The Telegraph reports on a new app called what3words, which is being used by emergency services to identify people lost in rural areas

It was co-created by Chris Sheldrick, who developed an interest in postcodes and location services after visitors to his childhood home in rural Hertfordshire were ‘rarely able to locate [the] house’.

The app works by dividing the world into three-metre squares. It then assigns each square a unique three-word combination, calling upon a dictionary for 40,000 words.

By tapping a button on the app, users can deduce a unique location code in seconds which can then be shared to pinpoint an exact location.

Currently, 46 UK bodies – including police, fire, ambulance and coast guard services – have signed up.

Full article:

- The Telegraph - What3words: the ingenious mapping app that's saving lives around the world