In its first major update since it began shipping early this year, the Pebble smartwatch is gaining a slew of new notifications today thanks to an updated SDK and integration with iOS 7. Now, any banner notifications you get on …
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We just saw Twitter broaden its use of push notifications for tweets it thinks you might find interesting, and the social network is now also expanding their use for a more serious matter. The company has just announced a new Twitter Alerts feature, which it says will deliver “accurate information from credible organizations” during an emergency or natural disaster. To ensure you don’t miss them, those alerts will be delivered via SMS in addition to a push notification on Android or iOS, and you won’t be getting notifications from just anyone who wants to send them. At launch, only a hundred odd NGOs and governmental agencies in the U.S., Japan and Korea are able to send the alerts, although Twitter says it will be expanding that to include organizations in other countries. You can sign up to receive the alerts by going to an organization’s Alerts setup page; just add “/alerts” at the end of its Twitter URL, or find it on Twitter’s list of participating organizations.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Source: Twitter
UK folks could soon be made aware of local emergencies via their mobile phone after the government announced plans to test its new alert system later this year. With support from O2, Vodafone and EE, around 50,000 residents across Yorkshire, Suffolk and Glasgow will be subjected to individual tests which will assess the Cabinet Office’s SMS and cell broadcast early warning systems and measure the public’s response. Currently, there’s no word on whether UK citizens will get to enjoy iOS support for emergency notifications, like their American and Japanese counterparts, but the Cabinet Office plans to publish its findings in early 2014 — that’s if the UK hasn’t already been enveloped by a massive fog cloud.
[Image credit: Sussertod, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless
When trouble looms, most people turn to the internet before anything else. As such, the search giant is ensuring that it’s offering public alerts to those in disaster-prone regions. Following a rollout in the US last year, Google is also adding disaster warnings to its local versions of Search, Maps and Now — using data from the Japan Meteorological Agency. At the same time, Google is teaming up with 14 Japanese prefectures and cities to make governmental data online during crises and that troubling period afterward.
Source: Google
Because batteries enjoy dying so much when we really need that last little bit of juice, low battery warnings really should be more animated than the plain “20% of battery remaining”. I don’t know how many times I’ve ignored that message. But if the alert made fun of me and said something like, “Oh I’ll just charge it tonight” You idiot, then my God I would listen to it so much more. More »
Since we last heard about Mosoro’s Lego-brick sized Bluetooth LE modules, they’ve changed their names, picked up another member and are now making their way to iOS app developers. The 3D-Motion’s got an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer, while the Enviro measures temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. New to the team is Proximity, useful for triggering location-based apps and tracking motion for creating alerts. All three rechargeable Bluetooth low energy sensors have “shake-to-wake” support, an RGB “glow-cap” for notifications and a humble programmable button. They are expected to hit retail in fall 2012, but “VIP” app developers can grab them now, as well as the SDK which simplifies iOS Bluetooth integration. Got the ideas and inclination to become one of Mosoro’s “rock star app-developer partners?” Then go sign up on the website and see if you make the VIP grade.
Continue reading Mosoro releases its Bluetooth LE sensors and SDK for VIP appcessory developers
Mosoro releases its Bluetooth LE sensors and SDK for VIP appcessory developers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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There’s plenty of sensor gear around for hobbyists to play with, but not so many polished products for the monitoring-obsessed. Cao Gadgets is attempting to fill that niche with its functionally named Wireless Sensor Tags — small devices which monitor movement and temperature, notifying you if anything’s amiss. A magnetometer registers movement by changes in its orientation, and can inform you of door openings or similar disturbances, while the temperature triggers are based on upper or lower thresholds. The $15 sensors (or $12 if you want three or more) have a battery life that should last several years depending on their setup, but there is one catch — you also need the Tag Manager hub ($50), which plugs into your router via Ethernet. It keeps in frequent contact with any subordinates in its 200-foot range, and if after several attempts it finds one MIA, a warning can be sent in case any of your home guards have walked or fallen asleep. The tags also have inbuilt beepers which can be pinged to track down any rogue possessions they’re partnered with, like your keys.
A lot of thought has been put into micromanaging the tags, which are customizable through web-based, Android or iOS apps, and will send out alerts via email, Twitter, or push notifications on slates and phones (text-to-speech is available if you’re too lazy to read). If you’re into your data, you can also access trigger statistics from the software, complete with graphs. The home monitoring kit is available now, and instead of crashing your browser with too many embeds, we’ve decided to point you to the source below for the half-dozen demo vids.
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household, Wireless
Wireless Sensor Tags alert you to movement and temperature changes, fit on your keyring originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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