Smartphones That Can Save Your Life

My iPhone has changed the way I navigate through life, but it -- by itself -- can't save my life...yet.

Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate's Cell-All is an initiative that aims to equip cell phones with life-saving capabilities; for example, protecting against toxic chemicals.

The design would include a VOC sensor that will intermittenly test air samples to detect and identify toxic chemicals and automatically send an alert to the cell phone user via text, call or chime, as well as to a central station with the time, location and the compound.

Detection, identification and notification all take place in less than 60 seconds. And when a central station is flooded with alerts, false alarms are eliminated, enabling first responders to react faster.

As for privacy issues, Cell-All will operate only on an opt-in basis and will transmit data anonymously.
Forty prototypes that can detect carbon monoxide and fires are expected in about a year.