US Unveils Emergency Alert System for Mobile Phones

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/12/060712191204.9i5b29n0.html' target='_blank'>http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/12/060712191204.9i5b29n0.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The US government unveiled a communications system that in case of emergency should soon allow it to send SMS alerts to Americans' mobile phones and computers. "We have the ability to do this. It's a major step," Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director David Paulson told reporters outside the US capital as he unveiled the program's design."</i><br /><br />This sounds like a good idea, at first. I just don't trust these guys to get anything right. The US government finds its way into everything. I don't know if I want them in my phone now too.

[aarcam]

Interesting idea, although I think we could all use a bit more info. This could be a great system that could save lives, or it could be completely Orwellian in nature. I think how it is implemented will determine its life-span. Nice to see that cold war spending going to good use though...

[mbranscum]

This sounds like a good idea, at first. I just don't trust these guys to get anything right. The US government finds its way into everything. I don't know if I want them in my phone now too.

&lt;Spam> I'm a little &lt;telemarketer leaks> suspicious of the government &lt;lost/stolen data> getting this technology &lt;not knowing what the hell they're doing>.

But...I'm not sure why I feel that way! :lol:

[Kris Kumar]

I agree with Jerry. On paper it sounds good. It will work well in the usual tests also.

But what the testing will not show is that when a real natural disaster alert SMS is sent out, everyone will panic and start calling everyone else; and the cell phone network will be down in a matter of minutes even before the real threat happens. :twisted: