How Google’s Earthquake Alerts Protected Millions — And How to Turn It On in Quake-Prone Countries When two massive earthquakes (7.2 and 7.5) struck Venezuela recently, the country had no national early warning system. But millions of Android phones lit up with loud alerts seconds to minutes before the shaking hit — giving people precious time to drop, cover, and hold on. Google’s clever system turns the accelerometers in over 2 billion Android phones into a giant crowdsourced seismic network. It detects the first waves, confirms the quake, and blasts notifications to users in the affected area. In Venezuela, it reached 11.4 million people — proving technology can save lives even where governments can’t. How to activate it (works in nearly 100 countries): Open Settings on your Android phone. Tap Safety & Emergency (or search for “Earthquake alerts”). Select Earthquake Alerts and toggle it ON. Keep Location services ena...
High-Tech Bottle Keeps Opened Wine Fresh for Weeks By tunex wizard, Live Science Contributor | May 11, 2016 11:57am ET · MORE Kuvée says its "smart" wine bottle can keep your favorite vintage fresh for up to 30 days. Credit: Kuvée Many people enjoy an occasional glass of wine with dinner, but after a glass or two, what do you do with the rest of the bottle? Once opened, wine immediately begins to react with the air and spoil, so how can you avoid ruining your favorite vintage? Now, a company called Kuvée has designed a device that it says can keep wine fresh for up to 30 days, and perhaps even longer. What makes opened wine taste bad after just a few days? The culprit is oxygen, scientists say. As soon as you pull out a cork, air floods the bottle, displacing the gas that was trapped inside. Fresh air contains oxygen that is absorbed by the wine over the next few days. Oxygen r...