Plus, Andrew and Allie talk about Australia’s “Right To Disconnect” law, and how bosses there face jail time for emailing after hours. People using YouTube to fake work, and a super strange recruitment test from FedEx (it involves blue aliens).
iPhone Emergency SOS helps save snowboarder’s life – Here’s how to enable it
Last year, a runner’s Apple Watch detected a hard fall and sent notifications to his emergency contacts. Similarly, a mountain biker in Washington state crashed his bike, and his Apple Watch sent out destress notifications.
But it is not just your Apple Watch that can help. A New Jersey resident knocked her head on a metal pipe and, after regaining consciousness, used her Apple AirPods to call for help through Siri.
If you ever find yourself in a dire situation, you should use Apple’s Emergency SOS feature. Read on to see how it saved a snowboarder’s life and directions to enable it yourself.
Here’s the backstory
Trekking up mountains to reach the perfect launching spot for downhill snowboarding can be dangerous. Nobody knows this better than personal trainer Tim Blakey. He pushed off for a solo descent on a recent trip to Switzerland’s glaciers near Zermatt but quickly encountered trouble.
He fell into a hidden crevasse at around 10,000 feet above sea level, luckily landing on a snow bridge 16 feet from the surface. According to Australia’s 7 News, he only had 3% battery remaining on his iPhone and was running out of options.
In a lightbulb moment, he remembered that the iPhone has an Emergency SOS function which will send notifications to emergency contacts with his precise location. First responders showed up not long after, treated his broken ankle and airlifted him to a hospital.
What you can do about it
You must set up the Emergency SOS function ASAP if you have an iPhone. Make sure that your contacts are up to date.
Emergency SOS will call the local emergency number and alert your emergency contacts via text message when activated. The messages include your current location and updates when you move. But first, here’s how you add emergency contacts:
- Open the Health app and tap your profile picture > Medical ID.
- Select Edit, then scroll to Emergency Contacts.
- Tap the Add emergency contact button, then select a contact. Add their relationship.
- Hit Done to confirm your changes.
These people will get notifications when you experience an emergency. Here’s how to use the feature.
Track the spread of wildfires with this new Google Maps feature
For years, parts of the U.S. have been plagued by deadly wildfires that have forced hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes. Wildfires are fickle, and it’s difficult to know if your home will be affected next.
No kids allowed: Australia just banned kids under the age of 16 from using social media sites and platforms. Social media companies will have to enforce age verification within a year or face massive fines (up to $33 million!). It’s all about protecting kids’ mental health. I’m really interested in seeing what happens.
Malicious new apps are stealing bank details - Here's what to look for
Screen recordings can be very useful when you want to explain something to a friend. A screenshot can also help you remember places, prices or contact details. But when malware records your screen without your knowledge, you are in trouble.
No time for an overseas trip? Take one of these virtual tours instead
As many are beginning to rediscover the excitement of the world around them again, there are many opportunities to travel. The pandemic put a damper on vacations and business trips for over a year, leaving many people stuck at home. Tap or click here to track the COVID Delta variant in the U.S.
NASA satellite images show Australia's devastating wildfires from space
If you’ve been paying attention to the news recently, you’ve probably heard about the wildfires torching Australia. Much of the country has been burning for months and the results have been devastating.
Homes have been destroyed, wildlife is in danger and residents are fleeing for their lives. These wildfires have caused massive destruction and there seems to be no end in sight.