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Airlines are getting better at spotting and dodging bad weather
Turbulence hasn't gone away, but apparently we experience a lot less of it now than we did a decade ago. The New York Times is reporting that as airlines upgrade their weather systems from telex to tablets, pilots' ability to avoid choppy sky has vastly improved. As well as this, better satellite imaging and weather forecasting has enabled airlines to cut the amount of weather-based delays from 50 percent in 2003 to 36 percent in 2013. In addition, Delta and American Airlines have now outfitted some of their craft with sensors that automatically transmit data to dispatches, keeping subsequent flights out of trouble. The report goes on to say that we're also on the cusp of another big weather resolution, since high-power imaging satellites, due to commence operation in 2016, will massively increase an airline's ability to predict when airports will get shut down - and hopefully, save future generations from trying to catch some sleep on those nasty-ass chairs at Philadelphia airport.
Crying wolf: when emergency alerts stop being effective
Yesterday, I switched off all AMBER and Emergency iPhone Alerts in Settings > Notification Center. This followed a day and a night of flash flood warnings that started at 1 AM and continued until just after noon. [Erica is in Colorado, where recent wet weather has contributed to disastrous flooding. –Ed.] In that time, I counted eight individual Emergency Alerts issued by the National Weather Service in my personal notification center. These included alerts in the middle of the night; alerts as I was in office buildings; and alerts while I was waiting for appointments or having meetings. Since AT&T pushed out its Emergency Alert upgrade to support my iPhone 4S, I have received alerts for a variety of weather situations plus that abduction one from California. I cannot point to a single alert in my history that I considered necessary to receive on a phone rather than seeing on the TV or by hearing the local tornado alarms. I cannot customize the alerts I hear. It's all on or all off for AMBER and/or emergency items. These alerts are loud, scary, intrusive and blunt. I think my alert burnout is pretty human. When people get tired of alerts that aren't relevant, they're going to shut them off. Emergency alerts by their very nature should be few, important and effective. As is, they've become the spam of disaster preparedness. And I've just sent mine to my virtual alert spam folder. We posted a how-to on turning off your emergency alerts in July. Please consider the risks and benefits before changing this setting on your phone. –Ed.
National Weather Service alerts arriving on iPhone 5 (Updated)
Update: For more information on the Weather Alerts System, this FEMA page provides a full description of the one way alert system. Note that the ability to get notifications of AMBER alerts and Emergency Alerts can turned off via a new set of buttons found at the bottom of the Settings > Notifications page on the iPhone 5 under "Government Alerts". Back in June, TUAW reported on the new Wireless Emergency Alerts system from the US National Weather Service. At that time, the system -- which alerts smartphone owners in areas under a severe weather warning -- didn't support iPhones and the system was available on Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile networks plus a handful of AT&T cities. Well, the system is apparently working with the iPhone 5 at present, as I received the alert you see at right earlier today. The area where I live is currently under a blizzard warning, so I received the message. My wife uses an iPhone 4S on AT&T and did not receive the alert, and Erica Sadun -- with the same equipment and network -- was also left in the dark. I'm not sure if that's because they're on an "older" iPhone model or if AT&T hasn't initiated the service in the Denver area. Anyway, it's great to see this service working. It doesn't require users to sign up, and it's a powerful way to get your attention about upcoming weather emergencies including ice and dust storms, blizzards, extreme winds, flash floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis.
FEMA and National Weather Service launch Wireless Emergency Alert System
While it's a little later than expected, the free SMS emergency notification system has now gone live. Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) messages will be delivered to cell towers in affected areas, which will then broadcast them to all compatible devices in their range. While the system is looking to cover over 97 percent of the country, it's being gradually rolled out across carriers. Sprint and Verizon are both apparently ready for action and while we haven't heard about the status of T-Mobile or AT&T, the National Weather Service has stated that hundreds of smaller carriers haven't yet enabled the broadcasts. However, not all phones -- especially the more elderly bricks still in circulation -- will work with the system. To check whether your weighty cellular still passes muster, hit up the compatible device list at the CTIA link below.
National Weather Service to send alerts to smartphones
A new Wireless Emergency Alerts system from the National Weather Service is on the way for American smartphone owners, but don't expect to get alerts about impending tornadoes or blizzards on your iPhone immediately. Starting today, the Wireless Emergency Alerts system will begin alerting people in areas near potentially dangerous weather situations by making a special sound and vibrating. You won't have to sign up or pay for the service, which is part of a larger alert network launched by the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier this year. Carriers and governments will issue alerts by sending them out from every cell tower in an affected area, so the alerts are not on your home location. The alerts will cover ice and dust storms, blizzards, extreme winds, flash floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, and tsunamis. Severe thunderstorm alerts won't be included, and only warnings -- not watches -- are to be sent out. But iPhone owners shouldn't get too excited about the system, which is currently offered nationwide on Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile networks and a handful of cities on the AT&T network. Weather Service spokeswoman Susan Buchanan said that iPhones are supposed to join the system this fall, but it's not known if that will only be new iPhones or if all iPhones will be capable via a software update.
Wireless Emergency Alert system goes live this month, delivers location-based SMS warnings
Last we heard of the federal government's Wireless Emergency Alert system, only Sprint had signed on to deliver the SMS warnings. Now, with the secured participation of all four major carriers and smaller regional operators, that gratis service is set to go live this month, covering nearly 97 percent of active mobile users. Using a "point-to-multipoint system" that targets at-risk subscribers, the National Weather Service, FEMA, FCC and Department of Homeland Security-backed initiative works by sending location-based messages of 90 characters or less to nearby handsets in the event of an imminent meteorological threat. The mostly opt-out service will also accommodate AMBER and Presidential alerts, although you won't have that flexibility for missives sent from our head of state. So, the next time your phone gives off a strange auditory tone, you'll know to head for shelter.
