Most of the victims had gone without a pulse and oxygen for too long by the time they were found.

NEWYORKER: The Checklist

By midafternoon, I was sweating all over and my pulse was racing, so I decided to rest on a long bench by the wall, but I tripped and fell before I could reach it.

NEWYORKER: The House Behind a Weeping Cherry

The idea is to get relevant information fast, instead of what usually happens, which is getting information long after a crisis is over, said Robert Kirkpatrick, director of Global Pulse, who spoke today at a technology and human rights conference in Berkeley, Calif.

FORBES: Can The U.N. Use Big Data To Respond To Global Disasters?

The company hasn't said which handset will be used in the satellite, but they chose Android because it allows engineers to easily modify the phone to do their bidding -- from controlling pulse plasma thrusters to handling the advanced guidance and navigation systems of the foot long satellite.

ENGADGET: SSTL using Android handsets to control satellites, conquer the final frontier