[The Commercial Mobile Alert System] allows for three types of warnings. One: Amber Alerts, for missing kids. Two: So-called "imminent" threats to person and property, like a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. And three: Presidential emergency messages. Yes, the president of the United States can now text you directly, and hopefully he'd do so only in a time of extreme national crisis, like when he's been moved to a secure location or can't appear on television.

Marc has mixed feelings about the system:

As a privacy guy, this makes me nervous. As a national preparedness guy, a continuity of government geek, I'm rather pleased.