Track power outages in real time across the US with the Ting app

The article discusses a new feature in the Ting app that allows users to track power outages in real-time across the United States. The app utilizes a network of 1.1 million home sensors installed by the startup Whisker Labs, which can detect micro-arcing and notify the app when power is lost. The app provides an interactive national outage map, allowing users to search for and save addresses to see if there's an outage affecting a specific area and when power has been restored. This feature is intended to help people determine whether they can return to their homes after an outage or disaster, as utilities often struggle to keep customers updated during widespread blackouts. The article also highlights the increasing prevalence of weather-related power outages in the US, with the country experiencing 60% more such outages during the summer months over the past decade compared to the 2000s. The Ting app's power outage tracking feature aims to fill the information gap for residents affected by these more frequent and prolonged blackouts.