Google can save smartphone users from disaster
When it comes to security and data collection, many have very specific ideas in mind. They are constantly discussed and at the same time, as usual, there are satisfied and dissatisfied. In addition to information security, there is a very specific physical security. In particular, the one that is meant
when we talk about the health and life of people during natural disasters or other emergencies. One of these incidents was the earthquake that occurred the other day in California. It turns out that in the modern world it is not even necessary to come up with new ways to place sensors, because everyone has a smartphone.
Here’s what Google came up with about it.
Google Earthquake Prediction
Since every smartphone has a fairly accurate accelerometer, and most of them have Android installed, this opens up a lot of opportunities for seismologists. That is why the earthquake warning system on Android has very good prospects. Millions of seismic sensors scattered throughout the district. What could be better?
Already, Google was able to share an interesting visualization of how the detection system worked during the earthquake in Los Angeles this weekend. The company has shared an interesting visualization of what Android phones have discovered.
Android Vice President Dave Burke tweeted a video showing Los Angeles and its surroundings just after the quake. An earthquake usually consists of different waves, and Google visualization showed how it works and how the waves diverge. Prior to this, such a construction was possible only at the level of a hypothesis.
Such a visualization is enough to understand where the epicenter of the earthquake was and how the trembling of the earth spread at that time.
How can an earthquake be predicted?
During earthquakes, there is an initial wave, which is, as it were, a harbinger of an impending catastrophe. The accelerometer of modern smartphones is able to detect this initial wave. When this happens, your phone will send the general location to the Google earthquake detection server. These data are exemplary
after all, with such work, the exact addresses of each user are not needed. It is enough that he is just in a certain area.
This data is then collected in real time and processed to produce such an important result. Google does not yet use this system to send alerts.
Instead, Google displays a card in search for users who search for “earthquake or other similar terms.” They will be asked to answer if they felt anything in order to “see the affected area quickly and accurately.”
Google plans to send notifications and use this system in areas where there is not yet an extensive network of seismological sensors, but there is some geological activity that can lead to casualties and destruction. This can be a very good and timely solution both in terms of earthquake prevention,
and to study their distribution. A greater understanding of the process, in turn, can also lead to better prediction methods and a reduction in the number of victims.
Google User Security
Google User Security
As a result, Google can not only raise the security of its users to a new level, but also make a huge contribution to the development of science in general and security in particular. As they say, it’s a sin not to use such a system when there are all the prerequisites for it. This proves once again
that technologies have stepped forward so much that we don’t even know all the features of their application yet. It would seem that this is just a smartphone that allows you to take selfies and sit in TikTok, but no. Even such a seemingly insignificant thing as an accelerometer has found such an applied application.
Examples of such assistive applications include the hearing protection system, for example, on the Apple Watch, where the microphone constantly captures the level of noise around, and if you find yourself in a noisy place for a while, you will receive a notification. The clock will say it’s too noisy around
and you have already spent more than the time required by safety regulations. Then you will have to decide whether to leave or stay. Although, with the prediction and collection of data on earthquakes, everything is much cooler.
The main thing is to learn how to use such a stream of useful data,
which can be collected from smartphones and notify users through the ShakeAlert system, announced by Google back in August. The details still need to be finalized, but in the general version, they receive a warning that tremors have been recorded somewhere nearby and will provide several simple and understandable cards that will show what to do and where to hide,
to minimize the risk of injury. After all, an earthquake is much worse than it seems until the moment you encounter it, and not just because they claim hundreds of thousands of lives. How do you feel about such a system? Do you believe in her?
