The Amber Alert has come to the iPhone, and even a Do Not Disturb setting won't keep it quiet, according to MacWorld. Authorities issued an Amber Alert after finding evidence of a potential kidnapping at a crime scene.
The Mac operating system, iOS, as well as other smart phone operating systems, have been supporting Amber Alerts for a while, but the alerts require support of the carrier and many carriers have only introduced support for the alerts within the last few months.
The notification arrived without warning for many at almost 11 p.m.
The Amber Alert is an acronym for America's Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response. They were originally named after Amber Hagerman, a nine-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered 17 years ago in Texas. Amber Alerts are also known as CAE, which stands for Child Abduction Emergency.
Authorities issue the alerts when police determine that a child has been abducted. Alerts include information about the crime, including the name and description of the victim, a description of the suspected abductor and information about the suspect's vehicle if known.
Alerts have traditionally been distributed through the radio, as well as broadcast and cable television. Now the alerts can also be distributed via email, electronic traffic signs, digital billboards, Google and Facebook. In January 2013, the alerts began being distributed through the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, which allows the distribution of emergency messages via cell phones.
The system allows the government to issue three kinds of alerts, which are Amber Alerts, alerts involving "imminent threats to safety of life," as well as alerts issued by the President of the United States.
The iPhone gained the ability to support alerts with iOS 6, though carriers aren't required to support the software. However, all major carriers do.
Alerts appear infrequently. The president hasn't yet sent any, and Amber Alerts are localized to the region where authorities feel they will be the most useful.
The surprise that accompanies the alert is the startling sound and the unpredictable times, such as an alert that recently occurred in New York around 4 a.m.
However, in spite of the slight annoyance, the alert and wide audience is what allows Amber Alerts to be effective.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
