Items tagged with emergency
Getting in contact with emergency services can be a matter of life and death, which is why it is incredibly easy for citizens to get in contact with dispatchers. Most countries provide a three-digit number that can be quickly dialed, with most everyone recognizing “911” for emergency services in the United States. However, a newly uncovered Apple patent would make it even easier to get in contact with first responders. The patent, which was granted to Apple on Tuesday, describes a method by which Touch ID can be used to trigger a call to 911. The feature could be activated by a pattern of taps on the Touch ID button or even by the amount of force that you exert. This so-called “panic command”...
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Following the bombing that occurred in New York's Chelsea district a couple of weeks ago, local law enforcement did something unprecedented: it sent out an alert message to everyone on local mobile networks. For a few million people, this was a capability that they didn't know was even possible. In the message seen below, law enforcement encouraged those in the area to keep an eye out for the alleged (and since charged) bomber. It's hard to argue against a feature like this. It has some real usefulness, and while this particular message wasn't what necessarily helped police nail down the bomber, there's little doubt that these messages could in fact help in such situations. Emergency alert in...
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Researchers from the Negev Cyber-Security Research Center at Ben-Gurion University recently released a terrifying piece of news. It explains that if a malicious entity decided to craft malware that infected only a few thousand mobile phones, it would be possible to cripple an entire 911 system. That means legitimate calls couldn't make it through, and staffers manning the lines would be inundated with fake calls. The research published last week reveals that in most states, if as few as 6,000 mobile phones were infected with malware that serves no other purpose but to ring 911 repeatedly, it could cripple the entire operation in that state. If the number of infected phones jumps...
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Apple's Siri has long been fodder for tales of the miscommunications variety, most of them laced with humor of one ilk or another. The latest reported Siri easter egg, though, fails to bring the funny, and instead results in an immediate and very serious call to the cops. Recent posts on Facebook, Twitter, and in other social media hubs have suggested that iPhone users looking for a spark of entertainment should ask Siri about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Instead of hilarity and smiles all around, however (as if someone could find any kind of glee in the subject, anyway), those opting to engage Siri in such a request are finding themselves quickly connected to 911 emergency services. So a gag...
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A new mobile app from AT&T is aimed at helping city governments and their citizens keep in touch. Governments can use the app to keep people informed about community events and road hazards, while citizens can use it to find parks and contact government departments. Perhaps one of the best things about the new Community Central app is that it lets you use your smartphone to upload a picture of that axle-wrecking pothole so the city can see just how big that sucker is. The app is also designed to provide real-time info about public transportation systems so you can catch a bus or avoid delays. The app’s data crunching is done in the cloud via AT&T’s Mobility Solutions service....
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FEMA and the National Weather Service are looking out for you. How so? They're joining up to launch the Wireless Emergency Alert System, which is described as a free SMS system that will text users connected to cell towers in areas that are being nailed with storms or other disasters. The idea here is to broadcast them to all devices within range. It's engineered to cover around 97% of the nation, but it's just now being rolled out across operators. Both Sprint and Verizon (the two largest CDMA carriers in the States) are both primed and ready, but there's no word yet on some of the smaller, regional carriers nor AT&T / T-Mobile USA. It's worth noting that not all phones will work; those...
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By early next year, the nation will have a new way to call for help--via text message. Verizon Wireless announced that it’s working on a service to provide SMS-to-911 capabilities, which it says will be operational in early 2013. Simply put, the emergency service will allow anyone to send an SMS message to a 911 call center, also known as a public-service answering point (PSAP) via Verizon’s existing CDMA network. This week, the company announced that it has selected a vendor partner in the endeavor: Annapolis, Maryland-based TeleCommunication Systems Inc. The FCC and other federal and state agencies are on board the project, as well. "TeleCommunication Systems has worked closely...
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If there was a city in the US that you would look to as front-runner in pioneering new emergency alert, warning and information systems, most likely one of the first to come to mind would be the great Big Apple. New York's rebuiling process since the 911 attacks is taking shape in a number of forms but perhaps none more so than the extent of preventative measures the city's local government is taking to keep its citizens safe and hold firm to their mantra of "never again and never forget". In addition, getting the word out quickly, in the event of an emergency, is obviously a critical component of protecting people from any threat of the natural kind or otherwise. ...
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Ever wonder what would happen if you texted some incomprehensible message to "911?" If you're a resident of Black Hawk Co. in Iowa, you'll probably get some attention--pronto! This week, an emergency call center in the basement of the county jail in Waterloo, Iowa became the first call center in the United States to accept and welcome emergency text messages sent to "911."Not shockingly, call centers nationwide are now looking into what it'll take to follow suit, and it honestly, it's about time. Texting has become a mainstream form of communication these days, and thus, it makes sense that 911 centers would have the capability to receive emergency messages sent in via SMS. Indeed, we can absolutely...
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Engineers from Apple have applied for a patent on an "emergency" mode for cell phones that would squeeze every last drop of energy out of the batteries.The phone would recognize emergency calls when the user dialed an emergency number, such as 911 in the United States. But a number also could be stored as an "emergency number" on the phone (a spouse, child, parent, for example) or the user could manually put the phone in emergency mode.The process would do a variety of things. First off, it would disable "non-essential hardware components" and applications on the phone, reduce power to the screen (i.e., it would get darker) and potentially reduce the phone's processor speed. It also would make...
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With camera phones, text messaging, and e-mail now ubiquitous, it was only a matter of time before antiquated emergency systems were upgraded to take advantage of these technologies. Making good on a promise made during a State of the City address, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has just announced that NYC's emergency and customer service hotlines are now able to accept photos and videos."I built a business on the idea that we could improve companies' performance by delivering better information instantaneously, and I've tried to bring that same philosophy to government," said Mayor Bloomberg. "By upgrading 911 and 311 to accept photos and video, we are bringing government accountability...
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It's always great when we can catch up with China, isn't it? After all, China used SMS alerts to warn citizens over Typhoon Kaemi in 2006.The plan stems from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires upgrades to the emergency alert system. The act requires the Federal Communications Commission to develop ways to alert the public about emergencies.“The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cellphones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families prior to, and during, disasters and...
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Thankfully the collaboration between Ford Motor Company and Microsoft is only for the entertainment system- "Initially to be made available in twelve 2008 models across the Ford family and across the entire 2009 lineup from FoMoCo, the service will be a fully-integrated, flash memory-based system that enables drivers to call hands-free and to control a range of digital audio via voice commands and buttons mounted on the steering wheel. The system is based on an a Microsoft Auto operating system comprising an ARM 11 processor, 64MB of DRAM and 256MB of flash memory. Microsoft tells us that its software will be updatable, probably via the USB port." It does appear to have some really hot features...
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Everybody has a cell phone. And since everybody has a cell phone, people will drive right past you on a lonely road when your car has broken down, and figure you're just waiting for a lift. And they won't know that your cell phone battery is dead and you have no way to charge it. It's a long walk to the nearest payphone these days. Why make that journey carrying a dead cellphone and a pocket full of quarters when you could just keep a mobcharger in your glove compartment? Mobcharger is an emergency mobile phone battery designed to provide instant power to a depleted phone battery. Just plug it into your mobile, then continue talking, texting, taking photos and playing games. Mobcharger...
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Adrian's Rojak Pot is known for their guides on everything from BIOS Tweaking to Voltage Mods. This weekend they've added to their list with the "Emergency Spyware Guide", which covers how to properly identify and remove the most annoying of programs. "Is your PC behaving strangely? Popping up banners all the time? Getting redirected to unknown websites? It's very likely your PC has been hit by spyware! But fret not. We have just the guide for you! Join TEB as he shows you how to get rid of spyware and stay clean!"...
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