Hello everyone. For today’s update, we will look at two stories that popped up on my radar over the weekend. The discussion begins with Emergency SOS via satellite. The service was used to save a family during the Hawaii wildfires. We look at the service in terms of Apple’s innovation definition. The update then turns to Apple flexing some Apple Pay PR muscle by disclosing the amount of Apple Savings deposits.

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Emergency SOS via Satellite Used During Hawaii Wildfires

News out of Maui continues to worsen as the death toll from last week’s wildfires climbs. As stories of narrowing escapes emerge, one grabbed quite a bit of attention on X (formerly Twitter).

Michael Miraflor detailed how a family of five was trapped by the fires but was able to use an iPhone 14 model to get rescued. With cell phone service down, Emergency SOS via satellite was used. Emergency SOS via satellite is a relatively new service available on the iPhone 14 family. Apple is partnering with satellite operator Globalstar for the feature.

Miraflor shared the following exchange:

 

 

There are a few things worth pointing out from the exchange.

The longer messages detailing five people trapped in a white van may have been partially written based on the series of multiple choice questions that the caller is asked when dialing for help using Emergency SOS via satellite. The following tweet appears to show some answers to the question. (The messages were sent to the caller’s emergency contact in real time).

 

 

The questions are meant to get the most important and relevant information from the caller in as concise of a message as possible (to reduce the time it takes the message to send). Once messages reach ground stations, they are routed to emergency call centers that can receive text messages or relay centers set up by Apple where trained workers are in communication with emergency responders on the ground.

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