Smart phones at the ready: phone app tells Israelis when to duck and cover from Hamas rockets

'Color Red' alerts Israelis of rocket attacks

During the eight-day war between Israel and Hamas, the Jewish state offered its citizens a mobile phone application to track Palestinian rockets, which extended the climate of war to as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. 

Color Red, the app brainchild of a 13-year-old, tells Israelis where a rocket might land and alerts them to steer away from that place. 

This app has offered a solution to rocket attack threats for more than 3 million Israel residents, according to a report by the Christian Science Monitor . But this isn’t the first time technology has been the focal point in addressing security threats. The majority of Israel’s innovation comes from military and security demands.

The user can have all alerts sent or selected areas from a long list, in Hebrew. The app sends notifications according to the government’s public warnings.

From the receipt of the alert, depending on where residents live, they have 15-90 seconds to head to a bomb shelter as soon as sirens go off.

While the app does not hinder the rockets, it offers a heads up to where it’s landing to prepare to run for cover.

What do you think of 'Color Red'? Would you trust the phone app? Leave us your comments below!