Vibrating alert on your smartphone was originally developed for military mechanics and airplane pilots in the 1960s to warn them of incoming hazards in deafeningly loud environments.

A closer look

Vibrating alert on your smartphone was originally developed for military mechanics and airplane pilots in the 1960s to warn them of incoming hazards in deafeningly loud environments. The technology utilizes a tiny, unbalanced microscopic motor that aggressively throws itself off-center to create the kinetic shaking feeling in your pocket. Eventually, massage chair companies and pager manufacturers realized this off-balance motor was incredibly cheap to produce and started cramming it into consumer electronics. Now, a highly sophisticated kinetic warning system designed to save fighter pilots from imminent death is primarily used to inform you that your mom just liked your Facebook post or that your food delivery driver is hopelessly lost in your apartment complex