A new notification system is reported to be coming along with Apple’s new iOS 5, specifically for Japan’s mobile-buying market. It’s not a new cool social feature we’ll all want to get hands-on with – far from that.
Following the devastating natural disasters which hit the far eastern country earlier this year, the new notification setting will let Japanese iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch updaters know when an earthquake is expected within moments of the event.
The early warning setting will be optional, and can be toggled from on to off at any time, however, using it is said to cause a considerable drain on battery life – but is this a justifiable sacrifice considering the sensitive reasoning for the feature’s inception?
We’d like to applaud Apple’s sentiments here, but think the line is blurry between a great idea and a panic waiting to happen. Should something so terrible threaten to happen again, it is, of course, good to be alerted of it and prepare in advance. But surely the feature’s inclusion also defeats any optimism of the Japanese population, which is still trying to heal its wounds. It’s a tricky one..
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