I was in Hawaii on a family holiday the day of the ballistic missile threat. The alert interrupted our breakfast at Denny’s and we returned to chaos in our hotel, where we were advised to shelter in the bathroom.

I started writing a message to loved ones which I was about to send when it was confirmed it was a false alarm.
The experience shows how important it is to be aware of emergency procedures. Here’s what it was like in those 38 minutes of fear.

Brisbane school students are getting the day off school, but they don't have much to cheer about: they are being urged to stay indoors as Cyclone Debbie moves down the east coast of Australia. Here's what you need to know.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a warning to Netflix users about a fake email that links to a phishing site that looks almost identical to the real Netflix page. Here's what you need to know.

You have a pretty good collection of different alert sounds in OS X, but if you prefer to make your own, OS X Daily walks you through the process, from recording the sound to placing it in the correct directory.

Google Alerts, the handy way to track new content online, are now more flexible: you can filter your alerts by region or language.

Many of us use the obvious Google services: search, Gmail, Drive and Calendar. However, the company has a host of other products that may surprise you with what they can do.

Telstra has updated its alerts system for data usage, pinging users when they have used 50 per cent, 85 per cent and 100 per cent of their data. Telstra has also changed the way it calculates usage, which means (at least in theory) you should see alerts sooner.

Android: AlarMe is a weather-sensitive alarm clock that keeps an eye on the weather and will wake you accordingly so you're never late because of inclement conditions. If it's raining, you can get up a little early to beat the traffic.

Optus has become the first major carrier to meet up with the alerts requirements of the Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code, sending text alerts when you have used 50 per cent, 85 per cent and 100 per cent of your plan value. That's impressive, given that the leisurely schedule for the code meant that this wasn't a requirement until a year from now.

Chrome: We've discussed the 20-20-20 Rule before, where every 20 minutes you take a 20 second break and look at an object 20 feet away to relieve eyestrain and rest your eyes. The 20 Cubed add-on for Chrome will automatically remind you to take those breaks so you don't have to set your own timer.

Switching on data roaming when you head overseas is almost always a bad idea, as you'll pay a small fortune more often than not. From today, Optus is trying to cut down bill rage by sending an SMS to contract customers when they first use roaming, to ensure they're aware of any potential expenses.

Windows: Freeware app NotiPage can track up to 20 sites, sending you a visible and/or audible alert when the page updates. You can set the app to monitor distant server accessibility, web site updates, and the appearance of specific words on site.

Google recently revamped its News search site and made it easier to customise, but one of its most useful features -- setting up alerts for topics of interest -- remains much the same. Here's how to set up a regular alert from the service on your favourite topics.

According to Google-focused blog Google Operating System, Google is retiring the Google Web Alerts and replacing it with the comprehensive alert this week. With this change, Google Alerts will no longer be able to monitor when something appears in the top 20 results for a Google Web search only.

Windows only: Freeware notification utility Big Stretch Reminder prompts you at regular intervals to get off the PC and take a break — a handy way to help prevent RSI or just give your mind a break.

Windows only: Scott's Gmail Alert 4.0 is a feature-packed Google Calendar and Gmail notification tool, offering great looks and a wide array of customisable options, including the ability to only schedule notifications only during pre-defined times. Distractions begone!

Once you're active in Google Wave, you want to know when something new happens there - even if you don't have Wave open in your browser. These notifier tools monitor your Wave inbox, letting you know you've got new and changed waves.

Windows: If you're a fan of the website monitoring service Pingdom, they've released a handy desktop alert app to put site updates in your system tray.

iPhone/iPod touch: We thought RunPee was a clever site and iPhone app that picks dull movie moments for bathroom breaks. The iPhone app can now store your chosen movies for offline use and quietly vibrate an alert at break times.