DISASTER MANAGEMENT
'Hey Siri,' shortcut put to use against police abuse
by Staff Writers
San Francisco (AFP) June 18, 2020

The widespread protests against police brutality have created a buzz around a software shortcut letting people cue iPhones to start video recording during a traffic stop in case of misconduct by officers.

The tech trick created by software developer Robert Petersen puts iPhones into action by telling Apple's digital assistant Siri that "I'm getting pulled over."

"Siri police shortcut" was getting traction on social media after Peterson tweeted a link to the latest version of his two-year-old shortcut this week.

"This shortcut may be useful when getting pulled over by the police," Petersen said in a Reddit post.

"Works best when used with a phone dash mounted."

Once Siri is verbally cued, it pauses any music playing; turns down iPhone brightness; goes into do-not-disturb mode, and sends a message to a designated contact that a police stop is taking place and indicates where, according to Petersen.

It then starts video recording through the iPhone front camera, sending a copy to a specified contact, he explained.

The software trick must be installed by users and is not part of the iPhone operating system.

"Good to know," a Twitter user posting under a Justice Seeker banner said in a tweet that included a link to a news report about the shortcut.

The killing of George Floyd by police on May 25 has fuelled a national and global uproar over racism and police brutality.

Smartphone videos shared on social media have become key bits of evidence against police misconduct, and the software shortcut was designed to make that easier.


Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Brazil's Bolsonaro enlists army in battle with Congress, courts
Rio De Janeiro (AFP) June 17, 2020
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is facing a rampant coronavirus outbreak, investigations targeting him and his inner circle and calls for his impeachment, leading him to turn more than ever to a favorite ally: the military. The far-right president and top generals have repeatedly evoked the threat of a "coup" in recent days - not against Bolsonaro, but against Congress and the Supreme Court, which are locked in an increasingly bitter battle with the executive branch. Though analysts say any ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Brazil's Bolsonaro enlists army in battle with Congress, courts

Amazon unveils visual aid to workplace distancing

Parking in a pandemic

Facebook blocks white nationalists organizing move on protests

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
US approves first 'digital therapeutic' game for ADHD

The many lifetimes of plastics

Could we run out of sand? Scientists adjust how grains are measured

A breakthrough in developing multi-watt terahertz lasers

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
China pressed on Mekong dams after record low water levels

Flushed toilets produce clouds of virus-containing particles, simulations show

Surprising growth rates discovered in world's deepest photosynthetic corals

Sudan wants PMs to solve Nile dam deadlock

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Western half of Antarctica warming faster than eastern half, new study shows why

Tiny sand grains trigger massive glacial surges

US opens consulate in Greenland capital

Russian mayor charged over failure to contain Arctic spill

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Flying bubble makers could save world from starvation

Space synergies for food security

Tragic yarn: India-China border spat hits global cashmere production

Eight killed in Indian pesticide factory blast

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Quake strikes east Turkey, 1 dead

6.6-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Japan: USGS

Dozens killed as south China hit by floods and rainstorms

Study proves that magma chambers can be totally molten

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
African medics struggle in virus 'war zone'

Mass grave found of Sudanese conscripts killed in 1998: prosecutor

Foreign army incursions, clashes on the rise in DR Congo

About 10 dead in jihadist attack on I.Coast border post

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Cave remains offer new insights into Paleolithic mortuary rituals

Hunting in savanna-like landscapes may have poured jet fuel on brain evolution

Discovery of oldest bow and arrow technology in Eurasia

US top court in landmark ruling to protect LGBT workers