Google puts tsunami alert on home page
Google put a tsunami alert on its famously spartan home page on Friday following the massive earthquake in Japan.
"Tsunami Alert for New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, and others," said the message placed below the Internet search box. "Waves expected over the next few hours, caused by 8.9 earthquake in Japan."
Google frequently makes mapping, communications and other online tools available after natural disasters but a news alert message on the Internet giant's home page is unusual.
Google launched a crisis response page following the earthquake at google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html.
It includes a "person finder" in English and Japanese which allows users to ask for information or provide information about individuals. It was tracking around 5,300 records at 1400 GMT.
The page also included emergency phone numbers and links to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and online disaster message boards in Japan.
It also featured videos of the quake submitted to Google-owned YouTube and a real-time feed of Twitter updates about the disaster.
(c) 2011 AFP