Google's earthquake detection system for Android is now available in two new countries this week.The Android Earthquake Alerts System is now available in Greece and New Zealand and serves as an early warning system for Android users

This initiative is a part of the Android Earthquake Alerts System.

The initiative was launched last August in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for Android users in California and was recently rolled out in Oregon. According to Google, the alert system will be available to Android users in Washington state in May. [The Android Earthquake Alerts System uses sensors on smartphones to detect earthquakes and acts as a mini seismometer. It uses the device's accelerometer to detect "signals that indicate a possible earthquake is occurring." The data is then transmitted and combined with data from other users to form "the world's largest earthquake detection network."

The effectiveness of this system obviously depends on how close you are to the epicenter. The further away you are and the more time you have to react, the more useful the alerts will be. But as an overall system, the data collected by smart phones would be useful to many people.

New Zealand and Greece are the first countries outside of the United States to make this feature available. Both will join California and Oregon Android users to benefit from the detection and warning capabilities of the Android Earthquake Alert System.

Elsewhere, Google rolled out a new search feature for those trying to book post-vaccination vacations. This update will notify you of travel restrictions and other COVID-19 related information you may need to know. Other useful information includes whether proof of vaccination is required and whether you need to be quarantined once you arrive in the area.

While normalcy has yet to return, you can still take a vacation this year, and the new search feature will help make your vacation as stress-free as possible.