While Japan is fairly well equipped to notify citizens of impending doom, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency is taking another step to preparing its rescue forces for anything in times of emergency, and the forthcoming water jet cutter should help slice through debris without the risk of starting a fire in the process. Due to a railway disaster in April of 2005 which forced rescuers to find an alternate way of cutting metal with gasoline sloshed about, the water jet cutters were moved up in priority, and now the powerful streams can output a high-pressure blast of water / sand in order to make a "1.5-centimeter cut through a 2-centimeter-thick steel plate in just a single minute." Of course, the biggest boon here is the device's inability to spark a fire, but the pressure cutter can also be used in instances where flammability isn't an issue, and it has already been demonstrated to local reporters last week. Although we're not sure just how soon these slicers, along with high-powered "blowers" to whisk away harmful fumes, will be put into action, they'll be hitting the fire departments of Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo first.

[Via Fark]

Around his time last year the world received the Mobile Tsunami Detector, however, this Christmas season seems to be all about Earthquakes. For those of us not sporting white lab coats but still hoping to be in the know, there is Koban's "Super Multifunctional Earthquake Detecting Device." One part earthquake detector, many parts survival tool, this waterproof gadget features an LED flashlight, AM/FM radio, multiple phone chargers (Japan specific), and panic siren. It also has a hand-crank for those in a jam who neglectfully forgot to charge it. Though we are a bit skeptical on how it works, it claims to detect a "seismic intensity of 4" -- ironic, considering that people can feel earthquakes as small as magnitude 2. Despite this, it does provide the basic technologies you need in an emergency and is available for 6,648¥ ($56).

[Via Crave]