Tech and the Japan quake: free calls, donations, radiation protection

March 15th, 2011

Japan map Technology is a two-edged sword, as Japan’s continuing troubles at its nuclear plants shows, but technology will also likely be on the forefront of helping the nation recover.

Time Warner Cable, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, have all made calls and texting to Japan free for a time.

Time Warner said, “As a result of the events that took place on March 11, 2011, we have seen an increase in the number of calls made by our customers to Japan. All direct dial calls placed using our Digital Home Phone service to Japan will be free through April 15, 2011. This program includes both residential Digital Home Phone and Business Class Phone customers and will be retroactive for all calls starting on March 11, 2011.”

Time Warner is also offering Carolinas cable subscribers access to a 24/7 channel broadcasting continuous news about Japan.

In response to the earthquake in Japan, Time Warner Cable is offering a free preview of TV Japan to its digital cable customers in the Carolinas. Digital customers will have access to TV Japan’s earthquake coverage at no additional cost beginning today through March 25th on channel 880. TV Japan is a 24/7 Japanese broadcasting channel.

Google’s Person Finder tool

Google has created a person finder tool to help contact relatives, friends, or others in Japan.

Internet health

Keynote Systems, which provides an Internet Health report, says, “While public sites in Japan continue to do very well in download speed and site reliability, the hard-working folks behind the scenes have had plenty to contend with.

The top backbone provider in Japan, NTT, has seen some isolated performance degradation, both announced on their network status page and captured by Keynote’s InternetHealthReport.com site.

Radiation protection

A Tennessee company, RxBio,says that its lead product, Rx100, a potent radioprotectant as well as radiomitigator, protects against lethal, whole-body radiation when administered before, during, or up to 72 hours after exposure. We’re attempting to find out if the company has any way to help people who may be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation due to the nuclear plant problems.

Donations:

Verizon Wireless customers can make a $10 donation to their choice of ten non-profit organizations responding to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami by simply sending a text message – simply text the specific word to the organization’s designated short code:

ADRA Relief: text SUPPORT to 85944
American Red Cross Relief: text REDCROSS to 90999
Convoy of Hope: text TSUNAMI or SUNAMI to 50555
GlobalGiving: text JAPAN to 50555
International Medical Corps: text MED to 80888
Mercy Corps: text MERCY to 25383
Salvation Army: text JAPAN to 80888
Save the Children Federation, Inc.: text JAPAN or TSUNAMI to 20222
World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals: text WAVE to 50555
World Vision, Inc.: text 4JAPAN or 4TSUNAMI to 20222

Verizon Wireless always waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief, and 100 percent of each $10 donation goes to the relief organization. For Verizon Wireless customers who pay monthly bills, the $10 donations will appear in customers’ next regular monthly bill. For customers using the company’s prepaid services, the $10 donations will be taken from customers’ prepaid balance.

We’ll attempt to update this post with additional resources and links as we find them.

Electronics supply chain effects

Mashable notes that Japan’s factories are a lifeline for electronics companies globally, with 20 percent of semiconductors and 40 percent of all flash memory chips are made there.

It reports that supply chain issues following the disaster are likely.

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