Winnie Hu and J. David Goodman, reporting for The New York Times on a case of child abduction on July 17, 2013:

You have a lot of people on the road at that hour,” said Robert Hoever, director of special programs at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which tracks Amber Alerts across the country. “You’re looking for those eyes and ears to try to find that child.”

By Wednesday afternoon, the police said that they had found Ms. Lopez and her son in “good condition.” Ms. Lopez was arrested and charged with custodial interference. The police said she was found after the Amber Alert led to a tip to the department’s Crime Stoppers hot line.

And the key risk for non-mandatory AMBER alerts, later in the article:

One former state law enforcement official, Michael Balboni, said the alert system should be used prudently.

“It is crucial that emergency notification systems take every precaution to never ‘cry wolf’ or alert needlessly,” said Mr. Balboni, former deputy secretary of public safety for the state. “The risk is evident: If the public loses faith in the system, they may stop participating and the purpose of the system will be lost.

I live in Italy, and I’ve never received an AMBER alert on my phone, because we have no such system here. AMBER alerts are a child abduction system that originated in the United States in 1996 (more on Wikipedia) and that allow the US government to send emergency SMS-like alerts when they believe a child has been kidnapped.

Last night, I watched my Twitter timeline quickly report that the state of California had issued the first AMBER alert at 11 PM (local time). Support for AMBER alerts was added by Apple in iOS 6, and these special alerts get an also-special and loud “siren” notification sound that can’t be changed. They don’t work properly with Do Not Disturb, and they don’t contain additional information or links to photos for the suspects or victims. As a result, many iPhone users who live in California got to experience an AMBER alert for the first time last night, and they were not pleased with the lack of clarity and information in the system.

I think that, for a great and potentially life-saving technology such as nation-wide AMBER alerts, Apple should ensure that iPhone users can properly understand it and not disable it.

Craig Hockenberry has posted a thoughtful critique of the current design of AMBER alerts, suggesting some possible improvements:

This is clearly a problem where cooperation between Apple, the Department of Justice, and the public can improve a system where everyone benefits. Better usability with AMBER Alerts is case where “think of the children” isn’t a trite platitude.

Over at Macworld, Lex Friedman has a good overview of what the AMBER system is and how it works:

It also doesn’t help that the government’s messages via the WEA system are more limited than tweets: They get 90 characters to craft their messages, not enough to include all the relevant details available in an Amber Alert. That’s because the system doesn’t use the standard SMS approach; it’s a special system that’s not subject to delays or congestion from other messages.

As also linked by Hockenberry, Michael Jurewitz’s idea is simple, yet clearer than what the government (and, by reflection, the iPhone) is doing: just call them “Missing Child Alert”.

I’m not judging people who disable AMBER alerts. The system is a powerful resource, made even faster and more ubiquitous thanks to smartphones, but it should be improved in terms of how information is displayed.

My good friend Shawn Blanc launched his new ”audio book, eBook, and interview series for people who make things” today. It’s called Delight is in the details, and it’s available at $29 (audio book, eBook, and interviews) or $20 (eBook only).

From Shawn’s description:

In the book, I talk about why the long-term success of our products (and our reputations) depends heavily on us taking the time to think through and sweat the details. This book encourages you to strive for excellence and resist the tendency to settle on “good enough” work that leads to forgettable products.

If you buy the $29 “Delight is in the Details” bundle, you’ll also find an interview with me about details and little touches in iOS apps, what makes a good first impression, and the importance of function in software.

I read Shawn’s book, and I highly recommend it. Get it here.

Matt Brian at The Verge:

Philips is set to expand its range of programmable LED Hue lights with the launch of new customizable LightStrips and Bloom bulbs. The flexible LightStrips come in two-meter lengths and are designed to be placed around frames or to accentuate fixtures in the home. The Bloom is a portable lamp and features a 120 lumen LED bulb that highlights specific places or objects in a room.

I’ve wanted to purchase (and automate) Hue lights for several months now. I may actually go ahead and get a set of standard lights and a Bloom once they become available through the Apple online store.