New in OS X: Get MacRumors Push Notifications on your Mac

Resubscribe Now Close

Early Earthquake Warning System in iOS 5 for Japanese Users

Sunday August 21, 2011 6:19 pm PDT by Arnold Kim
Back in iOS 5 Beta 2, we had seen references to a "Quake Alert" notification embedded in iOS 5, as shown here:


We weren't able to entirely explain or even activate the system, but despite the presence of english localization, it's reportedly intended for Japanese users according to 9to5Mac.


Japan's earthquake warning system was profiled by Time magazine earlier this year.
Japan has the most advanced earthquake early-warning system in the world. A nationwide online system launched in 2007, it detects tremors, calculates an earthquake's epicenter and sends out brief warnings from its 1,000-plus seismographs scattered throughout the country, one of the most earthquake-prone nations on the planet.
The need for such a warning system was underscored by the devastating 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis Japan experienced earlier this year. iOS 5 users reportedly have the option to receive these early warnings in iOS 5 at the very bottom of the iOS 5 Notification Center settings pane. We were unable to activate the system from a U.S. based iPhone. The system is reported to be a common feature on Japanese mobile phones.

[ 115 comments ]


Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
Demosthenes X
97 months ago
"Receiving Quake Alerts may incur data charges and affect your battery life".

...and may save your life.
Rating: 15 Votes
Avatar
Clark Kent
97 months ago
It's only in Japan because Japan has actually built the infrastructure required by putting thousands of seismographs around the country to detect early seismic waves (P-waves) that come before the main shaking (S-waves).

Until other countries install the sensors, they can't have a useful earthquake early-warning system.
Rating: 13 Votes
Avatar
Rayfire
97 months ago
This is really a big help for them! Especially that some of us might have family, friends or acquaintances living there. Regardless, kudos to a great addition in iOS 5!
Rating: 12 Votes
Avatar
doug in albq
97 months ago

That will be useful for the big quake. 100+ years from now!


Or 100 minutes, one never knows.
Rating: 9 Votes
Avatar
Clark Kent
97 months ago
My wife's Docomo cell phone has the earthquake warning system built in. Anywhere between 5 and 20 seconds before the shaking starts, it will start to emit a really loud James Bond-esqe alarm that gets your heart rate pumping.

Regular Softbank phones have the same thing (all Japanese cell phone carriers offer it in their system) but the iPhone only has work-arounds to access it via apps.

It will be great to have it built into the OS.

Good work Apple.
Rating: 8 Votes
Avatar
superstrikertwo
97 months ago
Would be nice to have this in the SF Bay area.
Rating: 7 Votes
Avatar
Slix
97 months ago
This is really useful! Safety is always a priority.

If only iOS 5 could tell if you're driving and turn the phone off. ;)
Rating: 6 Votes
Avatar
neier
97 months ago
Improvements!

There's an app already ("yurekuru", which translates to "shaking coming"), but, I think it relies on a reflector of some sort from the main nationwide notification system. So, it's often delayed by several seconds, and nicknamed "yurekita" (shaking already came :rolleyes:) by a lot of people.

It's good to see that the next iOS will be more fully integrated with the warning system.
Rating: 6 Votes
Avatar
ace198
97 months ago
Yeah, but I think this should be in every phone in the world. :apple:
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
MorphingDragon
97 months ago

What Japan really needs on the iPhone 5 is a Geiger Counter that can take readings and upload to a community site with GPS coordinates. I am not kidding.


Get some education. I am not kidding.
Rating: 4 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]