Sewol Disaster Sparks Smartphone Innovation

South Korean news service Yonhap reports that KT Corporation, South Korea's second largest mobile phone carrier, and Samsung Electronics have developed new positioning technology for smartphones that can be used during disasters.

The system could aid in the search for missing people even when their global positioning system (GPS) is not working properly. Called Device to Device (D2D) Discovery, the functionality enables devices to detect each other within 500-meter radius with a smartphone app showing the distance between them.
 
The companies are continuing development and expect to add more features such as message transmission, videos or alarm sounds that could also be used during emergencies.

South Korea plans to establish a national safety network in 2015 to upgrade the country's emergency rescue system after the deadly sinking of the ferry Sewol off the southwest coast in April that left more than 300 people dead or missing, says Yonhap.