Today's article comes a from a different side of mobile devices. Instead of apps, phones, or tablets, tonight we get to look at a humanitarian view of the tech that we get to use.
While not on the news as much as our presidential election or the uprising in the Middle East, there's still a pretty prevalent event that affects our brothers and sisters in Japan - namely the earthquake and tsunami that caused the shutdown and failure of three nuclear reactors, allowing radiation to seep out into the already devastated population. A year and a week later, life still has to go on for them. Here are a couple statistics on the current situation of Japan that you might find interesting:
While not on the news as much as our presidential election or the uprising in the Middle East, there's still a pretty prevalent event that affects our brothers and sisters in Japan - namely the earthquake and tsunami that caused the shutdown and failure of three nuclear reactors, allowing radiation to seep out into the already devastated population. A year and a week later, life still has to go on for them. Here are a couple statistics on the current situation of Japan that you might find interesting:
- Out of 52 nuclear reactors, only two are still in operation today
- 3155 people are still missing
- 325,000 people are still in temporary housing
Thankfully, there is one thing out there for the average person. Andrew "Bunnie" Huang, a developer and inventor, was stirred last year after watching the devastation. Now, he has just completed the first prototype of the Safecast Geiger Counter, a handheld radiation detector designed for the average citizen to carry around with them.
For what it is, it's a pretty stylish design. Huang's goal was for it to be used by the average citizen and not be embarrased while carrying it. While I don't know anything about radiation and the like, Huang made certain for it to appeal to those in Japan, including the following features on it:
For what it is, it's a pretty stylish design. Huang's goal was for it to be used by the average citizen and not be embarrased while carrying it. While I don't know anything about radiation and the like, Huang made certain for it to appeal to those in Japan, including the following features on it:
- a lanyard attachement
- audio and visual event notifiers
- a "hold" button to ensure that the detection device isn't always running and sucking up battery power
- runs under Linux and OSX
Today's post won't help you get better at navigating the world through your mobile device, but it's good to have a reminder that our mobile devices aren't just used for our convenience - they can also be used for the safety of others.
Happy St. Patty's Day!!
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