AMBER Alert for iPhone

AMBERalert.com’s notification system is being turned into an iPhone application. AMBER alerts are intended to help recover missing children by notifying the public; the app will provide users with a real-time feed of recent alerts, including photos and descriptions of victims, suspects and vehicles wherever possible. The app will also come with a reporting feature, enabling people to report sightings so as long as an Internet connection is available.

Reports will moreover take advantage of an iPhone's GPS receiver, in order to send location and create a geographical search radius based on the number and pattern of reports provided. All information gained is expected to be forwarded immediately to appropriate state patrol barracks. The code should likewise become available as a platform for iPhone developers who want to make their titles AMBER-aware.

Users of the app will be able to choose how alerts are received; methods will range from a flashing icon in the navigation bar to a pop-up dialog box. AMBER Alert should be offered as a free download, though a release date has yet to be announced.

by MacNN Staff