We’re living in a very strange world right now, where we’re battling a foe we can’t see… But there are other threats that are present through accident, as well as mother nature. Google is continuing to develop the tracking and notification capacity of the Android OS around emergency situations.
While the specifics here are focussed on the USA, its still technology the can be utilised within Australia to improve the response time of emergency services.
Within Australia, there are well-backed apps that can assist you to ensure a timely response. Emergency+ — which we saw originally in 2013 — is just one of those options, but certainly, one that is recommended by services to have installed. The development since then is outstanding offering:
- Advice on identifying the best service to assist you
- Immediate and easy access to your GPS location
- Instructions on CPR if you’re unfortunate enough to be first on site when someone needs it
There are some new developments that Google are investing in as well, with a particular focus on earthquake detection and notification. We’ve had a couple of little rumbles in Adelaide over the past couple of months, so this potential caught my interest.
The Android Earthquake Alerts System turns your Android phone into a mini seismometer to detect earthquakes when they start. And starting in California, an integration of ShakeAlert in the Android OS enables phones to deliver earthquake alerts for added seconds to drop, cover and hold.
The continued development of the Android OS capabilities says a lot about Google’s commitment to improving not just communication, but daily life.
