install lynx

Get a Radio

[jmanforever]

People are foolish to rely on a mobile phone for anything during a disaster or wide-area emergency.

If you want reliable information in those times, get a battery powered AM radio, and tune to your local station.

Forget about the FM music stations, they are all automated, and will just keep on playing "more music per hour than..." No one is there.

Your locally owned, small-market, analog AM station will have someone there giving you needed information.

Radios are still available starting at around $10. More expensive models also have the VHF NOAA weather band - a big plus, as in many states, the weather service radio stations are also authorized to provide emergency information, weather related or not.

WML/WAP?

[Richy_T]

Everything old is new again.

Maemo did it first again

[GameboyRMH]

I've had Lynx on my phone for a long time now...I would like a text-only browser that's more user-friendly (as in, more "normal") and maybe tries to make the layout match the rendered HTML more closely than Lynx though. For example Lynx shows a lot of menus as trees with different levels of indentation. There's no reason a pop-up menu system couldn't work in a CLI.

Re:lynx!

[i.r.id10t]

elinks can be compiled with graphics support, allowing you to browse with images in a console as well (need gpm too or a touch screen equivalent).

And doesn't Stallman claim to surf the web via some hackery involving wget and email?

http://article.gmane.org/gmane...

Re:They want to ensure the SMS network is overload

[sabri]

When disaster comes, what else is going to work anyway?

I have my handheld aviation radio. Tune in to 121.5 and someone is going to listen. I also have CB radio as a backup. Plus of course, said AM radio (but most people will have AM, even if they don't know it: just get into your car).