Activating emergency SOS on your iPhone
Emergencies can happen at any time and if you have an iPhone 14 or 14 Pro and the latest operating system, you now have more options available to get help.
“You could be in a remote area that doesn’t have any cellular connectivity and this new system will certainly help,” said Ritesh Kotak, cybersecurity and tech analyst.
“This is when the satellite emergency-based system kicks in. You will get a prompt saying, ‘do you want to connect with 911 and satellite-based SOS?’”
Kotak said you essentially send text messages to the 911 relay centre, which will alert crews on the ground.
“No longer having connectivity is no longer an issue. And those services at this point are only available in North America.”
There is a way for users to demo this service, Kotak said, without calling 911.
“It will interesting to see in a few months the data on how many were able to use this service. At the end of the day, you do need direct access to the satellites. However, I tried this indoors and was able to connect.”
Kotak added this emergency SOS system using satellites is not available on older model iPhones or Android devices.
However, he added if you have an iPhone 14 or 14 Pro, the service is compatible with Apple Watch.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Jury clears Musk of wrongdoing related to 2018 Tesla tweets
A jury on Friday decided Elon Musk didn't deceive investors with his 2018 tweets about electric automaker Tesla.
Oldest preserved vertebrate brain found in 319-million-year-old fish fossil
The oldest preserved vertebrate brain has been found in a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish skull that was removed from an English coal mine over a century ago.
Freeland touts opportunities of U.S. Inflation Reduction Act at ministers' meeting
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is hosting an in-person meeting Friday with the provincial and territorial finance ministers in Toronto to discuss issues including the current economic environment and the transition to a clean economy.
Ottawa tight-lipped on details as Canada, U.S. call out China over balloon
Canada announced that it had called China's ambassador onto the carpet as Ottawa and Washington expressed their disapproval Friday over a high-altitude balloon found to have been hovering over sensitive sites in the United States.
Liberals withdraw bill's assault-style firearm definition, promise more consultation
The federal Liberals have withdrawn an amendment to their gun bill aimed at enshrining a definition of banned assault-style firearms, citing 'legitimate concerns' about the need for more consultation on the measure.
Federal department fires 49 employees for claiming CERB while employed
A federal government department has fired 49 employees who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit while they were employed.
Canadian COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Medicago Inc. shutting down
Medicago Inc., the Quebec-based drug manufacturer of a Canadian COVID-19 vaccine and other plant-based drugs, is being shut down by parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Group.
White-tailed deer harbouring COVID-19 variants thought to be nearly extinct in humans: study
White-tailed deer may be a reservoir for COVID-19 variants of concern including Alpha, Delta and Gamma, according to new research out of Cornell University that raises questions about whether deer could re-introduce nearly extinct variants back into the human population.
First-year university student from northern Ontario wins $48M in lottery, making history
Canada's newest millionaire, an 18-year-old university freshman from northern Ontario, has achieved a lot of firsts with a recent lottery win. Here is her story.
Barrie
-
Whiteouts close Highway 400 from Cookstown to Barrie
As the region continues to be blasted by heavy winter weather, there are several road closures to report.
-
Parents of students with special needs upset over SCDSB bus changes
Parents of students with special needs are speaking out about a decision by the Simcoe County District School Board to change transportation options starting Monday.
-
Toronto
-
Speed cameras clocked a car driving 70 km/h over the limit. Here's how the owner fought the ticket and won
After being charged with speeding by a city-operated photo radar device, a Toronto family was able to successfully fight the charge in court largely due to one small detail.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | Highway 400 closure in effect north of Toronto due to 'extreme winter weather'
Ontario Provincial Police have closed a portion of Highway 400 north of Toronto following multiple collisions due to whiteout conditions.
-
Police identify man wanted for manslaughter charge in death of former CBC journalist
The death of a longtime CBC journalist who was shoved to the ground in Toronto has now been classified as a homicide and police have issued an arrest warrant for a suspect in the case.
Ottawa
-
Federal department fires 49 employees for claiming CERB while employed
A federal government department has fired 49 employees who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit while they were employed.
-
Winterlude cancels all outdoor activities due to extreme cold
Winterlude kicked off in Ottawa and Gatineau on Friday, but the extreme cold weather conditions forced the cancellation of all outdoor events on opening day.
-
EXTREME COLD WARNING
EXTREME COLD WARNING | Deep freeze hits Ottawa, wind chill drops below -40
Extreme cold temperatures will continue to grip Ottawa and eastern Ontario Friday night and Saturday morning, with the wind chill making it feel colder than -40.
Kitchener
-
UPDATED
UPDATED | Multiple people arrested, one injured in reported armed robbery at Conestoga Mall
Police say they’ve arrested three people and one person was taken to hospital following an armed robbery at Conestoga Mall on Thursday.
-
OPP charge truck driver after flying ice hits vehicle on Highway 401
Ontario Provincial Police are once again reminding drivers to clear the snow and ice off of their vehicles before they head out onto the road.
-
WRPS release security images after string of store robberies in Kitchener
Waterloo regional police issued a robbery warning Thursday evening after they said two convenience stores and a restaurant in Kitchener were robbed within a 30 minute span.
London
-
Grim discovery prompts 'active police investigation' in Woodstock
The public is being asked to avoid the area of Sixth Avenue in Woodstock, Ont. on Friday afternoon due to an “active police investigation” following a grim discovery made by police.
-
Bus cancellations and road conditions
Extreme cold and snow squall warnings are impacting roads and school bus operations in the region, and multiple area roads and highways have been closed by OPP due to hazardous driving conditions.
-
Fire rips through home on Adelaide Street North
London, Ont. firefighters faced challenges on two fronts as they battled a blaze on Adelaide Street North early Friday morning. The first challenge was the snow and freezing overnight temperatures.
Windsor
-
'Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could get it back?': Woman on mission to identity people in old photographs
A River Canard, Ont. woman is on a mission to identify several unknown people in a handful of old photographs she said she found in a box inside her attic. She said she discovered the pictures and postcards while decluttering her home as part of her New Year’s resolution, noticing many date back to the mid 1940s.
-
WECHU board supports 'compromise' allowing SafePoint to open at previously approved location
The Windsor-Essex Board of Health will move ahead with a compromise that will allow the SafePoint consumption and treatment site (CTS) to open at its previously approved location as soon as possible.
-
Home sales down 47 per cent in Windsor-Essex
Real estate in Windsor-Essex has been a rollercoaster ride over the past few years and in January, the wild ride continued.
Montreal
-
Montreal billionaire steps down from Future Electronics after allegations involving teenage girls
A reclusive billionaire who headed a Montreal tech company is stepping down one day after Radio-Canada/CBC published a report that alleged he paid teenage girls for sex for more than a decade.
-
What the closing of Eater Montreal means for the city's food and drink scene
Eater Montreal is shutting down its online publication that for years has been a go-to source for the happenings in the city's distinguished food and dining scene. Food critics in Montreal are now wondering what the loss will mean for local businesses that relied on the publications reviews.
-
Montreal Children's Hospital performs first cochlear implant surgery on young 'super hear-o'
Two weeks ago, a child with hearing loss being treated at the Montreal Children's Hospital underwent cochlear implant surgery, a procedure that was only offered in Quebec City until now.
Atlantic
-
Blizzard warning and snow squall watches issued as bitter cold arrives in Maritimes
Temperatures are plummeting across the Maritimes as a blast of Arctic air moves into the region.
-
Warming centres open as the Maritimes prepare for blast of cold weather
With frigid temperatures in the forecast, Environment Canada has issued extreme cold warnings for all three Maritime provinces.
-
Some N.S. wineries worry as approaching cold temperatures threaten grapevines
Wineries throughout the region are keeping a close eye on the weather as an approaching cold snap threatens their grapevines.
Winnipeg
-
'A big blow to everyone': Fire destroys Winkler shop
A fire destroyed a popular paint and hobby shop in Winkler Thursday afternoon with black smoke prompting Winkler police to close off a stretch of Highway 32 for more than an hour.
-
Manitoba Metis Federation citizenship cards can now be used at liquor stores
Manitoba has expanded the types of identification acceptable for use to purchase liquor, cannabis and lottery tickets in the province.
-
Winnipeg police respond to two homicides in two hours
The Winnipeg Police Service responded to two homicides in the span of two hours this week.
Calgary
-
Political interference alleged in assessment hearings in Matthew de Grood case
Alberta's high court is being asked to overturn a review board decision relating to the stabbing deaths of five young people at a Calgary house party on the grounds the former provincial justice minister interfered.
-
'Groundswell of opposition': firearms bill backtrack applauded by critics in Alberta, Ottawa
Alberta's justice minister is celebrating Friday's scrapped amendments to the federal firearms legislation, but Tyler Shandro believes more work needs to be done on Bill C-21.
-
Calgary woman suing Alberta government over prescribed opioid use restrictions
A Calgary woman is suing the Alberta government over regulations that would prevent her from obtaining hydromorphone, a potent opioid she takes three times a day to treat her severe opioid use disorder.
Edmonton
-
City crews plow northeast Edmonton neighbourhood 5 days after driver ticketed
An Edmonton man who received a ticket from the city under the phase 2 residential parking ban earlier this week says his street has finally been plowed — five days after his vehicle was ticketed.
-
AHS taking over Red Deer supervised consumption site and making it mobile
Red Deer's supervised consumption service is transitioning to a mobile site in the coming months, the Alberta government announced on Friday.
-
Feds announce $500M contract with Edmonton company for green electricity
The Government of Canada has partnered with two major energy providers in Western Canada on renewable energy projects.
Vancouver
-
Civil lawsuit against B.C. cop who shot civilian in case of mistaken identity dismissed
A B.C. man who was mistaken for the target in a police takedown and shot by an officer in 2013 has had his lawsuit alleging negligence dismissed.
-
Fatal shooting of Burnaby teen may be connected to Surrey vehicle fire: IHIT
Homicide investigators are looking into whether a vehicle fire in Surrey on Thursday morning is connected to the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy in Burnaby hours later.
-
'Violent' repeat offender wanted after fleeing from Surrey recovery home: RCMP
Mounties are warning the public about a man they describe as a "violent, high-risk, repeat offender," who may be back in the Okanagan after fleeing from a recovery home in Surrey.