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Did a stalled cellular network – whether from overuse or from somebody's quick decision to shut it down – save an unknown number of bombs from going off? It's impossible to tell at this point. Two of the bombs appear to have worked, though it remains unclear who built them, how they were built, or even if they used remote detonators. However, it doesn't take much to make a cheap timer that could've been used to set off the bombs. Al-Qaeda infamously issues the Casio F-91W to its new recruits since it costs less than $10 and makes a great bomb timer.However, the role that technology played in other aspects of the rescue effort is profound. As has become standard for breaking news events, reports of the explosions showed up first on social media, and in the first few minutes after the explosions, multiple horrific photos showed up on Twitter and Facebook showing dozens of people on the ground, the sidewalk stained red with blood. The bomb threats stretched into the evening.
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Meanwhile, other cities went to lockdown mode. In New York, Times Square filled with police cruisers, and the president got on the phone to start coordinating some sort of response.For now, it feels like everybody is still in shock. As the hospital struggle with the load of dozens of victims — the latest casualty count hasI you live or run a business in #Boston near bombsite please open your wifi for people to use. Communications are important!
— Disaster Tech Lab (@DisasterTechLab) April 15, 2013
Follow Adam on Twitter: @adamclarkestes.This story originally appeared on Motherboard.