Back in iOS 5 Beta 2, we had seen references to a "Quake Alert" notification embedded in iOS 5, as shown here:
We weren't able to entirely explain or even activate the system, but despite the presence of english localization, it's reportedly intended for Japanese users according to 9to5Mac.
Japan has the most advanced earthquake early-warning system in the world. A nationwide online system launched in 2007, it detects tremors, calculates an earthquake's epicenter and sends out brief warnings from its 1,000-plus seismographs scattered throughout the country, one of the most earthquake-prone nations on the planet.
The need for such a warning system was underscored by the devastating 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis Japan experienced earlier this year. iOS 5 users reportedly have the option to receive these early warnings in iOS 5 at the very bottom of the iOS 5 Notification Center settings pane. We were unable to activate the system from a U.S. based iPhone. The system is reported to be a common feature on Japanese mobile phones.
Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued.
The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models.
In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring.
There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category.
M4...
Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by Juli Clover
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch.
All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag.
The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle.
Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e.
The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16.
Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location.
Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017.
Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...
It's only in Japan because Japan has actually built the infrastructure required by putting thousands of seismographs around the country to detect early seismic waves (P-waves) that come before the main shaking (S-waves).
Until other countries install the sensors, they can't have a useful earthquake early-warning system.
This is really a big help for them! Especially that some of us might have family, friends or acquaintances living there. Regardless, kudos to a great addition in iOS 5!
My wife's Docomo cell phone has the earthquake warning system built in. Anywhere between 5 and 20 seconds before the shaking starts, it will start to emit a really loud James Bond-esqe alarm that gets your heart rate pumping.
Regular Softbank phones have the same thing (all Japanese cell phone carriers offer it in their system) but the iPhone only has work-arounds to access it via apps.
