Thursday, September 26, 2013

Software : In case of emergency... sign up for Twitter Alerts

Software : In case of emergency... sign up for Twitter Alerts

In case of emergency... sign up for Twitter Alerts

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In case of emergency... sign up for Twitter Alerts

Twitter announced a new alert service today that will notify users by SMS when a there's an emergency situation developing in their locale.

The new Twitter Alerts tool allows users to sign up for alerts from reputable organisations and receive crucial information via text message, rather than having to check their Twitter timeline.

Texts, which will also appear as pop-up notifications for users on iOS and Android, will be sent whenever a group like the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the American Red Cross in the United States mark a tweet as an alert.

Twitter Alerts builds on the Lifeline service Twitter debuted last year, in response to the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Expanding the lifeline

In a post on its official blog, Twitter wrote: "Today, we're launching Twitter Alerts, a new feature that brings us one step closer to helping users get important and accurate information from credible organisations during emergencies, natural disasters or moments when other communications services aren't accessible.

"We know from our users how important it is to be able to receive reliable information during these times. With that in mind, last year we announced Lifeline (a feature that helps Japanese users find emergency accounts during crises), and since then, we've been working on a related feature for people around the world."

Currently the organisations involved are limited to the United States, Japan and Korea, but Twitter plans to expand the initiative to more countries in due course.

Sailfish OS now compatible with Android, Jolla hopes for a coattail ride

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Sailfish OS now compatible with Android, Jolla hopes for a coattail ride

Finnish start-up Jolla announced today that its Sailfish OS is now compatible with Android software and hardware, an achievement it hopes will help Sailfish speed into the global market.

In a press release Jolla said that Sailfish users will now be able to "take full advantage of the Android application ecosystem," naming specific Android apps, like Instagram, WhatsApp, Spotify and popular Chinese messaging app WeChat, that are compatible with Sailfish.

Sailfish users can download Android apps directly from "various app stores globally," the release said, though "not Google Play," a Jolla representative told TechRadar. She added that Jolla is also developing its own app store that will have both Android and Sailfish apps.

In addition, the Sailfish OS is now compatible with common Android hardware, "particularly smartphones and tablets."

Break on through

This makes it easier for existing Android hardware manufacturers to develop Sailfish-based devices, since they can put the OS on the same hardware they're already using for Android - but will it be enough for the OS to make inroads into the global market?

The mobile market is dominated by a disproportionately small number of operating systems, making it difficult for new options to make a dent.

But Android is already in global use, and Jolla might just be able to ride its coattails to success.

"We believe Sailfish with Android compatibility is a highly relevant mobile operating system option for major mobile companies in Europe and in Asia," Jolla CEO Tomi Pienimäki said in today's press release.

He added that they are "already in discussions with several major Asian vendors."

All aboard

Jolla was formed by ship jumpers from Nokia who left after the company ditched its Linux-based MeeGo OS in favor of Microsoft's Windows Phone platform.

Sailfish was built from the ashes of MeeGo, and Jolla's been sailing that schooner ever since.

Now that Microsoft has officially taken control of Nokia devices and services division, Jolla believes that "the strategic position of Jolla and Sailfish OS has strengthened significantly," according to its announcement.

And in response to "positive feedback and increased demand" Jolla will offer a second batch of Sailfish phone pre-orders on its website this week aimed at "Finnish customers who want to express their passion for the Finnish mobile industry."
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