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iOS 5 beta adds early earthquake warning to Japanese iPhones


Wouldn’t it be nice to be alerted before a major natural disaster is about to strike? Well, Apple is set to do just that and iOS 5 will feature a “Quake Alert” notification which is intended for Japanese users only. After the 8.9/9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan back in March, resulting in blackouts, fire, and an extremely damaging tsunami, Japan’s iPhone could certainly use the built-in earthquake warning, especially since it’s one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth.
However, it seems that something of the sort has been in use in Japan since 2007. Japan’s three major mobile carriers, NTT DoCoMoKDDI, and Softbank Mobile, all developed a mass-communication system that simultaneously broadcasts alerts to multiple users. The Earthquake Early Warning (EEW), which Time magazine called the “most advanced in the world,” is issued to the general public when the system detects tremors and then calculates an earthquake’s epicenter. Feature phones have been receiving these warnings since 2007, and 3G handsets put on the market after 2007 are required to have this service. However, overseas manufacturers like Nokia, Apple, HTC, LG, and Samsung haven’t supported it.
The EEW system is important because it can provide between from seconds to a couple of minutes warning before the earthquake actually hits. You’ll be able to activate or deactivate the notification within the Notifications panel in the iPhone’s setting on Japanese iPhones. There have been apps available to download in the past, but the inclusion of the EEW in iOS means not relying on a third party piece of software and having it available from the moment you switch on your iPhone by default.
It would be nice to see this notification system implemented into iOS all over the world, not just in Japan, though we’re glad Apple’s starting there. However, we wonder if the continuous connection will affect the battery life ofthe phone? Personally, I’d rather have to charge my phone a little more frequently and know when there’s an earthquake about to hit than not have the option at all.

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