Japanese gadget can predict tremors before they hit

By Olivier Fabre

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese company has created a home appliance the size of a paperback novel that can warn of earthquakes seconds before they strike.

Using the early warning system network and data provided by Japan's Meteorological Agency (JAMA) via the Internet, the appliance sounds off a loud countdown of up to 20 seconds to the moment the tremor begins.

Security firm SunShine Co. Ltd says this should give people enough time to hide under tables, turn off gas and fire sources or even just to move away from potentially dangerous furniture.

Starting October, the JAMA warnings will also be broadcast on television and radio and sent to mobile phones equipped to receive them, which will go on sale later this year.

But the company hopes its 'EQGuard', which will also be available in October, will help people who just happened not to be watching television.

"There are 51 million households in Japan and we expect this system to catch on with at least 20 percent of the households," said President of SunShine Co. Ltd, Kazuo Sasaki.

Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

The appliance sends alerts once it detects primary waves, or the first waves of an earthquake that do not cause major rattling but travel faster than the secondary waves that are responsible for the actual shaking.