当大地震或海啸袭来之际，没有人能比日本人更清楚提前几分钟甚至几秒钟发出预警的重大意义。这就是为什么他们能开发出世界上最复杂的预警系统。

    苹果资讯网站9to5Mac称，苹果公司（Apple）将于今年秋季发布新版移动操作系统iOS 5。搭载这款操作系统的日版iPhone包含一个开关，如果选择开启，iPhone将在灾难发生前通知用户及时避难。

    科技资讯网站GigaOm的达拉尔•埃塞林顿指出，早在几年前，日本的功能手机就能访问同样的预警服务系统。不过埃塞林顿表示，这项服务出现在iOS 5测试版中，也许意味着苹果开始主动在其它国家提供本土化的预警服务。例如，墨西哥就有一个类似的地震预警系统，而加利福尼亚州目前正在开展这方面工作，预计将于2013年提供预警服务。与此同时，iPhone老掉牙的通知系统已被完全改写，也许从此以后苹果将为各种灾难提供内置预警服务——例如美国西部地区的山林野火、东部地区的洪水和中西部地区的龙卷风等。

    译者：项航

    No one knows better than the Japanese what a difference a few minutes -- or even seconds -- warning can mean when a major earthquake or tsunami is on its way. That's why they have developed the world's most sophisticated early warning system.

    9to5Mac reports that the latest beta of iOS 5 -- the new mobile operating system Apple (AAPL) is scheduled to deliver this fall -- includes a toggle switch on Japanese iPhones that, when flipped on, will alert users whenever it's time to take shelter.

    GigaOm's Darrell Etherington points out that Japanese feature phones have been offering access to the same early warning service for several years. But he suggests that its appearance in iOS 5 beta may signal an initiative on Apple's part to provide localized warning services in other parts of the world. Mexico has a similar earthquake warning system, for example, and California is working on one that's expected to come online in 2013. Meanwhile, now that the iPhone's creaky notification system has finally been rewritten, perhaps Apple will start offering different kinds of built-in alerts -- wildfires in the American West, floods in the East, tornadoes in the MidWest, etc.