Jul 03
Already available to the Swiss for over two years, this potentially lifesaving app is finally catching up to US iPhone and Android users.
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Jun 15
AT&T has begun rolling out Wireless Emergency Alerts updates for iPhone 4S and 5, so you won’t be the last folks to know if the entire northern hemisphere is about to be covered in ice à la Day After Tomorrow. You’ll receive a notification from the carrier when your update is ready, but only if you’re using iOS 6.1 or higher. Once installed, AMBER and Emergency alerts are automatically sent to your phone unless you switch them off via Settings. However, should you be tired of Obama, just know that there’s no way to switch off Presidential alerts. WEA messages are always free of charge, so you don’t have to worry about going over your texting limit when notified that you need to get the hell out of dodge.
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc, AT&T
Source: AT&T
Jun 07
Hand-cranked emergency chargers are nothing new, but the folks behind Voltmaker managed to come up with something novel based on the same concept. Instead of having to turn the crank laboriously, you’ll only have to hold the gadget and spin it round and round to generate energy.
In effect, you’ll be spinning the part of the charger that’s usually supposed to be turned manually.
Spinning should cause less strain since it’s a more passive action. Spinning the Voltmaker for two minutes will give you enough juice to make a quick emergency call. If you want to fully charge up the Voltmaker 2,000-mAh battery, then you’ll need to spin the device for two to three hours. So really, we just recommend using this nifty gadget during emergencies only – unless you don’t mind looking like a fool spinning this thing around for three hours.
The Voltmaker is currently up for funding on Indiegogo, where a minimum pledge of $69(USD) will get you one of your very own if you’re one of the first 3,000 early bird backers.
[via C|NET]
May 25
We joke that most people don’t like QR codes, but those codes link to a lot of information through one snapshot — and Mercedes-Benz may just use that efficiency to save lives. The automaker is putting the symbols on vehicles so that emergency crews just need a phone camera scan for easy access to rescue sheets, which are schematics that show where to cut into a wrecked car when recovering trapped passengers. With such immediate knowledge, rescuers don’t have to wait for a model confirmation or else risk cutting wires and fuel lines. While we’ll initially see the QR codes only in Mercedes-Benz cars made this year and beyond (placed inside the fuel door and on the opposite side B-pillar), the company isn’t being selfish: it’s refusing to patent its method in the hope that every vehicle manufacturer will quickly embrace the technology.
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation
Via: Autoblog
Source: Mercedes-Benz
Apr 21
Energizer Light Fusion LED Lantern Lightning Review: A Light for Every Emergency
Posted in: Today's Chili
It’s the middle of the night and you’re in the middle of nowhere when—whumpa, whumpa, whumpa—you get a flat. Rather than fumble through the tire change in the dark, why not keep this portable LED lantern in the boot should the need arise? More »
Apr 15
Cell Phone Service Has Been Suspended in Boston (Update: It’s Just Overloaded)
Posted in: Today's Chili
Following the explosions at the Boston Marathon, all cell phone service has been suspended in the Boston area to prevent the remote detonation of any (possible) remaining explosives, according to an unnamed AP source. More »
Mar 21
When people call Apple’s iPhone a “global device” it’s really something of a misnomer. Can it work on a desolate, high peak? Or in the middle of the ocean? No, it’s limited to a network of ground-based antenna. This simple case frees the iPhone from those shackles, and lets it work pretty much anywhere in the whole wide world. More »
Mar 01
Another product that would really be useful in the event of an emergency such as a major earthquake is this emergency light by Panasonic.
When there is an emergency, stocks of supplies are often low, if non-existent. Two years ago after the earthquake in Japan, stocks such as water and food were low. And so were batteries as there were rolling blackouts throughout Japan.
This light takes any size batteries, truly making it convenient in the case of an emergency. If only a mixed assortment of …
Feb 08
Power outages can be seriously obnoxious. No Internet, no TV, no lights. On top of that, they can be dangerous, especially in the cold. A prolonged outage is always a danger during a serious storm, no matter the kind. And while it might not happen, you always want to be prepared. More »
Feb 08
With up to two feet of snow expected to dump itself on the east coast today, how prepared are you for snowmaggedon? More »
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