hurricane

Essential tech to pack in your Hurricane Irene Go Bag

I need to reprioritize the items in my Hurricane Irene Go Bag. How do I know this? Because this a.m. I found myself struggling to decide which toy my cat would prefer should we be forced to evacuate our home early tomorrow morning.

Before you go planning a disaster movie marathon this weekend, be sure to check out the NYC Hurricane Evacuation Zone map or enter your address in the Zone Finder to see if you live in an evacuation area.

And if you do live in one of the affected areas, you can download apps for both iOS and Android devices that show Doppler radar info, detailed maps, and ongoing weather warnings and satellite images for up-to-date news on the storm. But what should you pack in your emergency "Go Bag"? … Read more

Track hurricanes on your phone or online

Every year as summer is winding to a close, hurricane season ramps up here in the United States. Though meteorologists officially describe hurricane season as being from June 1 to November 30, they admit that those are not magic dates and that the bulk of severe weather occurs between August and October. Right now in late August, Hurricane Irene is headed toward North Carolina and is expected to travel northward into New England. If you live in these areas or want to track the storm, there are several Web sites as well as iOS and Android apps that give you … Read more

Three apps for tracking hurricanes on Android

Hurricane season is open, and that means keeping track of whether these storms will reach your hometown. Following the local news can be cumbersome if you're on the go, so why not use your Android device to help out? Here are three Android apps that can keep you informed on severe weather conditions.

Hurricane HoundHurricane Hound is an app designed specifically for tracking storms. Each storm is labeled by name with several icons denoting the path the hurricane is predicted to take. These icons are colored and labeled based on the category rating the storm will be at … Read more

Steve Jobs leaves Apple's helm (week in review)

Steve Jobs stunned the tech world by announcing he had stepped down from the helm of the iconic company he co-founded 35 years ago.

Jobs, who has been dogged by severe health problems that forced him to take three leaves of absence from Apple in recent years, announced his resignation as chief executive officer on Wednesday. His place at the top of the company will be taken by Tim Cook, previously Apple's chief operating officer.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's … Read more

Hurricane-tracking apps for iOS

With Hurricane Irene making landfall in North Carolina, you're going to want up-to-the-minute information on the storm, especially if you live in the area or have relatives and friends who might be affected. Fortunately you can get an app for your iOS device that will give you all the latest information.

Note: Android users can find hurricane-tracking apps here.

There are several apps for iOS that let you track hurricanes around the globe. But the best hurricane-tracking apps give you up-to-the minute storm information, include radar and satellite images, and offer detailed push alerts for warnings and storm intensity changes. We found some very feature-rich apps for both iPhone and iPad and narrowed it down to one great app for each device.… Read more

The 404 890: Where we put a tornado in your hurricane (podcast)

Don't dump your Apple stock before you listen to today's episode, because Wilson's going to tell us why Apple will survive the resignation of Steve Jobs. Wilson lets go of a couple tears before we lighten up a bit with a slightly less upsetting fact: the Web is older than incoming college freshmen.

You mad yet? What about the fact that most incoming freshmen don't anything about the OJ Simpson trial, or that they'd rather be like LeBron than Mike? Oh, and Ferris Bueller could be their father.

After the break, we'll address your concerns about the podcast feed, tell you why we stopped Tang That Tune, and reiterate an important point to remember: all Asian people are not tech experts!

The 404 Digest for Episode 890

Steve Jobs resigns from Apple (CNET roundup). Aww man, the Web is older than incoming college freshmen. Future PlayStations could read you like a book. All Asian people are not tech experts!

Episode 890 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

NASA launching mission to study hurricanes

A new NASA mission aims to come to grips with the way nature whips up hurricanes.

Set to begin Sunday, the agency's six-week Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) mission will see a series of planes outfitted with sophisticated instruments take to the skies in an attempt to understand the birth of a hurricane, in order to give people a better chance to prepare for them.

This is NASA's first domestic hurricane project since 2001 and its largest ever. Three NASA planes, several satellites, and four planes from research partners will team up to measure tropical storms as … Read more

Simple online disaster communications using RallyPoint

PALM DESERT, Calif.--If a major earthquake hits San Francisco, where CBS Interactive (CNET News' parent) is based, how would everyone in the company communicate with each other in the aftermath?

If the folks at Transformyx, a Baton Rouge, La., company, have anything to say about it, we'd all be using their technology, an online service called RallyPoint.

The idea behind the service is to make it possible for everyone in an organization to stay in touch with each other and to get all the relevant information they need after any kind of significant disaster strikes, be it an … Read more

RIAA, please stay away from celeb iPod auction

Good: You're in an up-and-coming band. Bad: Hurricane Katrina comes along and destroys all your gear. Good: A charity, Music Rising, is set up to try to raise money. They're doing this by auctioning off iPods that music celebs like Gwen Stefani, Faith Hill, and The Britney have loaded with their favorite playlists. Sounds like a win for everyone involved, but it might be too good to be true.

Don't get me wrong, as a former musician and survivor of my own environmental catastrophes (no, not my messy bachelor pad), I understand the need for relief. I … Read more