Android users alerted just before California earthquake

Whereas many individuals in California felt a average earthquake Tuesday, some smartphone customers really bought a heads-up earlier than it occurred due to expertise developed on the College of California, Berkeley.

Why it issues: Android warned customers just some seconds earlier than the quake, however consultants hope the expertise will finally give individuals sufficient time to seek out shelter or to duck and canopy.

The way it works: Researchers at Berkeley launched an app referred to as MyShake that may supply a short earthquake warning by detecting the indicators of an earthquake simply earlier than they’re felt. Consider it like how one can see lightning earlier than you hear thunder.

• The app works on each iPhone and Android, however Google introduced in 2020 it could implement Berkeley’s expertise immediately into Android, permitting way more individuals to learn.

As usually occurs after an earthquake, individuals turned to Twitter after the Magnitude 5.1 quake. However some reported getting the alert first.

• “Received the earthquake alert on my Android telephone just a few seconds earlier than I felt it,” Google’s Dieter Bohn stated in a tweet.
• Google CEO Sundar Pichai additionally tweeted about getting the alert.